Page 46 of The Photograph

“What?”

I shake my head at him. “Don’t play the innocent with me.”

George bugs his eyes out at me and then makes a face at Alex. Alex is grinning at us.

“I think I’m going to find watching you two very entertaining,” he says.

This seems to settle George, like Alex has put him and me together. He claps his hands.

“Now I was thinking on my way here about what dreadful stories I could tell you about this guy.” George jerks a thumb at me.

“Oh no,” I say, burying my face in my hands.

George gives a wicked cackle. “Why do you think I wanted to meet him?” he says, gesturing at Alex.

“Because you’re a friend?” I say hopefully, and he shakes his head.

“Nope. My duty is to fill this young man in on what he’s getting into.” He pats Alex’s knee.

I mouth sorry at Alex, but he just shakes his head and smiles, looking down at his lap.

When I come out of the bathroom about an hour later, George is waiting in the corridor.

“Hey,” I say.

Pursing his lips at me, he jerks his head toward the bar. “I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have thought he’d be your type.”

“I have a type?”

“He’s quiet that’s all. Introverted.” He waves his hand. “You know.”

I don’t think he means this as a compliment, but I’m not going to assume he’s being negative. Being straight with him and Alex going forward is vital.

“Yeah, I’m surprised, too.” I laugh. “He’s got hidden depths.”

“Whereas I have no hidden depths at all,” George mutters, fiddling with the strap on his wrist.

“Hey,” I reach out to squeeze his hand. “This isn’t a comparison or a competition.”

“I’ve lost you to him. Of course it’s both those things!” he says.

“George. We separated a while ago,” I say, taking a deep breath.

The color on his cheeks is high as I take in his glassy eyes, and he huffs as I bend a bit to try and get him to look at me.

“George, we had this conversation a long time ago. If I’m going to be in a relationship, monogamy is important to me. It felt like that was a problem we were never going to solve.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t blame you for it; we’re just different in that respect. No harm, no foul.”

“It’s all very well for you to say that having found somebody else.” He waves his arm to where Alex is sitting. “I’m not in the same position.”

Why doesn’t he see that not being faithful is the cause of all his problems?

“Why is that?”

“I like all the flirting and the threesomes and the playing around!”

“Okay, well you just need to find someone who likes that, too.”

He looks down at his hands. “I’m too insecure for that. When they do it to me, I can’t handle it.”

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