Page 87 of Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin

Joe wiped a tense hand across his wrinkled brow. “I’m not jealous, Percy.”

“Because first it’s Moxie, and now it’s this. But I’m willing to try couples counselling if that might?—”

Irritation boiling over, Joe snapped, “Would you shut up and listen to me? It adores you, Percy. You made it not only trust you, you made it fall for you. So when it left me, it took a form where it could stay close to you. Where it knew you would keep it safe.” Joe’s eyes moved to the ball of fur trying to clamber up Percy’s chest. “Where it would get all the best of you, because it found a weak spot.”

Percy’s hand closed around the kitten as the understanding began to dawn on him. “You’re being ridiculous?—”

Joe raised his voice a little louder. “Where it can lick your face, and watch you shower?—”

Percy spoke louder still, over the top of him, refusing to hear it. “This is complete nonsense. I won’t have anything to do with?—”

“And where it can bite your fiancé when he tries to touch your dick!” The restaurant fell quiet at these last, shouted words.

Percy turned a ghastly shade of grey. He scrunched the scruff of fur on the kitten’s neck, and lifted her, slowly, to look into her bright green eyes. “Did you take Moxie?”

She reached out a be-socked paw and tapped him on the nose. “Mew.”

Percy dropped the kitten onto his dinner plate. He stood, scraping his chair back, feeling over his pockets. “It’s been a long week. Please accept my apologies.” He pulled out a cigarette and shoved it in his mouth before flinging a credit card down on the table. “Put it on this.”

“Percy,” Joe tried, “it won’t hurt anyone else.”

Percy held up a silencing finger. “Get anything you like. No drinks, Leo. We’ll talk tomorrow.” And he stalked out of the restaurant.

Moxie pounced after him, but was caught mid-air by Joe. “You’ve caused enough trouble.” He turned to Althea and Leo, the two of them perfectly mute. “Um. Happy birthday, Althea!” And Joe, too, sprinted out into the night.

Leo leaned across and said, “What if we just order every single dessert on the menu?”

Althea’s eyes grew wide. “Can we do that?”

Leo raised a hand for the waiter. “I think we deserve it.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

THE BREAKUP

Joe followed the scent of Percy’s very particular tobacco blend. He didn’t know London well, but when he’d run about two blocks, he came upon the Savoy and hedged his bets. There were three bars in the hotel, but it was in a quiet corner of the American Bar that Joe found Percy starting the last of the three cocktails he’d already ordered. “Three more of those, please,” Joe instructed the barman, then he took a seat by Percy.

Percy glanced at him, downed the cocktail, and lifted a hand for another.

“Drunk is good,” said Joe. “But it’s not going to solve anything.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. If I stay drunk forever, then I won’t have any more problems.”

“Percy—”

“Don’t try to make it okay. That was it. That was my final straw. I’m done. You and me…” Percy’s eyes flitted away to the dark recesses of the bar. “We’re done.”

Joe’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the words, but his voice was strong when he replied, “Do you remember what happened last time you tried that? I didn’t listen then either.”

“And look where that got us.”

“It got us engaged.”

Four more drinks were set down on the table, three empty glasses taken away. Percy took up the next to avoid speaking.

Joe said, “I had the best time with you in Sicily. And in Bruges. The best time in my whole life.”

Percy countered with a maudlin, “I almost lost you yesterday. I thought I got away with it. I thought we could have that happy ending. And I let myself feel hopeful. I thought we might solve this mess. Together. But you know, there’s always going to be that one last thing. That sting in the tail. It’s this life. It’s just the way it goes.”

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