Page 18 of Unrecognizable Player

I spit out a shocked laugh.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I started it.”

He looks like he’s thinking something over real hard. He makes his mind up and says, “by the way, I’m gay.”

“Um, okay? I kinda guessed that with the whole boyfriend thing.”

“I just mean, if it’s gonna be a problem-”

I hold my hands up. “Not a problem. Don’t give a shit.”

He looks like I just slapped him. What did he want me to do? Throw a parade.Oh Jesus Christ, hi Papa, what are you doing in there again?

“Just… maybe if you meet a guy, go back to his place.”

His cheeks flush.

“Not because you’re gay, I don’t bring girls back here either. Friends – fine. Hook-ups – go somewhere else.”

“Okay,” he shrugs. “I think I can manage that.”

“Great.”

“Great.”

“So do you want the place or not?”

He blinks at me hard a few times. “I’ll… have to think about it, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, just don’t take too long, I’m kinda in a hurry here. Some people don’t have rich parents to pay their rent.”

He lets out a loud, brash laugh so unlike anything I’d imagine coming from him.

“Neither do I.”

“Okay then.”

“Okay then.”

Why does he keep just repeating everything I say?

I show him out, closing the door a little louder behind him than I’d meant to.

Holy shit. What the fuck was that?

5

STEFANOS

Alice jumps up the second I walk through the door.

“So? How was it?”

I shrug. “It was… fine.”

“What? What’s that face?”

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