Page 38 of Solo Stan
“It doesn’t matter,” Dakarai responded. “You were just trying to piss off Moodie.”
A sinking feeling struck Elias in the chest again. He wasn’t saying things right. This had nothing to do with Moodie. He wanted to tell him that, but it was like his mouth was gummed shut. “I’m sorry” was all he could manage to say.
“I’m not,” Dakarai replied, folding his arms over his chest. “It freed me. The old me would have named our grandkids already.”
The two shared a brief chuckle that gradually faded into a tense silence.
“If I ever had a chance with you, did I ruin it?” Elias asked after a few moments. He shook his head slowly as he watched Dakarai hesitate to answer. “I ruined my chance with someone who is literally in love with the idea of being in love. This has got to be one of my greatest achievements.”
It would have been easier if Dakarai were angry—anger he could understand. But the sheer disappointment on Dakarai’s face somehow hit harder.
Elias, unsure of what else to do in this moment, brought out his phone and impatiently tapped on the notification he’d ignoredearlier, hoping for a distraction, while Dakarai jotted down the number21.
Random Act of Kindness
Give someone a compliment and record it.
“I’ll do this one.” Dakarai took the phone, turning the camera on himself without breaking eye contact with Elias. “You’re cute when you’re sincere,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he handed the phone back.
“Okay, okay,” Elias said, bowing his head to hide a smile of his own.Buzz, buzz.His phone vibrated in his pocket again, but he ignored it, too caught up in the moment. “I see I have more work to do, but you have to agree that this city would be a nice place for a date.”
Dakarai’s eyes lit up with a sudden attentiveness. “You think so?”
“Definitely. Of the two of us, you’re the romantic. You tell me.”
“I think it matters less about what you do and more about the person you do it with.”
“So, roses and a box of chocolates wouldn’t work for you, huh?”
“When someone gives me roses and a box of chocolates, I’ll let you know.”
“Noted. And for the record, I would take my date to the top of The Dalton for the view,” Elias said pointing to the hotel where they’d been earlier that night. “And then we would take a walk through the Art District.”
The neon light from a passing bus cast a soft pink hue onto Dakarai’s face. His eyes shimmered as he asked, “Then what?”
“Maybe rent one of those scooters and see where else the night takes us,” Elias said, gesturing to a few lime-green electric scooters parked at the corner. His smirk turned to a full smile when Dakarai laughed.
Buzz, buzz.
Another vibration in his pocket.
“You going to get that?” Dakarai asked.
“No.”
Buzz, buzz.
“It’s nothing important.”
Music drifted in from the concert a few blocks away, reverberating off the nearby buildings to create a rhythmic backdrop. Swaying to the music, he playfully bumped into Dakarai with each motion.
Buzz, buzz.
“You sure you’re not going to even check what it is?” Dakarai asked.
“It’s probably the app yelling at me because I haven’t opened the next envelope,” he replied. “We don’t have to open it just yet, do we?”
Dakarai raised an eyebrow. “I guess not,” he replied. “But I will remind you that we’re only doing this for you. I got to see CYPHR already.”
