Soon.
But not yet.
"That's good. I mean, it's okay if you do. Or if you want to talk about him. Or something else. I can listen." I swallow hard.
He releases my finger. "I know."
I nod.
"I'm not good at it either," he says.
"We're pretty bad at talking for two people who have been best friends most their lives."
"Mommy issues."
"Just like Wes," I say.
He chuckles. "Don't tell him I said that."
"Have I ever spilled one of your secrets?"
He shakes his head. "Not that I know about." He moves to my middle finger. Sucks it clean. Flicks his tongue against the pad of my fingertip.
It's impossibly hot.
I… Uh… We…
Ahem.
"You were saying something about how you weren't filling a deep loneliness." I clear my throat.
"I wasn't. I did it because I liked it. Because it was fun. Because I didn't have anything better to do."
"Right."
"But then… remember last time we tried a new matcha shop. The one in Little Tokyo?"
"The terrible one?"
He chuckles. "It was fine."
I stick my tongue out. Sure, it was fine, but only fine.
"You drank your latte faster."
"Of course," I say. "When it's great, you have to savor it."
"And when it's just okay, you need more to satisfy."
"Right. You, um, you're using food as a metaphor for sex again."
"Shit." He laughs as he picks up his cup of ice cream. "I'm a pig."
"Yeah." I steal his spoon. Bring a scoop of chocolate to my tongue. Mmm. There's a tiny hint of coffee mixed in. It's just enough bitterness to bring out the flavor of the cocoa.
"But you do know what I mean?" he asks.
"Sorta."