Page 70 of Wandering in Darkness
“What are you two fuckers chattin’ about?” Eddie asks as he slows before turning around so he’s walking backwards to face us. I notice Devon has parted from the rest of the group since he’s taken a phone call and has put enough distance between us that I can’t hear what he’s talking about, which means he also can’t hear what we’re talking about.
“Grayson was telling me about that time you suavely kissed him,” I say, which makes Eddie roar with laughter.
“I forgot about that.”
“Did I tell you about that?” Grayson asks with a laugh. “The other night?”
“Yeah.” If he doesn’t remember telling me about that, does that mean he doesn’t remember the kiss? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Grayson shakes his head. “Oh, that was hilarious and also not at the same time.”
“He turned me straight,” Eddie says.
Audrey lightly smacks his chest. “You were straight to begin with.”
“Well, for one second… I was curious,” Eddie says. “I regretted my choice that day. Should have picked a man who knew how to kiss.”
I’m quite positive Grayson knows how to kiss. He knows how to kiss so fucking well that for the past two days, it’s damn near all I can think about… okay, maybe not the kiss itself but what that kiss meant. Does it mean he likes me? Does it mean he was drunk, and when he’s drunk, he just kisses whoever looks his way?
“You crammed your tongue down my throat like you were reaching for gold. It’s no wonder you thought I was a horrible kisser!” Grayson says.
“No, no, no. I kissed Audrey at some point too. Audrey, tell him that I’m a much better kisser than that.”
“It felt like you were licking my tonsils,” she says, which makes everyone laugh.
“You just can’t win, Eddie,” Tate decides. “You know that, right?”
“What I’m hearing is that all of you are so goddamn jealous you think I’m the best,” Eddie declares. “And I am. Thank you.”
“How did he come to that conclusion?” I ask.
“In Eddie’s mind, everything that’s said about him pertains to how magnificent he is. He’s easily confused,” Grayson explains.
“Fine, I will have to show off my kissing skills,” Eddie says as he puckers his lips and looks around for who might be a willing victim. Audrey, the only female among us, grimaces and quickly looks away, which makes Eddie’s eyes narrow.
Tate hastily backs behind Grayson, as though Grayson will save him. Which means that Eddie’s eyes fixate on me since I’m the only victim left standing. He does some weird fish pucker thing as he comes at me. “Calvin. Please!”
“That’s not my name, so… I’m not quite sure who you’re talking to, so I will be off.”
“What the hell is Cal short for if that’s not your name?” Eddie asks. “My name’s short for Howard.”
“How?” I ask, but he just laughs, so I don’t know whether he’s joking or not.
He scrutinizes me. “Callio, Callafonso, Calli…opinope.”
“I know it,” Tate says.
Eddie’s interest is piqued. “I will kiss you if you don’t tell me.”
That threat immediately makes Tate spill. “It’s Calyn.”
“What kind of name is that?” Eddie asks.
“It’s a ‘my mom thought it sounded fancy then realized she hated wasting her favorite fancy name on me, so she named the dog that and began calling me Cal’ kind of thing.”
“Excuse me, what? You were replaced by a dog?” Eddie asks before hollering, he’s laughing so hard.
Grayson, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to enjoy the joke as much. Instead, he’s giving me a look of concern, so I avert my eyes.
