Page 62 of After the Siren
Paddy snorted orange juice all over his scrambled eggs and started to cough.
‘Sorry?’ Stavs was choking on a mouthful of bagel.
Xen handed Paddy a serviette. ‘InMario Kart?’
‘Yeah,’ Paddy said, emerging from behind his serviette. ‘You guys were heading for Rainbow Road when I went to bed, right? Or was it Peach Beach?’
‘Funny,’ Jake said, attempting to projectShut the fuck upat Paddy.
‘It was a tie,’ Stavs said. He was studying the remains of his latte with grim intensity.
If Paddy was the reason Stavs decided they shouldn’t fuck again, Jake was going tomurderhim.
Paddy took a sip of his coffee. ‘No tie-breaker? Did you get all tangled up in Sweet Sweet Canyon or something?’
‘We got tired,’ Stavs explained.
Paddy grinned at him. ‘Giant Goomba too much for you?’
Stavs got to his feet so quickly the table shook. ‘Bathroom,’ he said, and escaped ... not in the direction of the bathroom. He was going to have to circle back.
‘You’re a dick,’ Jake told Paddy, and swiped the last mushroom off his plate. ‘Save it for me. Don’t be mean to him.’
Paddy put his hands up. ‘Fine, fine.’
Xen looked between Jake and Paddy, then glanced at Stavs taking the long way around to the bathrooms to avoid walking past their table. He looked back at Jake. ‘You didn’t.’
‘I didn’t what?’
‘He did,’ Paddy said. ‘He definitely did.’
Xen sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ‘Well, I guess it was inevitable.’
‘What?’
‘You’ve been batting your lashes at him like an anime heroine for weeks,’ Paddy said, and demonstrated.
‘I have not!’ Jake speared a piece of haloumi off Paddy’s plate. The best piece.
When Stavs returned, he was holding his phone in front of him like a shield. ‘I forgot I had a, um, brunch this morning. I’m going to jump in an Uber. See you tomorrow.’
He was gone before Jake could manage abye.
Fuck.
Paddy started to laugh again.
‘Bro.’ Jake glared at him. ‘That wasyour fault.’
‘How was it my fault?’
‘Did you have to keep fucking bringing it up?’
Paddy blinked at him. ‘The situation is objectively very funny.’ He turned to Xen. ‘Jaze didn’t flip the sign.’ He quirked an eyebrow at Jake. ‘Sorry for interrupting. Though it looked like —’
‘You don’t get it.’ Jake realised he’d raised his voice, so he lowered it. Xen was frowning now. ‘It was ...’ He stopped. It was Stavs’ business. Jake wasn’t going to tell anyone that it had been Stavs’ first time with a guy. ‘Forget it,’ Jake said.
Xen was still frowning. He was too fucking perceptive for his own good. For Jake’s good. ‘Is Stavs okay?’
