Page 17 of All Out of Flux
“Oh, think nothing of it.” Faizan looked at his vest, pretending to flick away a bit of lint. “And free of charge, too. All in the interest of keeping our fair city safe. Perhaps in the future the two of you will consider working a job for me, yes?”
“Depends on the kind of job,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Max’s eyes widened. Faizan laughed.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen.”
We stepped out of the VIP area. I could sense that Max was excited to head somewhere we could talk one on one.
And that was when I noticed him, the young man making eyes at my own young man. I couldn’t even act surprised about it. Max was the kind of guy who turned heads fully clothed, never mind with his shirt off. But something about how this other man was trying to get his attention was rubbing me the wrong way.
Mousy. That was the best way to describe him. Kind of a nerd, but he had his own sense of style, those glasses, the waistcoat, this whole vibe that he worked at a used bookshop and had all the best recommendations. Not a bad-looking guy at all. Quite handsome, even.
He walked up to Max, never making eye contact with me, not that he would know who I was from Adam. Just a random pickup, right? He’d whisper something flirty in Max’s ear, and Max would turn him down politely.
“Wow, Max, fancy seeing you here.” He gestured at himself, waved his hands over his clothes. “I know, I know, I’m wearing the same stuff from work. But I thought it’d be appropriate for tonight, with a couple of twists.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh. You guys knew each other?”
“Yeah, you know. Work stuff.” Max crossed his arms over his torso, like he was suddenly so embarrassed to be naked. “Hi again. Been a while, huh?”
“Sorry, what?” The man in the waistcoat blinked in confusion. “But we only met today.”
Didn’t Max say that he’d spent the earlier part of his day scoping out the statuette? I clenched my jaw, gritting my teeth through my annoyance, forcing out my best fake smile.
Maximo had some explaining to do.
8
MAX
Iwalked back to our table balancing three drinks between my hands. All beers, which was certainly easier to manage than actual cocktails. I had my work cut out for me already, trying to keep the peace. I mean, surely Leon wouldn’t hex poor Just for the faultless crime of — well, I don’t know, casually checking me out while saying hi to me?
And it was my fault, anyway. So I panicked, okay? What was I thinking, lying about something as stupid as meeting Just earlier that day? I had no reason to feel guilty, and no reason to make Leon wonder about my motives. Now it all looked like a bigger deal than it actually was.
“Two beers for the gentlemen,” I announced to the table.
I placed one beer in front of Just and was about to do the same for Leon when he snatched the bottle out of my hand. I clenched my jaw and tried not to gulp. Maybe he was just thirsty. I couldn’t always tell with him. The boy claimed to be charming as anything, and it was true. There was no piercing that perfect smile.
“Cheers,” Leon said. “To new friends.”
I chuckled nervously, clinking my bottle against theirs. “Yes. To new friends.”
We’d found our way to the outdoor bar built into the back of Habibi. Perfect for fans of smoking the hookah, or anyone who just wanted some outdoor air, or a break from the almost oppressively loud dance music.
I’d pulled on my shirt very quickly, now that we didn’t have to conform to Faizan’s dress code. Felt pretty sheepish strutting around bare-chested with Leon sporadically tossing the dagger-eyes in my direction. He’d put his shirt back on, too. Just, as it turned out, was the only one who’d actually dressed for the occasion.
Leon flashed his winningest smile again. “I really like your vest, Just.”
“Oh, this?” Just grinned, pinching the material of his waistcoat. “Like I said, I wore it to work. But I knew about this party tonight, and I figured I could pass it off as my costume.”
He fished out a golden length of chain, one end clipped to his pocket, the other attached to a beautiful fob watch. He nudged up his glasses and made a sputtering noise with his lips.
“‘I’m late. I’m late!’ Get it? I’m the White Rabbit. From the Alice books.”
Leon grinned. “So cute.” He leaned his elbow on the table, then rested his chin on his knuckles, hand tightened into a fist. “Isn’t he so cute, Max?”
The way he stared at me filled me with an overwhelming urge to tug on the opening of my shirt. I staunchly refused to do so. This was all awkward enough. I also didn’t find it especially amusing that our cute White Rabbit and his pocket watch were an unfortunate reminder of the Quartz Spider and his deadly anomalies.
Still I offered a friendly smile. “Very cute, Just. Put on a pair of bunny ears, draw on some whiskers, you’d really be living the part.”
