Page 5 of All That Glitters
Tony looked slightly guilty. “I think I said sometimes.”
“Nope. It was always,” Matt corrected. “And speaking of always, was Tony always coming up with get-rich-quick schemes when you guys were growing up?”
“And then flaking out on them a week later?” Jeff added.
“Oh, yeah,” Debbie said with a big nod. “Always.”
“It’s called ambition,” Tony said.
“It’s called having to haul ten huge rolls of vinyl to the dumpster,” Jeff said. “Remember that one? The vinyl camper shell company you started in our dorm room and gave up on a week later.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Okay. That’s once.”
“Or that cryptocurrency you invented called DormCoin that was supposed to revolutionize campus laundry payments,” Matt added. “Until you realized you’d have to actually learn coding.”
“Not my brightest moment,” Tony conceded. “Okay, that’s twice.”
“And that bikini calendar you were gonna make?” Jeff added. “That one didn’t even last a week.”
“That’s because the girl who was going to be Miss July got a restraining order against you,” Tony said. “I’m not taking the blame for your hormones.”
Debbie’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Man, I missed this.”
“You can have him back if you want,” Matt said.
“Nope. No way. He’s your problem now.”
“I’m not anyone’s problem,” Tony insisted. “I’m completely problem-free.”
“Except for the aforementioned problems,” said Matt. “And dozens more I’m sure Debbie can share.”
“She can,” Debbie said with a wide grin.
“But she’s not going to,” Tony said.
“Not unless they bribe me,” Debbie said, shooting him a grin.
“So, what’s the deal with you guys?” Jeff said, his eyes going back and forth between Tony and Debbie. There was definitely something there in the subtext. “You ever date?”
The laughter and grins came to a sudden, screeching stop. Tony and Debbie exchanged awkward glances.
“Nope,” said Tony, a bit too quickly. “Just friends.”
“Which translated, means she blew you off,” Jeff said.
“No,” Tony said, irritation creeping into his voice. “It means we’re friends.”
“Because she would’ve blown you off,” Jeff persisted, the thought of a platonic relationship with a cute girl completely beyond his comprehension.
Tony glanced at his bare wrist, where a watch would have been if he wore one. “Oh, gee. Look at the time,” he said, then turned to Debbie. “We should get going.”
“Where are we going?” Jeff asked, oblivious to the not-so-subtle hint.
“We, nowhere,” Tony emphasized. “Debbie and I, the beach.”
Matt exchanged knowing looks with Jeff. “He’s pissed because she blew him off.”
“She didn’t blow me off,” Tony insisted.
