Page 65 of Lovebug
“Yes, you sure did.”
He grins. He is enjoying this way too much.
“Like I already said,” I grit my teeth, “I am sorry, and it will not happen again. But, um, I’m confused about why you’re here. I thought it was understood that the invitation for tonight was no longer operational.”
“No longer operational, huh?”
“That’s right.”
“And why would that be the case?”
“Because!” I say it like he’s a bit dense. “I said that we shouldn’t talk anymore.”
“Who’s here to talk?” He chuckles. “I’m here for a product party! I’m here to boost my T!”
Suddenly, I feel a surprise hand on my lower back, accompanied by a concerned voice.
“Mabes? You okay?”
I startle.
“Ahh! Bert! It’s Bert! The man I kiss on a regular basis! Bert! Hi, Bert!”
Bert is standing beside me, shooting glances at Wally and looking confused.
“Hello,” he says, though I’m not certain if it’s to me or the burly man in front of me.
“Hey there!” Wally says with enthusiasm as he extends a hand to Bert. “You must be the butterflying fiancé!”
“I… am the fiancé, yes.” Bert reluctantly shakes his hand and sneaks a quick glance at me before saying, “And you are?”
“Wallace Bieber. Prospective team member. Mabel here tells me you have a fantastic new line of products designed to boost male stamina and testosterone, and let me tell you, pal, I gotsta get me summa that!”
Bert looks him up and down from where he stands, considerably shorter and smaller than our unexpected visitor.
“Alright. Uh. By all means, then. Uhhhhhh. Come on in,” he says. It’s really interesting seeing Bert rattled.
“Fantastic.” Wally barges past us and rubs his hands together in anticipation. “I heard there would be vitamin bug juice in this joint. Lead me to it, team! Papa’s parched!”
Papa’s parched?
“You’ll, uh, you’ll find the refreshments around the corner to your left,” Bert calls after him.
“’Preciate it, pal!” Wally shoots him a finger gun, then disappears from sight.
“Interesting guy…” Bert starts.
“Sort of. I guess. Not really.”
“Where did you meet him?” His head cocks to the side. “The museum?”
“No, the arboretum actually. He’s the groundskeeper. Or the handyman. I actually don’t know what his title is. But you and Doreen wanted me to bring some of my work colleagues tonight, so.”
He’s looking at me like he might be regretting that request.
I continue, “Right?”
“Yeah.” He shakes his head a few times. “Yes! Absolutely. I guess I just thought they’d be more…”
