Page 67 of Never Lasting (Never Blue)

Tali

Tino threwa piece of pasta at my forehead.

“Did it stick?” Nina asked.

I swiped the rigatoni off my face. “You two are going to fail cooking school.”

Our teacher walked by just as Tino threw pasta at Nina. She shook her head and kept walking. This was only our second class, but she’d given up on us.

Nina had been jealous of my cooking lessons, so she’d signed up to come with us. The first night we’d learned to make salmon. Hers had been raw on the inside, even though she’d cooked it the same amount of time as everyone else. On the contrary, Tino’s had burnt to the point of making the room so smoky, class ended early.

“I’ve decided to focus on my looks and brain rather than my culinary prowess,” Nina announced.

“So I have to sit through three more lessons of you throwing food at me?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t throw an egg at you or anything. Plus, Tino threw food first.”

Eyelids fluttering, he was working hard to give off the innocent vibe. “I’m deeply sorry. I wasn’t given enough attention as a child and now I beg for it.”

I rolled my eyes. “You do not lack for attention, my friend. Your house is constantly filled with people.”

“And yet, who knows the true me?” he asked.

I poked his hard stomach. “If your ass wasn’t so secretive, probably a lot of people.”

Nina interrupted. “Are you guys up for grabbing a drink after this? I need to get your opinions on something.”

Tino rubbed his hands together. “Sound deliciously ominous. I’m in.”

I poked him again. “Shut up. And yes, Neens, I’m in.”

When we left class, I was the only one who’d produced something edible, which I carried in a takeout container. Tino drove us to a coffee shop in an old Victorian house a mile or so from campus. We settled into a cozy booth together, drinking coffee even though it was already after nine p.m.

“Heather dropped a bomb on me last night,” Nina began.

My stomach clenched. “What’d she say?”

“She’s been with men. Multiple men. And she said if we break up, she was open to being with a man in the future,” Nina said.

I winced. “Whoa, why would she say that?”

She shrugged. “We had a fight. We made up. She said that when we were naked in her bed.”

“That’s awful,” I said.

“I don’t know. I think she was still mad at me.”

Tino didn’t look concerned. “So, your girlfriend’s bi. Isn’t everyone, just a little?”

I rolled my eyes. “No. Finding someone of the same sex attractive isn’t the same thing as being bi. I highly doubt either you or Nina would consider being in a hetero relationship.”

He winked. “Only with you, baby mama.”

Nina turned her coffee mug in tight circles on the table. “I’m one hundred percent gay. Super, gold-star gay. I thought Heather was too. I guess I’m wondering if I’m going to be enough for her.”

Tino laid his hand on hers, stopping her from dumping her coffee all over the table. “I’ve only been in one committed relationship, so I’m not an expert, but Idoknow human nature. It’s perfectly normal to wonder if you’re going to be enough for your partner down the road. Especially if you love them and see the potential for the future. That’s some scary shit. Wanting long-term but knowing there’s no guarantee.”

Nina and I froze, glancing from each other to Tino. He’d surprised us both, voicing our fears out loud.

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