Page 62 of Two Marlboros

“Come on, let’s have a drink.”

I cast one last glance at that picture, certain that it held a secret. I hoped that in that fleeting moment it would reveal it to me, but it did not.

Finally, I looked up at Ashton. “Alright.”

I wasn’t very thirsty. My mind was racing and trying to nab that detail that kept eluding me. I could not devote energy to other actions, so I refused the Coke Ash wanted to offer me.

He took a coffee and with a paddle stirred the hot liquid.

Hot.

There was something else I associated with that adjective, but I forced myself to think of coffee as something far more interesting. It was time to get rid of those silly thoughts that had no sense or reason to exist, least of all in my head. Maybe in Steve’s or Harvey’s, but not in mine.

“Are you still mad at me?”

Ashton’s gaze was full of sincere anxiety, and I thought back to the scene I had made when we had entered the “party” topic.

“No, don’t worry.”

He smiled at me, turned the palette once more, and had his first sip of coffee.

“I hope at least the evening was fun.”

Those were not my thoughts. Oliver… he was a thought of mine. A thought that seemed to get more and more blurry...

“Yeah, we could call it that. You know, full of super excited kids.”

As if my mind couldn’t project it well anymore. As if I was beginning to...

Ashton burst out laughing. “Yes, yes, I can imagine the scene. What did you have to do, as a fake boyfriend for a night?”

I didn’t remember telling him about that. Likely,hehad done it. There, yes: throwing him into anonymity in my head would certainly have helped.

“Thankfully, nothing.”

Ashton was still chuckling, and I couldn’t understand why. He limited his laughter more and more, until he forced himself to do so under his breath.

“No little kisses? No romantic phrases? No jealousy tantrum, like, ‘He’s only mine, leave him alone now’?”

He had another sip of coffee, not deigning me a glance, but continuing to hold back a giggle about to explode. Certainly, there had been no kiss (at least not in reality, as my mind suggested, and I thanked it for the clarification); there had noteven been romantic phrases, but there had been a scene of - fake - jealousy. Which had not even been my own doing, by the way.

“I did the bare minimum not to ruin his evening,” I replied.

I thought of Steve, to whom I had perhaps revealed too much about why I was at that party. By now the damage was done, and I could only hope that the person directly involved would not find out.

“Who knows what turn this is going to take...”

Ashton began walking toward the office, coffee still in his hand. I joined him and walked beside him.

“I doubt it will take the turn you’re hoping for, since he’s all about Harvey.”

Ash laid his fingers on the office doorknob and turned to me. “And who the heck would that be?”

I did not expect Nathan to have spared Ash his perspectives of the relationship with Harvey. Relationship that, I already knew, would perhaps take off to crash to the ground after a short time, since Harvey’s intentions were clear to everyone but him. He didn’t realize it, or maybe he didn’t want to, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be a great bond.

“He’s the great love of his life, popped up from who knows where.”

A snort came out of Ashton.

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