20. Chapter 20 #2
“Yeah.” Now that Evan believed. At least this place had its own library of board games.
Where would they ever fit something like that in the pub?
They wrapped their hands around their spiked hot chocolate, and the heat radiating from the mug took the chill out of Evan’s fingertips, “Thanks for inviting me, hey.”
“It was Sloane’s idea, so I can’t take all the credit.” Andy grinned, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to add, “Not gonna lie, I think she likes you, Ev. Claire’s been shipping you since the staff party.”
“Oh, well.” Evan squirmed in their seat, before busying themself by taking a drink of the hot chocolate. “Not to burst her bubble, but I’m sort of seeing someone.”
“Already?” Andy laughed. “You just moved here, b’y. Who is it? Anyone I know?” He leaned closer, eyes widening and cheeks flushed from excitement and the warmth of the café. “Someone from O’Rourke’s?”
“I’m not telling, so quit while you’re ahead.
” Evan smirked but knew there was only a limited time before their new friends found out.
Frankie must have been feeling a bit possessive to see Evan go out with Sloane so soon, so she hadn’t held back in her office earlier that evening.
If anyone had walked in, they would have witnessed Frankie’s tongue halfway down Evan’s throat.
“Okay, I won’t pry. Good to see you’re settling in.” Andy raised his glass in Evan’s direction. “To new friends and potential lovers.”
Evan narrowed their gaze on the glass, then back at Andy, who chuckled. “C’mon, kid, don’t make it awkward. Acknowledge the toast, or I can’t drop my hand.”
“You totally could. Talk about making shit awkward.” Evan picked up their glass to toast Andy’s.
Claire returned from the washroom a moment later without Sloane, and Evan glanced around the café in search of her. “Lose someone?”
“Sloane got a call and took off outside,” Claire explained, but something like worry lines creased her forehead. She turned to the exit, before shifting in her seat and plastering a smile on. “What’d I miss?”
“Ev’s seeing someone, but we can’t know yet who,” Andy summed up before Evan got the chance to speak.
“Yeahhhh, about that.” Claire opened the next game on their list, another one Evan hadn’t played before called Ticket to Ride.
“Sloane was grumbling in the bathroom about how much you reek of Frankie’s perfume.
I didn’t notice ‘til she mentioned it but …” She leaned in to take a big whiff of Evan’s jacket and grinned.
“Wow! Smells like Frankie crawled all up inside you.”
Evan’s cheeks burned, and they sputtered, “Well, I mean, I’m staying with her right now. It’s a small apartment.”
Sloane returned to their table flustered, out of breath and looking faintly red-rimmed around the eyes, as if she’d been crying while outside. Evan sat up straighter, tensing. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Fuck, you look so worried.” Sloane ran her fingers through her long hair, a breathless laugh escaping, but the feigned nonchalance did nothing to diffuse Evan’s curiosity. She’d been fine when she left the table. What had happened in those few minutes?
“I’d hoped you slowpokes would have set the game up already.” Sloane pulled the board out and spread it open on the table.
“Nope, ‘cause we were too busy razzing Evan about Frankie, which I had no clue about.” Andy shot Sloane an accusing look. “How am I a bartender yet the last one anyone spills the tea to?”
“It’s new, and kind of still on the down-low,” Evan said, then winced as they thought of the gossip mill reaching Frankie.
“All you needed was to activate your eyes and nose, friend. The boss isn’t exactly discreet with her affections.” Sloane glanced around the noisy café and sighed. “It’s weird being here without Coy.”
“You could’ve invited her,” Andy reminded her.
“Nah, she wouldn’t have come.” Sloane snatched her drink from the table, taking a long drink before she shrugged. “It’s, whatever.”
“You didn’t invite her because you knew she’d wanna bring her girlfriend.” Claire rolled her eyes so hard for a second it looked as if they’d get stuck.
“Not true. At all.” Sloane sniffed as she handed out bags of game pieces to everyone. “Help set up. Have you ever played this one, Evan?”
Evan shook their head and gave Sloane a hopeful smile. “Explain it to me?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Listening to instructions had always been much easier for Evan than reading them.
It, of course, didn’t hurt that Sloane was an excellent teacher, and after five minutes, it felt like Evan got the gist of how to play the game.
As Andy and Sloane gossiped about the bar, Evan began organizing their trains in rows on the table in front of them and studying the destination cards.
“You’re kind of quiet. How’d you become friends with these two? They never shut up,” Claire asked from beside Evan.
“Hey now.” Andy waggled his eyebrows at his girlfriend. “Sometimes I do. During sexy times, for instance.”
Claire laughed. “Not even then, babe. Your chatter just turns to moans and cries of ecstasy.”
Evan met Sloane’s gaze for a second before they both cracked up. Andy just shrugged. “What can I say? You got mad skills, b’y.”
“Ohmigod, the Newfie slang is top-notch,” Sloane guffawed, her hand holding her stomach as she laughed.
Evan couldn’t stop the big grin even if they wanted to.
Being around Andy, Sloane, and now Claire, it was simple to forget about Cecil and the responsibilities Evan was currently doing a poor job of handling.
Their friendship was light and easy, a breath of fresh air, and as Evan watched the tightness disappear from Sloane’s shoulders, they thought that perhaps she felt it too.
Coy might have been elsewhere, but there was still something of a familial bond forming between the four of them.