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It wasn’t his usual bratty tone, but it was close. I had to remind myself that Sergio bounced back quickly. And we still had boba tea to finish. Milk tea and tapioca pearls solved all problems.

EIGHT

tony

I’d never been happier about the fact that I lived alone.

OldSchoolDS

How are classes going, pup?

PupJ

You’ve known I was studying journalism for years and never once cared to ask

OldSchoolDS

I’m asking now.

I glared at the screen as I waited for those stupid three dots to be replaced with an answer.

Of course asking about Jaime’s classes through Plumas’s app hadn’t been the best way to go about it, but I’d heard nothing from him in three days. Regardless of everything I was still making sense of in my head, I felt responsible over him. I’d pushed him on Monday. He’d consented to the pushing and had been more than okay when I sent him—and a dozen Tupperware containers full of Indian food—on his way home. Checking in was still a must.

I’d been distracted all day. Correction: I’d been distracted ever since he left my place and I had to deal with the fact that I’d fooled around with the pup. Today had just become more difficult to ignore, the distraction turning into an itch that was bringing up too many emotions I wanted nothing to do with.

PupJ

I never got to ask you my questions

Right.

I scrubbed a hand down my face. I should’ve known better than to expect a proper answer.

OldSchoolDS

You never earned them.

PupJ

Then let’s change that?

What do you want?

OldSchoolDS

Brazen, are we?

Once more, an answer didn’t come right away. I left my phone on the kitchen counter. I’d propped myself up on one of the stools while I waited for my food to reheat in the air fryer I’d bought back when it was all everyone talked about.

This was usually the time when I browsed through digital newspapers or marked a few papers if I’d brought them home with me. I avoided logging in to the university email because their authentication process was a pain in the ass, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’d been forced to do it. Regardless, it was an efficient use of my time.

Waiting for a bratty pup to answer a text wasnotan efficient use of time. I couldn’t bring myself to drop it, though. I couldcheck what my colleagues, for lack of a better word, were saying about the latest developments in Congress, but instead, I was on Plumas’s app. I was in my late thirties, scrolling through comments of people I barely interacted with, because the person who let me fuck their face three days ago wasn’t replying fast enough.

It was ridiculous.

PupJ

I’m in a good mood. But hey, I can just badger you with my questions and harass you until you answer