Page 37 of Out for the Night

“You were talking about Matty and smiling.”

“I had a fun time as well.”

“Like a date fun time?”

“It was an adventure. You never know where the night will take you.” Coop was going to nod to Mr. No Personality, but he was gone. He had left the table unannounced and unnoticed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Rafe said, trying to laugh it off. “It was not meant to be. Unlike you and Matty.”

Coop rolled his eyes. He should’ve known mentioning a guy to Rafe would immediately set his friend off on the matchmaking warpath. Coop didn’t tell Rafe that Matty came out to him—that wasn’t his secret to tell—but the way Rafe was talking about him, he had his suspicions. Didn’t straight bros hang out for hours at a time and go swimming together?

“We are just friends.” Although Coop wasn’t even sure that was true anymore.

* * *

Coop and Rafewent to the riverfront with towels and homework after lunch. Kids packed onto every inch of lawn, but they found a space in between a blanket of girls reading books and a blanket of guys listening to music and blatantly checking out said girls.

Coop and Rafe pretended to do homework for a few minutes. Five minutes of homework and an hour of talking and looking up videos and random stuff on their phones seemed like a healthy balance. Coop’s phone timer buzzed at the five-minute mark.

Rafe threw his books behind them. “So what happened with you and Matty?” he asked like a star prosecutor.

“Why are you so curious?”

“Well, A of all, I’m pretty sure he’s gay. I caught him mooning over you while you poured drinks. And B of all, two people don’t go galavanting through Duncannon, Pennsylvania until three in the morning as friends.”

“Nothing happened,” Coop said through gritted teeth. He wasn’t going to turn that kiss into gossip.

“Did you want something to happen?”

“No.”

“Coop, I am your friend. It is okay to tell each other things.”

“I tell you things.”

Rafe shot him a look.

“Okay.” Coop’s insides crinkled like foil.

Rafe dropped his attitude and had his friend face on.

“He’s a job.”

“Hand or mouth?”

“That’s not what I mean.” Coop made sure nobody was listening. “That Asian guy who we’ve found hanging by our door is paying me to be friends with him. And a little more.”

Rafe sat up straight, like fun time was over. “A little more? Like you’re an actual prostitute.”

“No!” Coop motioned for him to keep his voice down. “I’m just supposed to befriend him a little and distract him until his grades go down.”

“What? That’s kinda messed up, Coop.”

Ya think.

“I need the money, okay.” Coop picked at loose fabric on his towel.

“For Copenhagen?”