Page 11 of Seer

We chatted with Cole for a few more minutes until Felixknocked on the door. He came in carrying a bag of tortilla chips and some jars of dip.

“I didn’t have time to do homemade, sorry,” he said as I relieved him of his burden.

“You didn’t have to bring anything, but thanks.”

Steve bounded up. “You brought snacks!” He gave Felix a side hug.

I enjoyed how my friends were so different from each other. Steve came across as the quintessential ex-frat boy, all athletic-looking with blond hair, blue eyes, and a never-met-a-stranger personality. Felix was more introverted like me, except with a much sunnier outlook on life. He’d been a total bear cub when I’d met him, with reddish hair, a baby face, and a squeezably sturdy body. Now he was edging more into bear territory, though definitely not as far as I already was.

We got Felix settled on the couch with a beer. Steve moved our laptops out of the way, and I dumped the salsa into bowls and set those with the open bag of chips and some napkins on the coffee table. Steve sat in my gaming chair, and I sat on the couch next to Felix.

“So what’s this secret project?”

Steve and I filled him in on our plan. Or our plan to make a plan. Whatever.

He asked the inevitable question. “What kind of game are you thinking of making?”

Steve and I both shrugged, grinning at each other.

“Figuring it out is the fun part,” Steve said.

“An app would be easier than a console game,” I pointed out. “But I do love online multiplayer games you can play from your computer.”

Steve and I batted around game ideas for a few minutes, but Felix didn’t seem into it. He was staring at his beer, picking at the label with his thumb, but his foot was tapping restlessly on the floor. I decided to change the subject.

“Hey, how’s the wedding planning coming along? Did you pick a honeymoon destination yet?”

That brought a smile to his face. I still wasn’t sure why Felix and Malcolm had waited five years to tie the knot. I mean, if you’re not into the whole marriage thing, that’s up to you. But if you’re going to do it, most people—at least in America—decide within the first couple of years of being together.

“We’re talking about taking one of the tourist trains across Canada.”

Malcolm had a bum leg, and a train was probably an easier way for him to sightsee than some sort of walking tour or whatever. And, actually, the thought of hanging out on a train all day—getting out every so often to check out some tourist spot but mostly watching the scenery and maybe playingBaldur’s Gate 3on my laptop—sounded pretty damn relaxing.

Felix finished answering Steve’s question—complete with wiggling eyebrows of course—about sleeping cars on the train, and then his eyes dropped to his beer bottle again.

“Um,” he said. He shot me a hesitant glance before looking back down.

I frowned. “What? What’s the matter?”

He kind of squirmed in his seat but finally raised his eyes. “I found out something last night that I need to tell you, but I’m not sure how you’ll react.” He pointed at Steve. “But I’m dead certain howhe’sgoing to react, and I don’t want him to get overenthusiastic and pressure you.” He turned to Steve. “Sorry.”

What the hell?

Steve sat up and his mouth dropped open to protest, but I held up a hand.

“Weren’t you at game night last night with Malcolm’s crew? Is that where you learned whatever it is?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“And was this a public discussion? All of those guys and Malcolm know this?”

“Most of them, yeah, but I never said your name. Only Malcolm knows it relates to you.”

Which meant it wasn’t something public, like my job. I frowned. “Is this about my visions? Whatever it is, Steve can hear it at the same time.”

He and I didn’t have any secrets. Well, okay, it’d taken me months to tell him I didn’t want to work at Rogues Gallery anymore. And I hadn’t told him I could see people’s alter egos yet. But I needed time to process those things myself.

Steve stuck his tongue out at Felix, who shook a finger at him. “Remember, don’t pressure Cal.”