Page 62 of Take the Plunge

“I’m not sure you are anymore.” I sit and sip the ale. “Thanks for this.”

“You’re not still sour about the other weekend, are you?”

“You mean the one where you stranded me in a house in the middle of nowhere?”

“With my talkative brother. You can’t have been bored with Kian to keep you company.”

I roll my eyes.

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?” Rufus asks.

“I haven’t been avoiding you.”

“You haven’t been around either.”

“Sorry. I’ve been busy.”

Fucking his brother. I tell myself it doesn’t make me a bad person. Rufus abandoned us in that house with condoms and lube, for fuck’s sake. He wanted me and Kian to hook up. We’re doing what he wanted. Aren’t we?

“Too busy to spend an hour or two with your best friend or send a text?” Rufus presses his hand over his heart. “I’m hurt.”

I sigh.

“Are you busy now?”

“I’m on call.” I tap my rucksack, which has my work laptop in it.

“Well, that sucks.”

“Yeah, it does. One of the teams decided to release buggy code on Friday, and it’s my team’s job to mop up the mess.”

“Ouch.” He reaches across the table and pinches my cheek. “No wonder you’re grouchier and scowlier than usual.”

I bat his hand away. “I am not.”

“Are too.”

I let out an exasperated sigh and shake my head.

“What have you been up to?” Rufus asks. “Aside from work.”

“Work.”

“I just said aside from work. Are you listening? All work and no play will make Jett a very dull boy indeed.”

Thanks to Kian, the last few weeks have been anything but dull. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I’ve been happier. “What about you?”

“Also work. I do too much of that,” Rufus says. “But I am seeing someone.”

“Who?”

“She’s called Halle. She works in the accounts department. We’ve been on a couple of dates.”

“I’m happy for you.”

This is probably why he’s gone out of his way to drag me out for a drink. Rufus loves sharing details of all his relationships.

“I really like her.” He stares at his beer with a goofy smile.