Page 135 of Tech Bros

“I know. Sweet, too. Big, lazy fucker.” He looks over his shoulder like he’s afraid someone might have heard him. “I shouldn’t call him that. We’re in the middle of a paternity situation.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I can’t get into it right now.” Apollo lays his head back down and Evan turns toward me. For the first time since I got here, helooks me over. I’m in a black henley and tailored pale khakis. I put gel in my hair and pushed it back, my nod to recreating the sweaty look he requested. “People are gonna start showing up soon.”

“And these are your friends?”

“I mean—they were Deacon’s friends first. My friend Sam who usually comes is in New York this weekend, which is probably a good thing because he’s the one dating Calyx.”

“Ah.” Yeah, that wouldn’t be fun for me. I stay in shape, but I’m not equipped to deal with an MMA fighter watching every move I make. “We can save that introduction for another time.”

Evan grins and takes my hand, leading me back out into the living room. Deacon is wiping his hands on a dish towel, and he comes around the island. I let Evan’s hand go and walk toward him, needing to reconnect with him as soon as possible. Now that he isn’t holding a knife, I see my opportunity.

His arms wrap around me, and I hug him tight, pressing my mouth to his neck. I feel his cheek against mine and the warmth of his lips on my skin. Breathing him in, I can feel some of his tension giving way.

There’s the soft pop of a cork to my left as I pull away to look Deacon in the eyes. He slowly lifts his to meet mine. “Hi,” I mouth the word.

“Hey.”

“Don’t be such a stranger okay?”

He nods.

I lean in to kiss him, but before I can, there’s a knock on the door and Evan lets out an audible breath. “Two bucks says its Millie.”

Deacon gives my waist one more squeeze and pulls away as Evan goes to answer the door.

32

EVAN

“If you say one word about the dog, you’re not getting fed.”

Millie smiles brightly. She’s sparklier than usual tonight. Glitter lipstick. Glitter eyeliner. “Oh my God, I love that sweater on you. Andyou,” she says with a blunt nail pinned directly to my breastbone, “aren’t in charge of the food. Right Deacon?”

“I don’t want to hear about the dog, either,” my roommate says.

Her face twists into a pout that’s actually really cute, but then she spots Isaac and springs forward, hand out for him to shake. “I’m Millie Hutchins! I live across the hall.”

“Isaac Sullivan.” He slides his big hand into her tiny one. “I work with Evan and Deacon.”

“Tech Bros! A complete set! I’m a tech bro, too. We should get a group pic.”

“Millie works in game design.”

“Ah.” Isaac does a quick assessment of everything Millie brings to the party. “You must be very talented.”

She puts her hands behind her and sways back and forth in an aw shucks kind of way. “I have a passion for a pretty storyboard. What do you do?”

“I own Polytech, we do?—"

“Oh, I know Polytech.” She gestures at Deacon and me. “Obviously. Do you have any pets?”

“Millie,” I warn.

“It’s a normal question.”

Nothing about you is normal, I want to say but roll my eyes instead. I feel Isaac’s hand on my lower back, and he asks if we’d like a glass of wine.