Page 120 of The Laughing Game

I laughed. “True. Something to wear?”

“I don’t know. Vihaal likes to pick out his own clothes.”

“Tech?”

Gideon frowned. “Now hold on, I was thinking our budget would be a couple of hundred. I can’t afford to buy him a laptop or a phone. Besides, he always gets himself thebeststuff, and there’s no way I can afford that.”

We walked past a Laura Secord shop and Gideon put a hand on my arm.

“Wait, maybe an ice cream would help me think!” he said.

I got out my wallet. “You want me to get you an ice cream, little boy?”

“Jesus, Angel. Fuck. You just gave me a hard-on. In the Rideau Centre.”

“Oh, what a shame. I’m so sorry,” I said with mock concern. “You want one or not?”

“Please buy me an ice cream, Daddy!”

“Fine. What kind?”

“Vanilla, baby. That’s my flavor.”

“Wow, you are just full of surprises.”

“I know!”

We sat on a bench and ate ice cream cones, watching people go by.

“This was a good idea,” I admitted.

“Yep. So good.”

“Okay, so a gift for V,” I reminded him.

He shrugged. “Honestly, maybe this is a stupid idea. He’s got the two of us. What else does he need?”

I laughed and shrugged.

Gideon sat up straight. “Wait, wait. That’s it!”

“Huh?”

He stood and looked around for something. “Do they still have those cheesy portrait booths in malls these days?”

Oh!“Maybe?”

We finished our ice cream and went looking. And we found one.

“I don’t fucking believe it. I would have thought these would have gone the way of phone booths,” Gideon said.

“I guess they still make money.”

“Oh shit. You got any coins?” he asked.

Turned out, the photo booth took credit. We went under the curtain, giggling like kids.

“Okay, okay. What do we want to do here?” I asked him.

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