Page 34 of Static/Cling

“Best friend, not boyfriend, and I don’t control who he has sex with. Just thought you should know we talk about it, so if it happens, I’ll know. Same as he’ll know if you and I hook up.”

Kassian tripped over the sidewalk. “Who says that—any of that—would happen?”

“No one. But if it did, and I wouldn’t be opposed to it, he’d know because we don’t hide that shit. It’s how we work. And by that, I mean we only work when we tell each other everything. Like I said, we’ve had a decade of trial and error. We know what works.”

Kassian held the door open for Leif as they entered Tim’s, giving himself a chance to digest that packet of information.

“You know I never meant to overhear you. I wasn’t trying to spy,” he whispered as they joined the line.

Leif grinned. “I think spying is a little bit of what you do because big-brain people often can’t help ferreting out all the information.”

“Big-brained people?”

“You can try to hide it behind all that lovely muscle, but I see you.”

“You’re pretty much the only one who does. April as much as told me I can play all I want with the computers, but when it comes down to it and they need a bruiser, I’m it.”

“Well, Roger certainly isn’t, and Sal never leaves their desk, do they?”

“They do not.”

“And Bjorn is strong, but he’s not really a fighter. I mean, not at all a fighter.”

“He’d punch someone for you.” Of this, Kassian had not one shred of doubt.

Leif’s grin was fast and radiant. “Oh, he totally would.”

“And you’d slit throats in the night for him.” That was a much more sinister, but equally undoubtable, fact.

As fast as the smile had come, it vanished. “I totally would.”

“You’re fucking scary.”

“No.”

They’d reached the counter, so Leif paused their conversation to rattle off a list of sandwiches and desserts. Kassian recognized which meals were for who because he knew Roger’s and Sal’s usual tastes, but he didn’t remember ever hearing Leif ask them what they liked.

He got Kassian’s order right too, and he knew he’d never told the man what he liked and what he didn’t. He didn’t like chipotle, and Leif made sure to ask for mayo on one of the farmer’s wraps.

“How do you know that?”

“Know what?” Leif blinked at him.

“That I don’t like chipotle?”

He shrugged. “You must have told me.”

“No. I haven’t. You’ve known me three days. My sandwich preferences haven’t come up.”

“Huh.” He paid for the order and shuffled Kassian down the counter to wait for the food. “Maybe Sal or Roger mentioned it.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Must have been that day I talked to April when I ran into her here.”

“She just happened to mention I don’t like chipotle while she roped you into delivering our coffee up to us?”

Leif shrugged. “Must have. How else would I have known?”

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