Page 21 of Love Around the Corner

Hey, Alfie, want to hear something funny…?

He cringed.

But then Alfie turned around, smiling widely, and knocked the bad feeling aside. “Then let’s get you fed,” he said. “Before whatever you’re keeping in your belly comes out looking for dinner on its own.”

***

The restaurant was nice, small but busy enough not to feel awkward, and the aromas drifting from the kitchen had Leo’s mouth watering before he’d even sat down. After they’d ordered, Alfie excused himself to the bathroom and Leo sat back, enjoying the cool Rooster Beer Alfie had recommended. A Vietnamese craft beer, apparently, and—

His phone vibrated inside his coat, which he’d hung on the back of his chair, the tell-tale tinkling text alert making him jump. Keeping one eye on the bathroom door, Leo reached for his phone.

Camaro89: So this guy I thought was a prick? Turns out he’s not. Turns out I’d created an idea of him that was all wrong. Makes me think about you and me, and how well we really know each other. Makes me wish we’d met on Tuesday and found out.

Leo stared at his phone, heart pounding. Shit. What did he say to that?

The truth, Dee’s scolding voice suggested.Tell him the truth.

But it would be weird, wouldn’t it? He’d thought it would make it easier if he and Alfie were friends, but now he was afraid the truth might ruin everything. He could lose Camaro89andAlfie and that, he realized with a lurch, would be awful.

His fingers hesitated over his phone too long. The bathroom door opened and Alfie headed back to the table. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Leo reached for his beer as Alfie slid back into the chair opposite. He looked pensive, setting his phone carefully on the table, face down, and making a clear effort not to look at it. But it was obvious he was waiting for a reply. Leo considered slipping away to the bathroom so he could respond, but that would be too obvious. Alfie would guess, and the idea of being caught red-handed in this stupid deception was almost enough to make him spill the truth there and then.

Almost.

Instead, he said, “Everything okay?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.” Alfie flopped back in his chair with a sigh. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“You’ll think it’s dumb.”

“I doubt it.”

Alfie gave an uncertain shrug. “You ever meet someone online?”

That was a little close to home. Uncomfortable, Leo deflected. “Like, on Grindr?”

“Ah, no.” Alfie sat up, elbows on the table. He lifted a teasing eyebrow. “Although…?”

Leo flushed. “I’ve never used Grindr,” he said. “But, uh, I’ve made friends online. Sure.”

“I’ve got this one friend.” Alfie’s humor faded. “We’ve never met in person, but it’s gotten pretty intense and I—” He broke off. “Man, it sounds lame, but I guess I had it all mapped out. I thought we were gonna meet and it was gonna be, you know, all hearts and flowers.” He shook his head, took a swallow of his beer. “Anyway, turned out he didn’t want that.”

Leo felt the blood drain from his face, a frantic pounding in his chest. “Didn’t want to meet you?”

Alfie shrugged. “He didn’t show. Told me later he wants to keep things online, and I’m cool with that. I am. I love talking to him, but…” He took another swallow of beer, and a smile crept back into his eyes, a flush into his cheeks. “It’s funny, right? You and I spent the last year basically snarling at each other, but then we had a face-to-face conversation and… Well, here we are.”

“Here we are,” Leo echoed faintly.

“It’s made me realize that this is important.”

Leo could barely work up enough moisture in his mouth to swallow. “This?”

“Meeting in person. Hanging out, laughing at dumb Christmas decorations, eating together...” He looked away, the blush deepening beneath the scruff on his jaw. “I mean, talking online is one thing, but actually being with someone… Maybe I’m shallower than I thought, huh?”

After a long pause while Leo gathered his thoughts, he said, “I don’t think it’s shallow to want to be with someone you, ah, care about. It’s natural. Chemistry is an important part of any relationship.”

“Right.” Alfie made a soft sound, spinning his phone in a circle on the table with one finger. “To be honest, I’m kind of afraid that was the problem. That he was there that night, and that he saw me and…didn’t like what he saw.”

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