Page 97 of The Revenge Game
The guy appears equally shocked to see us. He’s standing in the middle of the rug with his mouth hanging open.
My mind immediately churns through a whole lot of alternatives. This isn’t Drew’s apartment. He’s been squatting here. Or maybe this is a burglar who’s been staking out the place and thought the apartment was empty.
“Leo, hi.” Drew’s voice sounds like it’s being strangled by his towel.
Okay, so all the stranger scenarios are out the window. Now, my mind is churning through horror scenarios. Drew’s husband has come back from his world cruise? His ex still has a key?
“Hey,” the guy apparently called Leo says.
“What are you doing here?” Drew asks abruptly.
Leo holds up a key.
“I’ve been in London for two days, and you haven’t replied to any of my messages. I’ve just been hammering on your door for the last ten minutes. I thought I was going to walk in to find you dead, slumped over your laptop.”
“I’ve just been…busy.”
Leo’s eyes shoot to me. “I can see that.”
Drew stays silent. His brain doesn’t seem to have come online yet. He’s obviously freaking out about being caught out like this.
Deciding I should try to summon some normal etiquette, I step forward, stretching out my hand. “Hi, I’m Justin, nice to meet you.”
But somehow, things get even weirder when I say my name. Leo makes a kind of choking noise, like a constipated goose.
“Justin.” He repeats my name slowly like it’s a three-course meal that needs to be carefully digested. His gaze slides to Drew, who is studiously examining the floor. He turns his attention back to me. “It’s nice to meet you, Justin. Uh…Drew’s…uh…mentioned you. You guys work together, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Drew still looks uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot.
“How is your job going,Drew? I think you told me about an interestingprojectyou were working on. Any developments on thatproject?” While Leo’s questions seem benign, there’s something strange about how he stresses different words in his sentences. Maybe he has some kind of speech impediment?
“He’s fitting in great,” I say.
“Weren’t you a little worried that the work might be too advanced for your skillset?” Leo raises his eyebrows at Drew.
I flick a glance at Drew. He’s never said that to me. But that would be Drew, burying his insecurities behind his competence and dry wit.
“He’s insanely good at his job,” I can’t help piping up. “Everyone calls him Techno-Genius.”
“Techno-Genius. That sounds like a good nickname.” Leo’s mouth twists into something that’s not quite a smile. “Probably better than some of the other nicknames you’ve had in your life, right,Drew?”
The tension in the room ratchets up another notch. There’s clearly something going on here that I don’t quite understand.
“I should probably go,” I say awkwardly. It feels like I’m intruding on something private, even though this is supposed to be Drew’s apartment and I’m supposed to be his…whatever we are.
Drew doesn’t protest my suggestion. He’s still locked in a staring contest with Leo.
I glance down at my towel. “I…uh…should find my clothes before I make a break for it.”
“Your neighbors might appreciate that,” Leo says.
I scurry past Leo to collect my scattered clothing from the bathroom and hallway. There’s nothing quite like playing Find Your Underwear in front of a random stranger.
In Drew’s bedroom, I dress quickly, though my hair is definitely a disaster. I can hear murmured voices from the living room, but I can’t make out what they’re saying.
When I emerge, Drew’s still standing in his towel by the door. I hesitate for a moment, torn between wanting to kiss him goodbye properly and feeling Leo’s gaze burning into my back.
