Page 170 of Tangled Like Us
I ignore my sinking stomach.
36
THATCHER MORETTI
We made a plan.One that will unfuck Jane’s guilt.
The team recently approved her request for a double date. So we’re doing it now. The Tri-Force even threw me a fucking bone and let me pick the double date location in my area of the city.
South Philly. I chose an old bingo hall—since she’s never been to one before and she asked a million questions when I mentioned how Banks and I used to go as kids with my mom and grandma.
Bringing her to a place that I remember vividly from mychildhood—it’s surreal.
Jane shifts her metal chair nearer mine during intermission.
We’re in the middle-left smoking area. I keep a vigilant eye on our surroundings and her, more than my bingo cards.
She leans close to whisper, “I know we agreed to be direct. But maybe we should be a bitlessdirect. Subtext could be better.”
I follow her focus.
Which is on Maximoff and Farrow, who stand in a winding line several meters away from us. They’re waiting to order hot dogs and nachos at the kitchen window.
Familiar.
Everything about this place takes me back.
The smell: like an old, stuffy wooden gym dipped in an ashtray.
And the people: disgruntled elderly patrons, who fill most of the long wooden tables and metal foldout chairs.
Most don’t pay attention to us. Truth is, they’re not interested in twenty-something celebrities. Everyone here is trying to win money. More than ever since Jane and Maximoff made an anonymous donation. They added an extra zero to the end of the winnings.
The jackpot is five grand.
They do that wherever they go like its second nature. How they were born and raised and meant to use their wealth.
My arm is draped around Jane’s shoulders. “There won’t be an easy way to tell them we’re sleeping together.”
“True.” Jane takes a tense sip of glass-bottled root beer.
I was going to buy her an actual beer. But I’m on-duty. Farrow is on-duty, and Maximoff doesn’t drink alcohol. Jane said she didn’t want to be the only one drinking tonight. So she asked what I used to get as a kid.
I came back with two bottles of root beer.
Jane turns more into my shoulder as she speaks. “But maybe we shouldeasethem in. Start with a simple,we have something to tell you and it’s not terrible. It could be wonderfully funny from certain viewpoints.”
I don’t know whose viewpoint would call me fucking Janewonderfully funny—but it’s definitely not mine. I have a lot of adjectives to describe sex with her and that’s not even a fucking foot near my hundredth list.
“Direct is better,” I tell Jane. “We don’t want to lead this into a clusterfuck.”
Ever since Jane swore to protect Luna’s secret, she’s been feeling terrible for keepingtwosecrets from Maximoff, and I’ve been feeling like shit for keeping one from Banks.
So we’re unleashing this.
But looping them in means they have to keep our secret now. Putting a burden on them to relieve ours is selfish. And hard. I know. I already went through this once tonight with my brother.
I said point-blank, “I’m sleeping with Jane.” Clear-cut. Nothing more, but I was on edge.
