Page 76 of The Dramatic Life of Jonah Penrose
Dexter nodded right away. “Yeah.” He clutched the jumper in his hands. “That would be nice.”
“And I think I know what it is you need to talk to me about.”
“You do?”
“Yes. It’s about ironing name labels into your clothes, isn’t it?”
Dexter chucked the jumper at him then, hitting Jonah square in the face as he laughed. “You need to shut your face, Jonah Penrose. I used to live with six other people when I first moved to London and had to label all my shit otherwise I’d never see it again. There’s nothing wrong with being organized.”
“I wasn’t judging you.”
“Yes, you were, you prick.” Warmth spread through Dexter’s voice. “Now leave me alone so I can get ready. I need to look perfect so I can upstage you.”
Jonah watched as Dexter sat down and grabbed some of the powder by the side of his mirror to brush over his face. The ease with which they settled into each other again made him believe it might be okay. Even if their romantic relationship couldn’t be salvaged, there would be a friendship left in the foundations, one Jonah would take and hold onto forever. He needed Dexter in his life.
Thirty
“We let them sleep tonight with a false sense of peace. For tomorrow we rain fire down upon them.”
—“The Horse,”The Wooden Horse, Act Two
Dexter stirred his green tea while Jonah dipped his finger into a large hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and marshmallows. A large dollop of cream coated his fingertip, and he raised it to his lips to lick it off and groaned all while Dexter focused on him intently.
“That’s literally the best whipped cream in the world.” He looked at Dexter. “You want some?”
Dexter cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“Right, can’t spoil the delectable taste of green tea with something that has an actual flavor.”
“Green tea does have a flavor.”
“You’re right,” Jonah agreed. “It tastes like punishment.”
Dexter smoothed his hands down his jumper, maroon with an embroidered pineapple just beneath the center of the collar, though Jonah admitted to himself it wasn’t as bad as some of the others.
“If you’re quite finished insulting my choice of drink, I think we should get to what I need to say to you.”
Patroclus. Jonah knew the important announcement would be him taking over the role from Bastien, but he kept his expression neutral. “Sure. Go ahead.”
“I fired Stephen.”
Jonah froze with his finger in midair, piled high with whipped cream.He stared at Dexter for several seconds until the cream flopped off his finger and splattered onto the table.
“You what?”
“I fired him. I don’t know if that’s the correct term for parting ways with an agent? I’m going with fired because it sounds more dramatic,” Dexter said smugly and grabbed a napkin to wipe up Jonah’s mess. “I guess I have you to thank for it. You told me I had issues with trust, too, and at first, I didn’t want to admit that, but you were right. I do. And it’s all down to him.”
“Wow, Dex, that’s huge.”
“I know. And it wasn’t until... okay, so, I have something else I need to tell you.”
“Go on.”
“I know you think I’ve been conspiring behind your back to take Achilles from you, but it’s honestly not the case, because I’ve enjoyed playing Hector,” he said as he wrapped his hands around his drink. “But after Bastien said he wouldn’t be renewing for another year, Colbie offered me Patroclus.”
Jonah nodded slowly, the truth finally being placed on the table in front of him. “Right.”
“Which is what the meeting was about, the one you saw us at. They were both pushing for me to sign on, but something didn’t feel right, so I didn’t. Stephen basically screamed at me when we got back to his office. And... and he said some stuff that really bloody hurt.”
