Page 25 of Meeting Mr. Adorkable
“Whoa, cute accent. Are you from Boston?” Ted raised an inquiring, exquisitely groomed brow.
Why didn’t British policeman look like this?
“No. I’m from… Australia.”
Arlo coughed, a strange strangled noise.
“That’s great.” Ted’s bright white smile didn’t dim by a single, solitary watt. “Got to go and catch some bad guys.” Ted laughed.
“Happy hunting,” Lucian said, but Ted’s attention had already shifted back to Arlo.
“So I’ll see you at Gilligan’s tomorrow night?” Ted’s bright smile became a shade darker.
Lucian slurped his coffee, but neither was looking at him. He could have been stark naked, with a bouquet of roses stuffed up his ass for all the notice they took of him.
“Maybe.”
Lucian looked up through his lashes, something in Arlo’s one-word answer catching his attention. Non-committal, and maybe a little guarded, just like his friendly smile was, but if Ted noticed, it didn’t show on his rugged, handsome face as he pointed a finger straight at Arlo.
“I’ll be waiting for ya, buddy. We’re long overdue getting together.” A broad wink at Arlo, and a nod to Lucian, and he was gone.
Arlo groaned as he slumped in his seat, running his hands through his sandy hair, before he picked up his coffee. Narrowing his eyes, he gazed at Lucian over the brim.
“Hope it’s okay? The server said it’s what you drink.”
“It’s perfect, and thank you.” He put the cup down, and leaned forward, his forearms on the table. “Australian?”
“Why not? I could have told him anything. Your friend wasn’t remotely interested in anything I had to say.” Because your friend was eating you up with his eyes.
Lucian’s spirits dampened when Arlo didn’t respond. He was jealous, yet he had no right to be because he and Arlo were friends, and that was all. So there was nothing, absolutely nothing, to be jealous about. He picked up the coffee he no longer wanted and put it straight back down.
“Ted’s okay, if a little persistent.”
Persistent. And why not? Because Arlo was worth being persistent about. Not that it was his business, but… Bibi’s words came back to him. All those offers thrown Arlo’s way, all the offers he was determined not to pick up.
“I knew him before I left. Like Hank and Francine, we were friends in high school, the difference being we didn’t keep in touch. But he’s keen to get reacquainted. A little too keen.”
“That’s nice. He was very, erm… Lovely smile, don’t you think? Dazzling, in fact.” What the…
Arlo shrugged, his expression deadpan. “Maybe he dated Wilbur.”
Lucian met Arlo’s eye, the twinkle in their green-gold depths unmistakable, and he laughed. As Arlo joined in, the tension drained out of him.
“So you won’t be going to, Gilligan’s, was it?”
“No, I don’t think so. You’ve not heard of it?”
Lucian shook his head.
“It’s a gay bar, a few miles out of town. I’ve been a couple times since I’ve been back, and a couple times is a couple too many. It’s… think Randy’s, with added leather.”
“Oh god, I’d rather not.” Lucian shuddered, but a tendril of relief threaded through him, knowing Arlo wouldn’t be going anytime soon to meet Collier’s Creek’s very own homegrown Tom. Ouch, bitchy…
“I haven’t seen you around town for the past few days.” Lucian gave himself a mental kicking when Arlo’s expression stiffened.
Arlo took a sip of his coffee, his brows pinched as though he was wondering what to say, or whether to say anything at all. He let out a long and tired sigh.
Tired… God, how could he have not noticed? Arlo didn’t just look tired, he looked downright exhausted. Shadows darkened the skin under his eyes, shadows Lucian was sure hadn’t been there before.
