Silas
“You need another drink?”I yelled from the kitchen. “Popcorn’s nearlydone.”
“Nah,” Ev said from his spot on my navy blue sofa. “I’mgood.”
I opened the refrigerator and heard the channel change in the living room. “I swear to God, if you’re putting on that stupid show again…” I yelled, but I didn’t finish the threat. I never did. Mostly because I liked arguing with Ev almost as much as I hated the shows he liked towatch.
“Uh, how about a little respect? This was the best-rated drama ontelevision.”
“Like ten years ago!” I said, rescuing the popcorn from the microwave as itdinged.
“Making it a classic, oldman.”
“Making itoutdated, whippersnapper.” I dumped the popcorn in a bowl and sprinkled it liberally with salt then carried it out to the living room, where Ev was sprawled on two-thirds of the sofa under a blanket. I handed him the bowl and sat on what had becomemyspot, with my feet propped on the little coffee table in front of me. "Not that it was ever that accurate to beginwith."
“That guy iscute.”
“That guyis at a crime scene without gloves,” I sighed. Ev elbowed me in the stomach. He hated when I interrupted his viewing with comments aboutrealism.
Which was why I didit.
“Okay, but seriously though. It’s daytime on that show, right? They just walked through the sunshine to get inside? Explain to me why they’re in thedark, usingflashlights.”
“Because that’s how real police work is done, Officer Sloane,” Ev said. “With dark-lights and fluorescent spray. Pay attention. Learnsomething.”
I pushed my lips together to hide my smile, but I couldn't quite do it, and when he saw me smile, he smiledtoo.
“And that’s why they never turn the lights on in the lab,either?”
“They’re concerned for the environment! Some people take this stuff seriously.” He pointedly looked at the doorway kitchen, where I’d left the lighton.
I rolled my eyes. “The victim guy is trapped in acave…”
“Underwater.” He shrugged. “I’ve seen this onebefore.”
“Right. And meanwhile, the cops find his girlfriend at work, tending bar? If you can’t call in sick because your boyfriend is trapped in acave…”
“An underwater cave,” Evsupplied.
“Uh huh. If that’s not a good excuse to not smile at customers all night, whatis?”
“Maybe she doesn’t like her boyfriend all that much,” Ev mused. “Maybe he’s an annoying person. Maybe he interrupts her when she’s trying to watchtelevision.”
I grabbed the throw pillow from beside me and bopped Ev on the head. “If you were trapped in a cave, I’d be out looking for you. I think that’s, like, a baseline for boyfriendbehavior.”
Ev went tense and I mentally rewound my comment to see what had set him off.Oh.The B-word. More perilous around here than dropping an f-bomb in front of Dragon Dorian back in theday.
Ev selected a piece of popcorn from the bowl and crunched it methodically, watching me like he was waiting for me to say something more, but I kept my mouth firmly shut. I’d learned, over the past three weeks of beingnot-just-friendswith Everett Maior that it didn’t do to push him to define exactly what we were, or to come any closer to suggesting we were boyfriends than I’d already done. It didn’t do to ask him why the box of paint supplies was still sitting in my garage, untouched, or why he’d never stay the night. Otherwise,he’d…
“I should probably get going,” Ev said, throwing the blanket back like he’d heard all the things I hadn’t said. He set the popcorn bowl on the table and felt beneath it for hisshoes.
“It’s still early,” I remindedhim.
“But you wore me out before dinner.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “And I have school tomorrow and you have work.” He kneeled on the carpet so he could wedge more of his arm under the table. “Speaking of which, anythingnew?”
I shook my head. “Believe me, if I found anything on John Carpenter or Elliot, I’d have told you,” I said glumly. “You know, you really don’t have togo.”
Ev found one shoe, dug it out, and looked fixedly at the laces as he untied them. “I really do, though,” he said. “Remember, I have a grandfather who expects me home bya decent hour.” He rolled his eyes. “I swear he’s taught Daphne how to meow in a really guilt-inducing way,too.”
