I snorted and took a sip of wine. “A couple.” I kept Cooper’s problems confidential. “No capes involved, though. Just a lot of staring at code until my brain leaks out my ears.”
Mason emerged from the dining area and set down extra napkins with a grin. “He’s not kidding. I caught him mumbling about encryption keys under his breath at The Coffee Cove.”
I tapped my temple. “It’s official. Cybersecurity has moved in and is paying zero rent. I even dreamed about password breaches last night.”
“That’s why you needed this dinner.” Caleb tossed the salad. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
Mason snorted. “From the sound of it, Jack’s never been dull a day in his life.” He turned to refill my wineglass. “Though I guess we can thank Cooper for that, considering half your stories from college involve him in some way.”
My hand tightened imperceptibly around the wineglass. “We had some good times at San Jose State.”
“And now you’re having good times in Seacliff Cove,” Caleb observed, a speculative gleam in his eye. “Convenient how that worked out.”
I kept my expression neutral. “Pure coincidence.”
“Right,” Caleb said, drawing out the word. “Just like it’s a coincidence that you chose the apartment beside his coffee shop?”
Heat crawled up my neck. “The rental market in Seacliff Cove was limited.”
Mason and Caleb exchanged a look that made me want to crawl under the sink. Mason shook his head slightly, as if warning his boyfriend to back off, but Caleb was a romantic at heart.
“Jack,” Caleb said, and his voice gentled. “We’re your friends. You don’t have to pretend with us.”
I took a larger gulp of wine than I had intended. “Pretend what?”
Mason sighed and shot Caleb another look. “Can we at least feed him before the interrogation?”
“Fine, fine.” Caleb raised his hands in surrender. “Pasta’s ready, anyway. Jack, would you grab the salad dressings from the fridge?”
Mason and Caleb served dinner at their small dining table overlooking Main Street. From the second floor, we had a view of the glowing lampposts illuminating a quiet Friday evening in Seacliff Cove. My gaze strayed to the restaurant on the corner across the street. Cooper was currently at dinner with his family, and my fingers tightened around the handle of my fork.
“Earth to Jack.” Mason waved a hand in front of my face. “You in there?”
I blinked and realized I’d been staring out the window. “Sorry.”
Caleb raised a knowing eyebrow. “I know Cooper is having dinner with his family tonight.”
My cheeks warmed, and I focused intently on twirling spaghetti around my fork. “This is delicious, by the way.”
“Don’t change the subject,” Caleb said, though he smiled at the compliment. “We were talking about Cooper.”
“We were?” I took another sip of wine, hoping it might fortify me. It failed.
“We should be,” Caleb persisted. “He’s the reason you moved here, isn’t he?”
The directness of the question caught me off guard. I’d expected dancing around the subject, not this frontal assault. I looked at Mason for help, but he studied me with a thoughtful expression.
“I moved here because I was tired of the grind in Silicon Valley,” I said carefully. “Wanted somewhere quieter to work remotely. Cooper suggesting an available apartment was just…convenient timing.” I shoved a forkful of spaghetti into my mouth, cutting off the lies.
“And the fact that you’ve been in love with him since college has nothing to do with it?” Caleb asked.
The pasta lodged in my throat. I coughed and reached for my water glass. Mason smacked Caleb lightly on the arm.
“Jesus, Caleb,” Mason muttered. “I told you to ease into it.”
“What? It’s obvious,” Caleb said, unapologetic. “Everyone can see it. Well, everyone except Cooper, apparently.”
I set down my fork, appetite suddenly gone. The critical hit damage was already done—no point in raising my shield now.
