“Yes, that’s right,” Lucas said. “I’m sure there’s so much you have in common with my thirty-two-year-old brother.”
“I have a lot in common with Keegan, and I’m much younger than he is,” Cassie piped up.
“Really? Is that so?” Lucas couldn’t have fought back his grin if he’d tried.
“Yes. He likes playing tag too.”
Keegan laughed, then just as quickly tried to make a serious face, as though realizing he wasn’t supposed to be enjoying himself while being interrogated by the king of the country. This only seemed to annoy my brother.
“Yes, he does enjoy playing tag. Is that what you enjoy, Owen? Playing kids’ games with him?”
“No. We have other games we play together that I’m far more interested in. But I’ve found he does enjoy being tickled.”
“Well, if you both will recall, I am fifteen years your mother’s senior,” Mère chimed in, “and I can attest to the fact that age is just a number.”
“And here I was hoping for the support of my mère,” Lucas said with an arched brow.
“You both always have my support,” she said. “But sometimes that comes in the form of guidance from wisdom rather than mirroring one’s predetermined viewpoints.”
“It’s funny to think I am in the minority at this table,” he added, “when I’m sure in most circles I would be the voice of reason.”
“I doubt anyone would be so presumptuous as to accuse you of being the voice of reason.”
Despite my attempt to slight him, it was evident that Lucas had decided to just ignore my interruptions and addressed Keegan once again. “So tell me, Mr. Kruse—”
“You can just call me Keegan.”
Lucas flinched, his expression shifting in a way that made him look as though he’d just smelled something repugnant.
“Mr. Kruse,” Lucas said, “what was it that first attracted you to my brother? I’d be very curious, because you did decide to become an item very quickly.”
I worried he was expecting Keegan to fumble on our contrived story, and nearly chimed in when Keegan said, “I actually didn’t like him very much when we first met. I was pretty annoyed, and he seemed like an arrogant…” He turned to Cassie, seated beside him, watching him ever-so-suspiciously, that wisdom in her expression that suggested she had already anticipated the sort of word he was about to say, but Keegan’s lips shifted before he said, “Jerk.”
Cassie laughed.
“You can make all this out from someone online? That they’re a jerk?” Lucas asked.
“Of course. I’ve been on Grindr enough that I can know if I hate someone in two or three messages.”
“What’s Grindr?” Cassie asked.
Keegan pursed his lips, clearly realizing he’d said too much.
“It’s a…dating…app,” Lucas interrupted quickly. She assessed his expression as she had when she had been waiting for Keegan’s curse word.
Keegan and I eyed Lucas curiously. I certainly hadn’t known my brother knew about Grindr. “It is my obligation to keep informed about these sorts of phone applications,” he said before turning his attention back to Cassie. “It’s an app people use to meet and connect.”
Keegan snickered.
“Do you like meeting people on Grindr?” she asked him, as though trying to get to the bottom of what this “dating app” was really about.
“It’s one of many ways. You meet some good people on there and some not so great people.”
“Do you ever meet those people in real life?”
“Sometimes,” Keegan said with a smirk.
This time, Cassie glanced around, appearing confused as ever, as she seemed to pick up on the undertone of our conversation. As Mère noticed her confusion, she tossed her head back and unleashed a loud laugh, one it was clear she’d been stifling for some time.
