“Sure,” I said. “There are a few more pics in there.”
He scrolled through our conversations, seeming to skim between pictures. “I hate you,” he said without any venom. “You’re not joking. This guy is just treating you like you’re his bestie. He’s not even asking you for nudes. Just giving you tons of money to be yourself and occasionally drool over his hot ass pics.” He looked up. “You do drool over them, don’t you? You’re not letting this go to waste?”
“Of course I drool,” I laughed. “He’s beautiful.”
“So it’s just him paying all your bills?” Andrew asked.
“Uh, no. There’s… another man. Guy. Male.”
Andrew looked up sharply, like a wolf catching the scent of prey. “No. Ma’am.”
“What?”
“Where’s he at? Let me see who you’re nervous and stuttering about.” I reached for my phone, but he held it out of my range, and I knew as soon as he found Yiri’s messages. Andrew’s eyes bugged out. “Oh, shit,” he said. “NO. MA’AM.”
“Give it back,” I said. “What’s your problem?”
“This is not aguy,” Andrew said, pointing at the screen and an image of Yiri lounging in bed, smoking from his little vape-like thing. “That’s a man who knows how to fuck your life up. Believe me. I’ve met plenty of them.”
“How’s he going to fuck my life up from another galaxy?” I snatched at my phone, and this time he let me take it.
“I don’t know,” Andrew said with mock innocence. “Maybe by convincing you to give up everything and be shipped to him like something out of a catalogue?”
“I don’t think it’s like that,” I said. “At least, I hope not. If it is, a lot of them are really good at pretending to be lonely men who just want a partner.”
“Abort mission,” Andy said, splaying his hands out. “Girl, we gotta find you a job. You are not going out of orbit for that man. Look at him! He is a bad man. You are not the first woman to be lured in by that scowl of his, and you won’t be the last.”
An uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach said maybe Andrew was right about that. He could be talking to someone else at that very moment.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said. “But… I mean, honestly, Andy, there’s not a whole lot to stay here for, is there? You’re basically my only friend. I have no family that I’m in contact with. I haven’t been on a date in months, and the last several dates I had were awful.”
“Cora,noooo.” Andrew put a hand on my arm, shaking his head. “You are not one of those women.”
“I’m not,” I said, as much to remind myself as to reassure him. “But I’m just saying that I get where they’re coming from, you know? It’s hard to find someone nice, and if… if I found someone nice, who wanted to take care of me for the rest of my life, and I really liked him? What’s holding me back?”
“Your cat!” Andy said. “You love your cat, and I’m not taking it in.”
“Yiri said I could bring Mr. Darcy, actually,” I said, laughing at how appalled Andy was.
“He’s not nice, Cora,” he insisted. “I don’t care if he’s not human, I know trouble when I see it.”
My phonebloopedwith a message from Yiri. I angled it away from Andrew to read it.
Yiri Ahlon: You’re thinking about me. I can feel it.
I snorted, typing back.
Me: No, you can’t. That’s just you thinking about me.
Yiri: Show me your makeup today.
“What are you doing?” Andy asked, disapproval dripping in his tone.
“Making rent, Andy,” I huffed, holding out the phone and snapping a selfie. I wore winged eyeliner again. It was fast becoming my go-to look because I kind of loved how much Yiri and Qhev loved it.
“Okay, okay,” Andrew said. “I’m just worried you’re going to take this too far, now.”
I frowned and sent the selfie to Yiri.
