“Are either of you nervous that this guy isn’t done with us?” I ask curiously.
“I just want to know what’s going on so if something happens, we’re prepared,” Leland explains. “Nothing too crazy. Oh, Cassel, Micah said my codename came up at Harley’s.”
“Like… in passing?” Cassel asks.
Micah shrugs. “I couldn’t tell, and when I tried engaging the man, he seemed reluctant to deal with me. I mean… look at me; who wouldn’t want in my pants?”
“You said… ‘deal with you.’ So were you talking to the guy or trying to bed him?” Leland asks.
“Maybe a bit of both,” he says. “Speaking of which… is Everly coming?”
What does anything we’ve said have to do with Everly?
“I think he’s coming at nine to punch me,” Leland says as he checks the time. “We invited the whole gang besides Tavish. We’re hoping he just like… forgets he’s part of this group.”
“I don’t forget shit, weasel!” Tavish announces as he comes in with Ellis and Everly. “Fucking bears remember everything.”
“Isn’t that like… elephants and crows or something?” Waylon asks.
Tavish ignores that point. “What are we even doing here?”
“You weren’t even invited, you came anyway, and you’restillcomplaining about coming?” Leland asks.
“I think he just wants your attention,” Ellis says, which makes Tavish huff.
“The attention of a weasel is like wanting the attention of a tick. Look at him over there wanting to suck the life out of me.”
“Tavish, we’re showing Waylon different ways to escape when you’re tied up. I didn’t know if you were good enough at untying yourself that you could show him?” Leland asks, and the moment he changes his tune, Tavish should know better. Instead, he shrugs.
“I’d love to show him,” Tavish says with all the confidence in the world. The man is brimming with it, and Leland is brimming with mischief as he rushes over and starts tying Tavish up. He looks quite pleased while Tavish tries undoing it, even though it becomes quite apparent he can’t.
“Waylon, come over here, Tavish wants to show you how easy it is to get out of this,” Leland says. “You’re good at this, right, Tavish?”
“I’m good at everything,” he claims.
“I think maybe your confidence is getting in the way,” Ellis comments. “You are good at a lot of things… but I don’t think this is one of them.”
“Ellis, watch Micah,” Leland says as he ties Micah the exact same way, and before Leland has even dropped his hands, Micah’s out of it.
And I know exactly why Leland did it because Tavish isfixatedon Ellis who isveryimpressed.
“How did you do that?” Ellis asks.
“I can do it too,” Tavish says as he is left to struggle.
“I was told that Ihadto be here for somethingsoimportant that you couldn’t tell me over the phone,” Everly grumbles.
“Maybe I’m just that important,” Micah says with a wink.
Everly stares at him like the man just asked if he could throw his coffee in his face.
“Shouldn’t I be in school?” Waylon asks as he sits at the table.
“No, we told them you’re sick. I did a very good job lying to them,” Leland says, sounding almost giddy.
“Why are you so proud of it?”
“No idea what you’re talking about,” Leland replies, but I know it’s because the receptionist asked, “Is this Waylon’s dad?” and Leland got to go, “SURE IS” quite loudly. It was actually so loud that she promptly calledmyphone expecting that the previous call was Waylon and his friends trying to fake being sick to get out of school.
