“Mm-hm!” Adathan accepted the bottle. He took a sip, and this time, his toes wiggled.
“I’m not a big fan of it,” William lied. “Wanna swap?”
“Okay!”
William barely suppressed a grimace as he tried some of Adathan’s cocktail. It was extremely sour—no wonder he hadn’t liked it. How had he been able to keep a neutral face at all?
Years of practice.
“Can you pass me the sushi?” William asked. The mere thought of swallowing more food made his stomach queasy, but it was worth the discomfort if Adathan got to eat and drink what he liked for once. William still had no idea what was going to happen next, but for the time being, all he could do was make Adathan as comfortable as possible.
His situation couldn’t exactly be deemed a sacrifice, anyway. The sushi was incredible, and so were the goat cheese crostini and braised octopus. Paired with the sight of Adathan wigglinghis toes with every bite he took, the knot in William’s stomach steadily eased. By the time their meal was over, his nausea was gone.
Adathan had finished the first craft beer and was drinking a second one, this time with a polar bear riding a tricycle on the label. He swallowed his last bite with an ecstatic smile, exhaling a contented sigh as he leaned back into the thick cushions. “Thank you, William. Everything was delicious.”
William couldn’t help smiling at how relaxed Adathan looked. His posture was no longer straight and rigid; instead, he looked like a blob of happiness trying to fuse with the sofa. It was probably due to the alcohol, but William patted himself on the back all the same.
“Do you have room for dessert?” William asked.
“Yeah! May I go to the bathroom first?”
“You don’t need to ask permission to go to the bathroom. Ever.”
Adathan held his gaze for a moment, the look in his eyes making William’s heart flutter again.
William hadn’t lied when he’d told Oliver he was a self-centered asshole. He wasn’t in the habit of putting other people’s needs before his own, especially not someone he’d just met. Adathan wasn’t just a regular person, though, was he?
According to society, he wasn’t a person at all.
Adathan stood up and headed to the bathroom. William pulled out his phone as soon as he’d closed the door and read Oliver’s recent texts.
? Oliver:You’re right, it’s hard to tell. Have you looked at the manual? I think it’s supposed to be indicated on the first page.
? Oliver:Adathan looks so kind. It saddens me to think of what those monsters put them through.
? Oliver:Still reading the manual. I can’t believe this is real. It’s sickening.
? Oliver:I’m sorry. I need to take a break. It’s too much.
“Shit,” William whispered. Sending Oliver a picture of Adathan had been a mistake. He was far too compassionate. Now that he had a face to put on all this horror, it would take him weeks to recover. William shouldn’t have involved him at all.
? William:You don’t have to keep reading, I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me
? William:I’m treating him like a friend, just like you said, and it’s working. We’re hanging out now, watching TV, and I’m about to order dessert (all paid for by the poker company!)
? William:Go get some rest, we’ll talk in the morning
William sighed as he got up, snatching the sour cocktail before heading to the kitchenette. He poured it into the sink and glanced at the manual still sitting on the dining table. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he flipped it open and checked the first page.
Not that he believed Adathan had lied about his gender, but...
Congratulations on your purchase! Your new Serviteur’s name is: Gabriel. It will be its absolute pleasure to serve you.
CHAPTER 4
Defective
Why would Adathan lie about his name, knowing it would be contradicted on the very first page of the manual he wanted William to read?
