“Fucking hipster,” Karim said, then started to reach across the table for the napkin. Luis snatched it first and slid it into his back pocket where Karim couldn't get it.
The vampire glared at him. “Don’t tell me you’re going to text that lame-looking asshole.”
Luis grabbed the new drink and took a long sip. It was fresh and cold and perfect for his jittery nerves. “So, what if I do?” He said after. “It’s none of your business what I do in my free time.”
Karim snorted. “You could do better than that. I could practically smell the douchebag on him.” Karim’s eyes went down to the drink and then back up to Luis. “Probably spiked that drink.”
Luis rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You really think—” Then the doubt wiggled in. He took another sip. “Tastes totally fine.”
He wasn’t sure why, but he pushed the glass across to Karim anyway. Karim brought it to his nose and sniffed a moment before taking a sip. He shrugged. “Wouldn’t put it past a guy like that.”
Luis took his drink back with an eyeroll. “So not drugged then? Do you always expect the worst from people?”
Karim glowered. “Only because they usually deliver on it.”
“Maybe that’s just because you’re the asshole first,” Luis said.
Karim pulled back, as if the comment had actually offended him. “That guy was a dickwad, guaranteed,” Karim said with heat. “Nobody decent would pull that shit.”
Now Luis was actually getting irritated. He could feel it hot in his palms. His body was so used to arguing with Karim that it was like second nature. “Pull what shit? How is coming over asking for my number offensive?”
Karim bristled. “It is when you’re here with us. It’s inappropriate.”
That was funny. Julien cared a lot about decorum, about politeness and social rules, but Karim had illustrated countless times that he didn’t give a fuck about appropriateness.
“Suddenly you care about propriety?” Luis spit back. “Give me a break.”
“I own your time here,” Karim said cooly, “so hipster fucks should mind their own business.”
The words came like a slap. What the fuck wasthatsupposed to mean? Anger swelled in Luis’s mouth, his lungs heaving to get the words out,“If you really think–”
He was cut off by a sudden figure, very tall and elegant, appearing beside the table.
“Is everything okay?” Julien asked, his even, measured tone sucking all the air out of the room.
Chapter Three
Luis and Karim both startled. Luis’s mouth snapped shut immediately, teeth clattering together as he swallowed down the acrid words he’d intended on hurling. Karim also shut his mouth; guilt scrawled across his face.
Julien retook his seat smoothly next to Karim, and Luis grabbed his phone off the table and slid it back into his pocket. Karim’s phone had disappeared.
“Everything’s fine,” Luis forced himself to say.
Julien looked between them, as though he could siphon what had happened out of the heavy cloud hanging over them. He didn’t ask outright or call Luis on his lie. He had manners.
Luis was grateful for it. He and Karim sniped at each other all the time, but it rarely ventured into territory that actually wounded. Luis felt embarrassed that he’d gotten angry at all. Karim was just being Karim; he should know better than to take anything he said personally. He had and would continue to say anything that would get a rise out of Luis. It was, usually, the way the game played out between them.
For some reason tonight everything was off.
Julien hummed dubiously, but reached for one of the fresh waters that had been dropped on the table. The tension held a moment longer, and then, blessedly, Julien introduced a new subject of conversation—asking Luis if he’d ever told him the story of their haunted armoire.
Karim attached himself to Julien’s side, but made no more comments, and there was tentative peace. Luis did his best not to let his eyes wander over to Karim, even when he felt those dark ones on him.
As much as Luis liked this job, he wouldn’t have it much longer if he and Karim actually started to go at each other’s throats. Julien was unequivocally devoted to Karim. It was as obvious as the sun in the sky to anyone who looked at them.
Plus, Luis didn’t actually want to hurt Karim. Their bickering was sharp sometimes, sure, but he’d always thought of it as fun. Karim was prickly, but Luis didn’t think he imagined it that Karim was enjoying himself too. They certainly wouldn’t be into their forty-eighth game of Words with Friends if Karim didn’t find it all somewhat entertaining.
Luis sipped his drink and Julien told him about an armoire that kept getting returned to them after customer’s claims of bad luck and curses. They’d been selling and getting it returned for years, but weren’t ready to give up on it yet.
