Ibetit’s his pleasure. That’s enough of that. Itoss my arm around my girlfriend’s shoulder and pull her closer. “Mine, too, please.”
“How much do we owe you?” Fable asks, her fingers coming around to pinch my side playfully.
He waves that off. “Nothing. On the house tonight. For an old friend.”
“Nope. No.” I hand him a twenty-dollar bill. “Isn’t this supposed to be a fundraiser?”
His cheeks flush. “Right.” He takes the cash and pops the register open. “It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Tony,” Fable calls as I shepherd her away.
We pick a spot at the edge of the crowd to wait for our food.
“What was that?” she asks.
“What?”
“That thing back there. You were getting a little caveman.”
An annoyed grumble leaves my chest. “I was not.”
“You were.” The opening scene ofScreamis playing on the big screen behind her, and she glances over her shoulder for a moment.
“He was flirting with you. Right in front of me.”
A disbelieving laugh bursts out of her. “He was not.”
“And you were flirting back.”
Her arms cross, the beer bottle dangling from her fingers. “Who gave you the right to get all possessive about me talking to men?”
I ignore that. “He’s practically a child.”
“He’s only two years younger than us!”
“Really?!”
“Yes!”
A noncommittal hum is all I can muster.
“You know, one day, this’ll be over, and I’ll be back on the market, dating whoever I want.”
There’s an awful, bitter taste in my mouth. Itake a swig of my beer, hoping it’ll wash it away.
Tony saves me from having to reply when he calls, “Fable! Order up!” from the window.
With our food and beers in hand, we make our way through the grass toward my truck in the back corner of the lot. It’s not the ideal spot for movie watching, but we got here a little late. After Fable’s shift at Hawkins, she wanted to run home to change into something comfortable, which turned out to be an oversize Arctic Monkeys tour hoodie and a pair of navy sweatpants.
“Have you uh... been dating a lot before this?” I ask, hating myself even as the words are still tumbling out.
Fable rearranges the items in her hand to grab two french fries and shove them in her mouth. Ominous music filters from the movie as we weave between two cars. “This is the first date-date I’ve been on in a long time.” She lowers her voice to whisper, “Even if it’s fake, it’s the closest I’ve gotten.” She tips her beer back for a sip. “By the way, this is our lastfree space.”
Wait.“Really?” I’d apparently lost track.
“Unless you’re looking to add some more renovations.” Her gaze cuts to me, a question in her eyes.
“There is some siding that needs to be replaced,” I offer, dipping my voice into something very businesslike.
