We had switched from soft drinks to hard. Red cups filled with frothy alcohol.
“You two make the cutest couple,” a woman in her twenties, dressed in a cute pink cardigan that didn’t seem appropriate for the cold, said.
The guy with her put his arm around her waist and drew her near.
“We make a cute couple, too, babe,” he said, kissing the side of her head with a tad too much force, and she looked at him as if she was a little disgusted by him.
“Ugh,” Darren said, scratching the back of his head. “Thanks?”
I elbowed him, and he didn’t even pretend to feel it.
“Thanks, but we’re not a couple,” I said.
“I told you, babe. They can only be with alphas; it’s like biology,” the guy said, speaking against her ear as if we couldn’t hear him.
His—reluctant?—girlfriend pushed him away from her.
“I told you that’s not true,” she said stiffly. “Is it?” she asked, turning to me.
“Ugh,” I said, mimicking Darren.
“That’s right. I mean, wrong. I mean, it’s not like an alpha dick is a magic key or something…” Darren defended and turned to me. “Right? Biology’s biology,” he said.
“Is this seriously a question?” I asked. I couldn’t smile my way through.
“No. No, it’s not,” Pink Cardigan said, looking angrily between her boyfriendandDarren, andbothmen acted reasonably chastised.
I looked at Darren and shook my head. He wasn’therboyfriend.
“Look, I just wanted to come over here and do some introductions. We saw the two of you holding hands in the crowd, and you two look like a couple.” She waved her hand at us as if it was obvious. “I just thought… But look, if it’s not official or whatever, we’re not too inquisitive. I’m Nina, this is Rory,” she said, waving in her boyfriend's direction dismally. “Josie—"
“Josie?” Darren asked excitedly.
“You’re not a cheating dog,” Nina said.
“What? No. You know Josie? She told you about me? What did she say?” he asked quickly.
“He means that he’s single, he enjoyed his time with Josie, and he must have the wrong number for her because he’s been texting with no reply,” I said for him. Nina was clearly a friend of Josie.
“Yes, that,” Darren agreed.
“You got with Josie!” Rory said, holding his hand up as if he expected Darren to high-five him.
“Dude, you’re striking out tonight,” Darren said, shaking his head.
Rory looked to Nina at that and lowered his head.
“There’s going to be a party after the blue moon. I know it’s a while away, but Josie will be there. She’s dealing with some personal stuff, but I know she wants to see you there,” Nina said, and took her phone from her back pocket and turned to me. “I can share the details with you,” she offered.
“No phone,” I told her and pointed to Darren.
“Sure,” she said, looking at me. “You’ll be there too,” she added as she handed her phone to Darren. “Enter your number,” she instructed and accepted her phone back once he had.
“Am I invited?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said, like it was obvious.
I just nodded.
