I could sense the sharks circling, but I was determined not to bleed. I lifted my beer and drained it.
Truman smirked. “Lyle, maybe we should tell Damon the story of how we got together.”
Lyle raised an eyebrow. “You think?”
“I’ve heard that story,” I said. “Your friends told you that you were into each other and—” I stopped short, eyes narrowing. “What does this have to do with anything?”
“I didn’t understand that my feelings for Truman had changed,” Lyle said. “He was my best friend, so of course I cared about him. But I’d never been with a guy, so I didn’t see…”
“See what?”
Truman grinned. “That he was totally in love with me. Because I’m awesome, and who wouldn’t be?”
“It amazes me I didn’t have to fight off half the town for you,” Lyle said dryly.
“I know!”
Neil and Hammy laughed, but I was stuck on the point of this story.
“I’m notin lovewith Maverick. That’s a really far stretch.”
“Maybe not,” Truman said. “But being here isn’t a coincidence, is it?”
I hesitated. “I just…I set up this whole Matchmaking Mamas thing. As a prank.” My friends stared at me, waiting for the rest. I squirmed under the attention. “I just thought I should keep an eye on him. You know, in case any of these dates go bad.”
“So you’re planning to spy onallhis dates?” Hammy asked, sounding incredulous.
“I’m notspying,” I protested. “I’m just hanging out with friends in the same pub.”
Truman snorted. “You’re so spying.”
“Definitely spying,” Lyle agreed.
“Yeah, it’s kind of sad, man,” Hammy added.
Neil cringed, looking sympathetic.Cringing for me.“They have a point, Damon. You’ve been very invested in this guy. Even before the matchmaking, you were obsessed with the pranks. Maybe…”
“Maybe what?” I asked darkly. “I’m not the first guy to find his neighbor annoying.”
“Okay.” Neil bit his lip. “It’s up to you to figure out what it means, not any of us.”
I huffed. What it meant? I knew what it meant. Maverick was a pain in the ass, that was all. He didn’t like me, and I didn’t like him. That was an undeniable fact of the universe.
This was what I got for having sappy friends. They wanted to see love where there was none.
I shook my head at them all. “I should just start calling you all the Matchmaking Mamas. That shit is weak. I want to kick Mav’s ass most of the time, not…anything else.”
Truman smirked. “Don’t knock it until you try it.”
I rolled my eyes and pushed my chair back. “I need another beer. I’ll get the next round and order that app combo.”
The fact that the bar was a much better vantage point from which to watch Maverick and Percy interact? Well, that had nothing to do with it.
CHAPTER 11
Maverick
“People thinkI’m some creepy guy obsessed with death.”
