Rick sat opposite him, his long legs tucked under the table. He didn’t take his coat off right away. He looked around as if he wasstill half-expecting someone to notice him, but no one did. Or if they did, they didn’t react.
Rick glanced at Allen’s cup. “Chai.”
Allen almost laughed. “Yeah.”
“Good choice,” Rick said it like he meant it.
Allen stared at him. Up close, Rick looked older than the photos Allen remembered. There were faint lines at the corners of his eyes that showed he smiled. “How do you know it’s a good choice?” Allen asked before he could stop himself.
Rick’s eyes shifted to him. He smiled, and it changed his whole face, making him more attractive. “I don’t. I’m pretending I do.”
Allen felt his cheeks heat up, and he glanced down at the table. “Right.”
Allen didn’t know what he’d expected. Maybe someone who acted important, but Rick didn’t. He pulled his phone out, checked the screen quickly, then placed it face down on the table. “Do your friends usually keep you waiting?”
Allen shrugged as he looked up. “Sometimes.”
“You could be lying to me.”
Allen blinked up at him. “What?”
Rick’s mouth twitched. “You could’ve said yes because you didn’t want to share. You could’ve said friends because it’s an easy excuse.”
Allen stared. “I didn’t say it because—”
“I know,” Rick said softly. “I’m teasing.”
Allen let out a breath and realized he’d tensed up. He forced his shoulders to loosen, then pursed his lips. Rick watched him and then looked away as if he wasn’t trying to make him uncomfortable.
Allen took a sip of his drink, hissing because it was too hot. “Oh.”
Rick’s gaze flicked up. “Hot?”
Allen swallowed. “Yeah.”
“You should’ve waited.”
Allen gave him a look. “Thanks.”
Rick smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Allen didn’t know what to do with himself. He wasn’t used to having someone confident sitting across from him and talking as if it was easy. As if he didn’t have to think about every word.
He glanced down at his phone again to see that there were still no messages. He didn’t want to message first and sound needy, but he also didn’t want to sit there for an hour with Rick while his friends forgot about him.
Allen looked up. “I’m Allen.”
Rick’s eyes met his. “Rick.”
Allen nodded, even though this wasn’t normal for him. Rick didn’t offer his surname, and Allen didn’t ask, not that he needed it. He knew who Rick was, but he didn’t want to say anything, so he stayed quiet.
Rick shifted slightly in his chair. “So, what do you do, Allen?”
“I work in a call center,” Allen said. There wasn’t any point trying to make it sound better than it was. “Customer support.”
Rick nodded. “That’s rough.”
Allen snorted quietly. “Yeah. It can be.”
