“Is it hard to get a gig like that? What qualifications do you need?”
“Time on your hands,” Oscar replied, “a shit-ton of patience, and being able to send the right kind of criticism. You have to be meticulous. Test everything, check for bugs. They’ll have had in-house testers run it multiple times, but you’d be surprised what they miss sometimes.” He shrugged. “It’s fun. Although some levels get frustrating because you have to complete every quest. No matter what.”
“Does it…” Joe paused, lowering his sandwich. “Does it pay well?”
“I’ve made rent all summer,” Oscar replied. “I mean, it’s not going to get you a Lamborghini or anything.”
“Dude…have youseenmy apartment?” Joe ran a hand over his head. “It’d be nice to make some extra money, and I do have a lot of hours I can use. Besides, it would be great if I could find something that allows me to stay home with Coop.”
“Coop?” Oscar asked.
“You haven’t met Coop!” Joe said, eyes widening as though some great epiphanic truth had struck him all of a sudden. He pushed back his chair, popping the last two bites of his sandwich into his mouth all at once, then dusted his hands on his pants and passed through the only door Oscar hadn’t been through.
It gave him the opportunity to squeeze in a few morebites, to bring this lunch closer to its end a little more quickly without seeming rude.
But when Joe walked out of the room again, Oscar was no longer in such a hurry to leave. Nestled in the crook of Joe’s arm was a small black bunny with white patches on his fur. Oscar thought about the bunny headband on Aaron’s head and about Luigi, who shared coat colors with the small furry bundle in Joe’s arms.
“Coop, meet Oscar,” Joe cooed, approaching the table. “You’re not afraid of them, are you?”
“Of bunnies?” Oscar shot him a dead-eyed look.
“My sibling was scared shitless before they got to know Coop.” Joe laughed, shaking his head. “They adore him now, though. Wanna hold him?”
“Yeah.” Oscar pushed back his chair, always a sucker when it came to animals, and welcomed the bunny into his arms as Joe gently set him down, strong, large fingers rubbing his fur as he softly tutted and crooned at him.
“He likes you,” Joe murmured, smiling. Their eyes darted to each other’s at the same time, and Oscar suddenly felt naked. “Hey, Oz, do you think maybe someday you can try and talk me through applying for that part-time gig? If, you know, they’re hiring and stuff.”
“They’re always looking for new people,” Oscar said, because no matter what Oscar had thought of him, Joe was also Aaron’s friend, and he didn’t seem unkind. And he’d called himdude. And had called his siblingthey. So maybe Oscar was completely wrong about him. “Besides, I halve my hours at the end of summer, so they’ll need at least someone to match that time. And you’re not looking for full-time, are you?”
“Oh no. I still have the gym,” Joe said.
Something in his expression shifted at the same time Oscar felt his own face fall.
“Fuck, you really are a gymbro, aren’t you?” Oscar said before he could seal his mouth shut. His skin heated, and he wished he could reverse time by just two seconds. The air between them had grown stale, and Coop was still in his arms, Joe’s hand exuding warmth so close to his skin.Shit.
And then Joelaughed.He fell back to sit on the floor, rubbing his face, eyes crinkled almost shut. And he laughed.
“I’m a Class B comedian, Joe. It wasn’tthatfunny,” Oscar mumbled, because that was definitely easier thansorry.
“A gymbro? Oh my God, Oscar.” Joe eased, crossing his legs and flapping his knees, still grinning. “Maybe Iam. Fuck. Anna’s gonna love this.”
“I meant it in a derogatory way,” Oscar admitted, taking over petting Coop.
“Oh, I know. Trust me.” Joe rolled onto his feet, landing in a squat, as though to prove he was indeed the monster Oscar had claimed. “It’s myjob. I’m a trainer at one of the local gyms.”
“So…you’re like the Captain of the Gymbros.” Oscar’s mouth twisted to the side as Joe’s lips began to tremble again.
You’re getting cocky, Spike.
“General,” Joe said. “But, yeah, no. Maybe.” He shrugged. “I’m an alright guy, I swear.”
“I mean, ifyousay so, then it must be true.” Oscar tutted down at the bunny shifting in his arms. He missed Luigi, hadn’t seen him in a whole day.
“No, really.” Joe stood, reaching for his plate and Oscar’s, now empty, and taking them to the kitchen sink. “Will you help me get a part-time gig? I’m sure being a video game god can balance the scales.”
“Yeah. I’ll…ask them, next time I send feedback. That sound good?” Oscar asked.
“That sounds brilliant.” Joe’s shoulders dropped as he turned to look at him. His cheeks dimpled even deeper thanAaron’s when he smiled. He looked like such agoodboy. An honest one. The kind of boy Ryan pretended to be. “And you’re welcome to drop by the gym anytime, too. I can give you a couple free sessions and show you I’m more than Gymbro General.”
