Page 189 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

What a sucker.

“Aight.” I nod.

“So I’mma use mine to veto your veto.”

“Veto my veto?”

He stares at me for two seconds,

then barks a laugh, head dropping back.

“You can’t veto a veto. Get the fuck outta here.” He shakes his head. “That’s not how the game works. You try that shit here in Jersey, you get slapped with the fuckin’ pool cue.”

“Uh, yeah. You said one veto. Singular.” I give him a sweet lawyer-smile. “Didn’t say how it could be used. Didn’t say it couldn’t be used on yours. That’s still a valid veto.” I lift my drink, muttering into it, “Sorry your veto game’s weaker than your pool game.”

Andrew stands with his arms crossed.

All he does is stare.

Blink.

And stare again.

I sip my drink slow.

Set the glass down.

Look up.

Silence wraps the air like barbed wire.

He lifts his fingers off his lips.

“You hate me or somethin’?”

I bite into my lip. “No.”

He nods.

Shrugs one shoulder.

“…Just not into fuckin’ me?”

I laugh under my breath.

He squints at me, hand out, serious. “Nah, be straight with me. Was the sex bad or somethin'? ‘Cause I gave you full control that night. I was holdin’ back for you. If it was bad, that’s all on you.”

My brow lifts.

“Holdin’ back? For what, ten seconds?”

He steps in fast, jaw flexing.

“Say it again, I swear. I’ll show you exactly what I was holdin’ back.”

The corner of my mouth climbs,

patient and poisonous.