GirlMostLikelyTo by Barbara Elsborg

Adam
exhale.
    “French is the perfect language for love,” Monique said. “ Je
t’aime .” She stared straight at Tomas. That was subtle. He thought about
telling her to fuck off in Croatian but decided not to risk it in case she
assumed it was a compliment.
    “ Amin mela Ile ,” Wren said.
    Adam laughed. “Elvish?”
    She blushed. “I didn’t think anyone would recognize that.”
    Tomas hadn’t. Elvish? What the fuck?
    “I’m not liking class this afternoon,” Monique said.
“English grammar. Ugh. Boring. Conversation is the best way to learn.”
    Wren put her empty glass back on the table. “If you want to
really understand a language, you need to study the grammar too.”
    “But the priority should always be on communication.” Adam
stared straight at him. “If you can’t make yourself clear, it’s easy for
misunderstandings to arise.”
    Tomas deserved that. Although to be fair, he’d communicated
his desires clearly enough, he’d just changed his mind. Wouldn’t take much to
change it back. Adam looked like he’d walked off the page of a magazine advertising
some preppy clothing company with his pressed pants, and white shirt under a
cashmere sweater, his hair perfectly cut. A gray coat was slung over the chair
back, a leather Tumi bag at his side.
    He found his mind accelerating into a new fantasy. Two
dark-feathered birds of prey and a cute brown-eyed Wren sandwiched between
them. Tomas had been in a threesome once, a long while ago, and not for very
long because it went bad. Not easy to balance everyone’s needs. Jealousy flared
and when things became heated, he’d stepped away before they boiled over. He
was in the habit of stepping away. He’d perfected the art of the one-night
stand to the point he was bored with it.
    Sylvie tapped his arm. “How long have you been learning
English?”
    “One day. My first lesson this morning.” He grinned at Wren.
“I learn a unicyclist with an ugly nose can carry a horn and an umbrella.”
    Wren roared with laughter and then clamped her hand over her
mouth as she glanced around. Probably checking Benoit wasn’t nearby. Adam glared
as if annoyed Tomas had amused her. Shit. Competing already?
    “Indefinite articles?” Adam asked.
    Wren nodded. “How did you guess?”
    Because he’s a fucking smart-arse. “I also learn how
to talk about weather,” Tomas said. “Only need two words. Gray and miserable.”
    Wren picked up her bag. “You can joke in English. That shows
quite a high level of competence.”
    Damn. Now he was being a smart-arse.
    She stood up. “I have to go back. Thanks for lunch, Adam.”
    He stood too. “I’ll walk with you.”
    Tomas pushed to his feet. “I come as well.”
    Monique started to get up but Sylvie caught her arm. “Can I
buy you another drink?”
    Monique sat again.
    “Have you thought of learning Japanese?” Sylvie asked.
    Tomas caught Wren’s flash of thanks to Sylvie and then
followed Adam and Wren out of the pub.
    “You know each other?” Tomas asked as they headed toward the
language school.
    Wren walked between them, her hands in her pockets.
    “We met in Italy,” she said.
    “In Venice,” Adam added. “Very romantic city.”
    Damn if that didn’t annoy him. “Has problem with streets
flooding,” he muttered.
    Wren chuckled. “Have you ever been?”
    “Once.” He’d hated it.
     
    As they drew closer to Ezispeke’s admin office, Tomas
realized they were all heading for the same place. Part of him wanted to wait
and register later for Wren’s Italian class, the other part of him was keen to
know what Adam wanted. Plus if Wren and Adam created enough of a distraction in
there, he might be able to pick up information for Marco. It was always a
balance working for him, a line Tomas had to think twice about crossing,
especially when what he did or said might be of too much benefit to the
bastard.
    Jolene, Olive’s secretary, looked up when the three of them
walked in. She’d been happy