Stay With Me by S.E.Harmon Page B

just got out of a relationship. Someone mentioned how he likes pretty boys, and your name came up.” He eyeballed me critically. “I don’t see it, but whatever.”
    I wanted to sock him good. “Glad to know a lot of thought went into this. But you can tell Big Red that I’m not interested.” Someone with his face and build ought to spend the whole night working that one out. I pictured him looking dumbly in the mirror. Someone’s not attracted to… me? What ?
    “God, you’re such a prick.”
    I ignored this and tacked on, “And I don’t mope,” for good measure.
    “That’s all you do! Moping and moaning over someone who got over you as easily as wiping shit off his shoe. It’s pathetic.”
    “You’re pathetic,” I shot back. “Why don’t you get your own life? God, I’m just lucky you’re not gay. You’d probably steal my boyfriend!”
    “First you’d have to get one,” he snapped.
    “That’s harsh.”
    “What you said wasn’t?”
    “You can’t rush me out of my feelings,” I snapped. “I’m sorry that you’re tired of me being sad. Maybe we should see less of each other.”
    “Is that even possible?” he muttered, and I looked at him sharply.
    “What is that supposed to mean?”
    “You’re a smart guy, Mac,” he said. “You figure it out.”
    A brief silence descended upon the table. I folded my arms and let the awkward moment extend. I saw no reason to break it.
    “This is why guys don’t talk,” Drew sighed.
    I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. In his own iron-fisted, heavy-handed way, he was trying to help. “Robby. I’m trying my best to get over Trevor in my own way. I’m sorry if that doesn’t align with your master plan.”
    He shrugged. “You call sleeping with Asher exorcising your demons?”
    “That’s none of your business. I don’t ask you about any of the hoes that walk in and out your revolving fucking door.” It was on my tongue to say that’s why Case is so messed up , but even I found that appalling and unforgiveable. My nephew’s issues were his own to work out, not something to be used to win an argument.
    “You’re such a selfish jerk. Always have been. Probably why Trevor never—”
    I slammed my hands against the table. “Don’t you say it. Don’t you dare lay the blame for that piece-of-shit relationship at my door.”
    “Why not?” Robert shrugged. “You left him, didn’t you? Just like everyone else. I’m just surprised it lasted as long as it did.”
    “Enough!” Tao snapped. “You two are ruining my buzz.”
    “For real,” Asher piped in. Unhelpful as usual. “Mac, you damn sure dish it, so you’d better be prepared to take it. Rob, you shouldn’t have set him up, and you know it. And blaming him for Trevor’s shit? Low blow, dude.”
    “Apologize,” Tao said. When we didn’t leap to his bidding, he snapped, “Now.”
    So we did.
    Darcy came back to a table of absolute silence, but luckily he was the type of guy who would need OnStar to find a clue. He sat down, passing out drinks and limes, and told us a joke the shockingly Irish bartender had told him. Even when it met with halfhearted laughter, he followed it up with a hilarious story from high school. I glared at Robert even more, if possible. He was funny, cute, and available? And gay , I added to my fertile mind. Although that didn’t seem to be too important to me lately.
    Before long, Darcy’s warm stories and funny nature had us all laughing. They kept the beer flowing, and before long, I realized that, damn, I’d had a good time. Damn that Robert.
    Tao was the first to break up the party. “It’s getting late, guys, and I’m not twenty-five anymore.”
    “Buzzkill,” I said, inciting the rest of the table to boo him. But he was right, as I glanced down at my phone. It was close to 2:00 a.m. It was all well and good to party like a rock star as long as one remembered that rock stars didn’t have jobs.
    “I’m Audi too,” Drew said,