“Look,” John said bluntly, “your job is your job, okay? It’s not who you are. And I very much doubt another attractive trust-fund brat is going to come along and sweep you off your feet. Besides, I can’t imagine you allowing a guy to dictate where you work, even if you are dating him. That’s not the Zack Hall I know.” John leaned over, kissed him, and settled back into bed. “Now go to sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

Ziggy made a small sound that could be construed as agreement.

Zack remained upright for another few seconds before he lay back down. He spent the drowsy interim between wakefulness and sleep wondering if falling in love could really be so simple.

Chapter 16

“I’m just saying, you might want to take a test,” Kira said. She took a swig of beer and set the bottle on the table. “Just in case.”

Zack chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’m not pregnant, Kira.”

“But you have this glow about you,” she insisted. “Either John’s knocked you up, or you were bitten by a radioactive spider.”

“Spider-Man didn’t gl—” Zack started, but then he shook his head. “Never mind. The point is, I am not glowing. I’ve just been spending a lot of time with John. You know, having all of the sex. It does a body good.”

Kira laughed, though the sound was partially drowned out by the din. The bar they were in was crowded for a Tuesday night. If it weren’t for the fact that it was down the street from Zack’s place, he wouldn’t bother coming here. It was crawling with hipsters, and the music sounded like a dozen subtle variations of the same crooning, indie rock song. But they had killer beer specials, and now that Zack was poor again, he couldn’t afford anywhere else.

“Ah, yes, the sex,” Kira drawled. “I never get tired of hearing you talk about how much sex you and John are having. I feel like I’ve been listening to this for years.”

Zack shrugged. “Months, actually. It’s been a long time since John first called me. Though if you’re going by when we first met in person, it’s just a few weeks. I probably am being obnoxious about it, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”

The waitress arrived with a fresh beer for Zack, and he downed a quarter of it in three gulps. He didn’t want to get trashed tonight, but he wanted a healthy buzz to warm him on the walk home. Winter was in full swing, and it seemed like it was going to be a rough one this year.