And Brian laughs along like she’s the single funniest person he’s ever met, and I’m going to have to wash my ears out with soap. He never would’ve thought her jokes were funny before. Hell, a year ago, we’d both be making fun of how ridiculous she sounds, and yet I’m strapped down for fifteen minutes of utter torture before we finally get home.

When Brian unlocks the door to the apartment, I beeline for my closet. He shouts something about dinner after me, but I just ignore him as I close the door. This is the part where I call Becca just to get some voicemail box is full message, and before I can even think about my next move, I’m calling Drew. I tell him about work and he talks about his brother, and really, neither of us is saying much of anything important, but it doesn’t matter.

Somehow, I feel like he knows exactly what I need.

Drew gets off work just after five, so he swings by the apartment so we can get some more photos for the Diary. I don’t bother telling Brian I’m heading downstairs since he and Maggie are so caught up in each other, they won’t even notice I’m gone.

Drew sits out on the curb, his phone in his hands and his eyes glued to it. And really, there’s a lot to admire—the arch of his back, the way his dark hair reflects the sunlight, the perfect line of his jaw.

He turns, his eyes widening as they catch on me. “Oh, hey.”

“Hey,” I say, sitting down on the curb next to him.

“Everything good?” he asks.

I shrug. “Besides having to take care of Devin? Yeah, it’s fine, I guess.”

Drew raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t that the coworker who threw up on you? I thought you hated him.”

“Devin uses they/them pronouns,” I say. “And I don’t know. I guess they’re not so bad. How’re things with you?”

He stares down at the ground. “Work’s a pain in the ass. We’re getting ready for an author event, so we have to keep track of all their books like someone’s actually gonna show up to buy them.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t think they will?”

“Please, these authors might as well write fan fiction. Their work is garbage.”

That’s a little harsh considering my work isn’t exactly “literary,” but I know he doesn’t actually mean me. I’m just being insecure because my meet cute stories have been too flat to post lately, like I can’t find inspiration now that I can’t just hit on any guy I come in contact with, and more than anything, I want to be cuddled up with him even though he’s only here so we can take some selfies.