“What are the chances?” the man returned. He extended a hand to her. “I’m Quentin. And this is my wife, Angelle.”

“Quentin? Your roommate?” It was only after the words left her mouth that Samiah realized how rude they sounded. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m Samiah.”

She shook both their hands with a polite smile, but inside questions were ping-ponging like a rubber ball in her head.

This was his Marine friend’s little brother? Who was sleeping on the couch? And had a wife? Why was his roommate married? None of this made sense.

“I thought you said you’d be working at Trendsetters well into the night,” Quentin said. “Decided to take a break?”

“Yeah, we needed a breather,” Daniel replied.

There was a tense, awkward vibe humming in the air, and she wasn’t sure what to make of the forced smiles between the two men. Now she understood why Daniel had never invited her over while his roommate was there. If these last few minutes were any indication, life in that apartment must be hell.

They left Quentin and Angelle after a few more minutes of unbearably uncomfortable conversation, ordered their drinks from the bar, and brought them to a table that had just been vacated on the opposite side of the club from Daniel’s roommate.

Samiah took a sip of the blood orange margarita the bartender had recommended, then set it on the table. Holding up a hand, she said, “Okay, I have to know.” She hooked her thumb back at the table. “What in the heck was that about?”

“What?”

“Um, your roommate? First, why does it look as if he graduated from high school in the nineties, and why is he married?”

Daniel took a long swallow of his club soda. “He and his wife are separated,” he finally said. “He mentioned they were trying to work things out.” He hunched a shoulder. “I guess that’s what tonight is about.”

Based on the way they were holding hands and staring at each other like a couple of teenagers in love, she would say they had more than worked things out. But why would someone who was temporarily separated from his wife expend the amount of time and effort it must have taken to achieve that computer setup back at their apartment?

“And I guess he did graduate in the nineties,” Daniel continued. “He’s forty.”

“When you said he was the younger brother of a fellow Marine, I just assumed he was, you know, young.”

“I probably should have explained this in the beginning. That fellow Marine was my old gunnery sergeant,” he said. “That’s why Quentin is there. You don’t say no to your old gunnery sergeant, even if you’re no longer active duty.”

“Ah.” Samiah nodded. She guessed that made sense.