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“Did you think I was flirting with you that night that it happened all those years ago?” said Niles.
She glanced at him. “Are you saying you weren’t?”
“It was so out of the blue,” he said with a grin.
“You asked me to come back to your house!”
“I asked everyone to come back to my house.”
She rolled her eyes.
“So, ballpark number,” said Decker. “How many non-elf, scary-looking dudes in this town would you say you’ve banged?”
She hunched up her shoulders. “That’s… tangles and briars, Decker… fuck you.” There was so much to unpack in that little question, so much. She didn’t even know where to start.
“Did I use the venom on you?” said Niles.
“What venom?” she said.
“I didn’t think so,” said Niles, letting out a breath.
“What venom?” she said.
“You guys are fucking, huh?” said Niles.
“No,” they both said at the same time.
Niles laughed. There was a beeping noise, and he pulled out his phone.
Jeff handed over their beers.
Niles typed on his phone.
“I’m sorry,” muttered Decker. “I got no right to be jealous, and I’m not trying to indicate that there’s anything bad about having a large number of sexual partners. I guess it’s more an insecurity thing than anything, to be honest. I mean, anyway, since I know what sort of things you like in bed—”
“Just stop,” she said, looking across the bar at Jeff and then back at Decker. “Stop.”
Decker looked at Jeff. Cringed. “Sorry,” he said again.
“So,” said Niles, tucking his phone away, “my girlfriend is headed over here, so we can just get whatever conversation we need to have about this out of the way? Because she gets so pissed off whenever every woman I introduce her to in town is someone I’ve fucked.”
“Oh, gee, I wonder why,” said Essence sarcastically. “You’re not a cliché at all, Niles.”
“I’ve changed,” said Niles, “I’ll have you know.” He pointed at Decker. “I’m not a barrier to whatever is going on with this, man, all I’m saying. And if you want to hang out in this town, you have to get over the territorial business. Especially since you’re so evolved and ready to be so emotionally intelligent or whatever.”
“I’m not being territorial,” said Decker. “Look, Essence and I are friends, that is all. We couldn’t be together. We’re not compatible in any way.”
That hurt for some reason, even though she’d said it out loud, too. Essence drank beer to hide the fact she felt that way.
“Anyway, why are you saying that about this town?”
“Just because it’s small,” said Niles. “Small pool of partners, you know what I mean?”
Decker blinked.
“I don’t sleep around!” exclaimed Essence.
“You know what, even if you do, it’s not fair to assume that’s got something to do with your character,” said Decker. “It can be unethical to sleep with a bunch of people, but it doesn’t have to be, not if you’re open and honest and you’re careful not to lead people on.”
