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“Marnin? A softie? Tomás’s voice was full of disbelief.
“Yup, no kidding. I can’t wait until he meets the right person who sees right through him and calls him out on his BS.”
Tomás snorted. “That’ll be the day. That would have to be one hell of a special person.”
“You never know when love can hit.”
He was quiet for a while. “Yeah, Tiago and Cas are the perfect example of that.” He inhaled sharply. “But let’s not go down that road again. I’m grateful you reached out…and I’m happy we’re friends now. I think we never connected because we had different interests.”
“And that has changed now?” I couldn’t help but ask. Tiago’s statement that Tomás and I weren’t that different where it mattered played through my head again.
“I think so? We never seem to have problems finding something to talk about. That’s always a good sign, no?”
“It is, and you’re right. You’re easy to talk to.”
“I think it’s more the other way around, but whatever. My point is that our conversations feel natural and effortless to me. I like talking to you.”
My treacherous heart skipped a beat. “Same here.”
“Aren’t you at work right now?”
“Lunch break. So if you could talk for a bit so I can eat my sandwich, that’d be good ‘cause my next patient will be here in ten minutes.”
He laughed. “That’s a lot of pressure. What do you want me to talk about?”
“Tell me about London. What do you like about that city?”
“It’s classy,” Tomás said, and I took a bite of my sandwich. “It’s a royal city, and it feels like it. I love the iconic buildings like Westminster Abbey and the Tower Bridge, even Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. They’re cliché and touristy, maybe, but they’re gorgeous and ooze history. And the shopping here is amazing. You have all the expensive shops on High Street and Kensington Street, of course, but what I love are all the small boutiques with stuff from up-and-coming designers. I’ve found some great things.”
I swallowed my food. “How do store owners react when you walk in? Do they recognize you?”
“Outside, I wear sunglasses to conceal my identity a little, though that’s not always an option here because of the rain. Wearing them when the weather is crappy draws more attention, I’ve discovered. And I often put on a baseball cap or a hat. But inside a store, people have the time to study me, and then they recognize me. Well, they know I’m one of the Banner twins. They don’t usually know which one.”
I snorted. “That always amazes me. I mean, you two look alike, but you’re not identical twins, and the differences are easy to spot. I’d never mistake you for Tiago, not even your voice.”
He laughed. “You know us, Fir. You’ve known us since we were toddlers, playing together in the town’s little playing area. Big difference.”
“I suppose,” I said with my mouth full. “But I still think it’s stupid.”
“I’ve grown used to it by now. But I will say that store owners are always over the moon when I buy something, and if they ask, I’ll pose for a picture. I rarely say no to those.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“Eh, I consider it normal. It’s part of my job, in a way. Plus, being kind doesn’t cost much.”
“It costs time and energy. There must be moments when you’re not in the mood to talk to people.”
“Sure, but then I either stay inside or make sure I’m unrecognizable.”
“How?”
“I dye my hair. Simple as that?”
“What? But that’s… Your hair is gorgeous.”
He laughed. “It’s also very recognizable. We’ve found that if we use dye that washes out in a day or three, it’s the perfect solution. I dye my hair brown, and no one knows who I am.”
“I wonder if I would recognize you. I have to believe I would, but I might do a double take.”
