“Chase likes cooking,” Jay said.
Hugh grunted and turned to the stove.
“Would you like a drink? A glass of red or beer?” Kirby asked me.
“Beer. Lager if you have it. Thank you.”
“Coming right up.”
“So, this part of the house is Kirby and Hugh’s apartment,” Jay explained. “Monty and I have a separate entrance on the other side.”
Looking around the space, I felt a chill run up my spine. I’d never thought of Jay’s circumstances. Since he was a nurse, I’d just assumed he’d be…normal. Like me. I had enough moneyto keep a roof over my head and food on my table, plus some meager savings—nothing to brag about, but I did okay.
This place, though, wassoover-the-top. Was this Hugh’s and Kirby’s porn money? Or was Jay rich? That would be so weird.
“Where’s Monty?” I was glad to find a question that had nothing to do with either porn or property.
Hugh flashed me an almost threatening look that I deemed best to ignore. Kirby handed me an open beer bottle, and I thanked him before taking a gulp.
“Monty’s with his uncles for the weekend,” Jay replied. “Richard and Carter live in Ellis Beach.”
“You have another brother?” Hopefully, I hadn’t seen that one’s dick on my laptop screen.
“We’re not actually related. They’re our friends. I think I told you about them. They have a golden retriever and a house on the beach, so they’re currently very high on Monty’s list of favorite uncles.”
I chuckled. “Noodle. I remember.”
“The weirdest dog name ever,” Jay confirmed, grinning. He grabbed a knife and began chopping a bouquet of parsley.
“How did they come up with it?” I asked.
“I think it was Richard’s ex who named the dog.”
“Leonard.” Kirby wrinkled his nose. This Leonard person obviously wasn’t a favorite.
“I actually wondered about that,” Jay said. “I’ve never met the man, but I’ve heard a lot about him, and it sounds very out of character for him to name a dog Noodle. Maybe he does have some redeeming qualities you aren’t aware of.”
Hugh lifted his head from the pot he’d been stirring with unnecessary focus and gave Jay an incredulous look. “Because he gave his dog a weird name?”
“Yeah. It’s too quirky for a shallow sponger.”
“He wasn’t a sponger.” Kirby made a face as if it pained him to admit this. “He had his own money when he started dating Richard. Didn’t make him less of a harpy, though. And why are we talking about Leonard Chase?”
“It’s a good word,” Hugh said. “Sponger.” He glanced at me as he said it, and I blinked.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
What?
Did Hugh believe that I was dating Jay for financial gain?
The suggestion seemed so absurd; I didn’t know how to react. Hugh went back to his stirring.
I looked at Kirby, who was glaring at Hugh, and then at Jay, who seemed just as taken aback as me.
“What are you after?” Hugh asked without looking up from the pot.
“What the fuck, Urban?” Kirby exclaimed.
