Did your bot just set me up?
It would be up to Troy to take it from there.
Raina: Note to self: KILL Rowan the next time I see him for me being out for a drink with an engineering nerd right now!
Riley: Aren’t you also an engineering nerd?
The middle finger emoji that followed was expected.
Ruben: What?! First RoRo has a new beau and now RaiRai?
Raina: Shove it! And don’t call me RaiRai! I only have time to yell at you because he is up at the bar paying for our drinks, so at least there’s that.
Riley: Wait, wait, wait. Who is Rowan seeing? And since when?
Ruben: Some blond twink with a handshake like a vise grip. Respect btw. Or do you need us to call the paramedics for ya, bro?
Rowan: I am literally just walking through the door at home! Can I at least eat dinner before being berated and interrogated? And Raina, I’d say give Troy a chance, but you apparently decided that for yourself. You’re welcome!
Raina: More like your TWINK is welcome, right? Since he’s the one who got me cornered?
Still standing in the entryway to his apartment after Milo had gone ahead of him, Rowan did his best to tamp down his panic that Raina might let the truth slip.
Riley: You’ve met this guy too? Not that I’m surprised by the descriptor. We’ve all seen his bot.
Ruben: I’ve never seen his bot. What does it look like?
Riley: Like a blond twink, obviously.
Ruben: Bro’s got a type now? Less respect. Diversity FTW!
Raina: Diversity does not mean trying one of everything, Ruben!
Ruben: It does when you do it right.
Rowan wasn’t sure what the gif Ruben sent next was supposed to be, but it appeared to be CG vegetables piling into a salad bowl and rolling around on each other.
Oh. Orgy. Sure.
“Rowan?”
“Huh?” Rowan snapped his head up from his phone. Milo had returned and was standing in front of him with that adorable puppy-like head-tilt. Rowan shoved his phone away. “Sorry. It’s just that… well. You read all of it, didn’t you?”
“It’s difficult not to.” Milo shrugged. “But I don’t mind! Raina is not divulging the truth about me.” His eyes went a little blank, signaling he was continuing to read the exchange. “Ruben is asking for more details, and Raina is explaining how I helped set her up on her date. But it did work!” His attention snapped back to Rowan. “I am glad she did not turn Troy down. I thought asking her out for a drink was a good, simple ice breaker.”
“I’m kind of surprised she agreed, but well done.” Rowan moved forward finally, herding Milo into the apartment. “Just ignore whatever nonsense they talk about next, okay?”
“They are just worried about you. About me. I know Raina is too. You were not particularly covert with your whispering at her workstation.”
Rowan cringed. They had reached the kitchen doorway but hovered in the hallway outside of it. “Sorry,” he said again.
“It’s okay, but, um… areyouworried?” Milo batted his impossibly long lashes at Rowan which, since they were black and not platinum, made his silver eyes seem even more vibrant.
It had only been a few days, and already being around Milo was settling into something so domestic and normal. Even if they hadn’t yet called themselves a couple or dating or anything really, they were acting like those things. Which could be bad. Disastrous. Even best case, difficult. Yet, despite all that, could it be a normal relationship, or was Rowan only fooling himself because he had wanted for so long for Milo to be like this, not just alive, but someone who could actually lo—
The sudden pain of something striking Rowan’s ankle made him hiss.
“Spot!” Milo exclaimed. He immediately bent to shift the Roomba’s trajectory and released her toward the living room.
