“Hey, sorry, man. It’s just banter.”
I sighed. “I know. It’s fine.”
“But if it weren’t,” Phil said, “that would be okay, too.”
I turned my glare back to him. “She’s lovely. But I’m not interested.”
“Or you won’t let yourself be interested,” he said. “In her, or in anyone for that matter.”
“I’m not having this conversation,” I said, finally putting another piece of toast onto my plate and walking away. I had to walk behind Morgan to get to my seat, and I saw that she had a video pulled up on her phone of someone in a very historically inaccurate suit of armour.
“Whatcha looking at?”
She looked up at me and then shrugged. “Just some cosplay stuff.”
“Ooh, I love cosplay,” Chloe said from the other end of the table. “I do a killer gender-bent Milo Thatch.”
“Oh, I don’t do it,” Morgan said. “Or at least I never have. This is someone at a Ren Faire.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to one of those,” Grey said. “They look so cool.”
“Well,” Morgan said, “I was actually supposed to go this autumn, but my friend bailed.”
“Aur naur!” Chloe shouted in a parody of Fatima’s bad Australian accent. “Cara?”
Morgan nodded. “It’s okay though, we hadn’t booked anything.”
I could see in her face that it wasn’t okay; she was actually disappointed. And maybe after what she’d said at the riverside, I wanted to push her a bit. But I was still willing myself to shut up even as I started speaking.
“We can go with you,” I said. “I know Chloe’s always looking for the chance to throw on a corset.”
“Are you airing all my kinks, Evans?” Chloe asked, but she looked genuinely thrilled by the idea.
“Oh no, that’s okay,” Morgan said, waving her hands in front of her. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, sorry, I was kidding,” I said, instantly backpedalling. Because I didn’t actually want to go to this thing, did I? It was certainly an escalation from agreeing to take her hiking.
But Morgan glared at me. “Well, hold on now,” she said, clearly determined to catch me out. “Maybe I do want some travel buddies.”
“Really?!” Chloe squealed.
“Really.” She was calling my damn bluff. I glowered at her, but she just smiled wider. “Let’s go to the Ren Faire.”
“Wait, we’re going to a Ren Faire?” Fatima asked.
“I’m so in!” Grey added.
“Fuck it,” Phil said, sauntering over from the kitchen, “I’m in, too.”
Chloe smacked my arm, as if waiting for me to agree. I sighed and nodded. “Fine. Let’s do it.”
I could tell from the way Morgan lifted her chin that I’d live to regret this. And to add salt to the wound, Phil had a smug look on his face, too.
“Great,” Morgan said, settling back against the cushion. “Let’s fucking do it.”
“I can make costumes?” Phil offered, and everyone gasped in excitement.
“But won’t that take you forever?” I asked. “And, you know, cost a fortune?”
