“No,” Carver replies instantly. “And I’d fuck like, anyone, right? If they’re into it, I’m into it. Whatever. But a virgin? Nah. Too clingy. Too much like…fanfare around the whole thing. You know?”
“Yeah,” Princess says. “Totally. I mean…I agree…”
But her hands are shaking as she crumbles the slip of paper.
Oh, hell no. I can’t help myself. I butt in. “Hey, Carver,” I snap. “Maybe slow down before you speak, yeah?”
“What?” he says. He looks at me, then Princess, and then at me again. Still confused. “What’d I do?”
Ugh. Men. All of them…idiots.
The bell rings. My partner—a blue-haired human across from me—clears their throat.
“Here,” they say. They hand over a blackNoheart. They offer it with a smile. “It’s not personal. You just don’t really seem into this.”
Now, it’s my turn to look ashamed. Shit. They’re right. I’m not into this, and it’s showing.
As everyone switches seats, the paper slip falls off of Princess’s table and rolls against my foot. I bend down to pick it up.
The slip reads:What’s one of your hard limits?
So,nota question about virgins.
I glance at Princess. She’s got her head down, and she’s shuffling her paper hearts in her lap, trying to busy her hands.
My heart hurts.Oh, Princess…
I don’t get to linger on the feeling, though. Because just then, someone else sits at my table.
No, notsomeone. Trinity.
She has the smile of a beauty pageant contestant. Practiced. Researched. Measured. “Hello,” she says as she sits down.
“Hi.”
Before we can get any further, the bell rings.
“Let’s take ten,” Phantom says. “Eat. Drink. Be merry.”
His gaze flashes to me. The look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know. This “break” isn’t an accident. He saw me and Trinity together and he panicked.
What the hell is he hiding?
“To be continued,” Trinity says good-naturedly.
Everyone gets up out of their seats and mingles around. Trinity leaves her spot, leaving me in limbo. I watch as Phantom steps down, rubbing his hand over the scruff on his jaw. He looks tired.
I go to him, but Dorian and Dove pop up beside us. “Hey! Phantom!” Phantom cuts him a look, so he corrects: “Sir. Who’s winning?”
“Excuse me?”
“The matchmaking game. Who has the mostyeses? Curious minds need to know.”
Phantom frowns. “There is nowinner. This is about clear and direct communication. You’re not collecting submissives like baseball cards.”
“Okay, but I know you’ve been counting.”
“Again, there are no winners. But the person with the mostyeses so far is Dove.”
