Page 32 of Single Player

“Okay. So do you really want to get drunk, or just a little buzzed? Because I can get you drunk, but you’re going to regret it tomorrow.” He walked over to the cabinet, pulled down his shaker, and started gathering the liquors he’d need.

Silas leaned against the counter next to Matthew. “I want to feel like everything’s going to be all right. Drunk but not blackout drunk.”

“One Irish Trash Can, coming right up.” Matthew remembered making these at DiceCon last year. Funny, how a year had passed so quickly. Next week, he’d be there again. “Don’t pound it though, okay? Go slow. It’s got Red Bull in it. The caffeine makes the alcohol absorb faster.”

“Whatever. I don’t even care.” Silas watched as Matthew mixed the liquors together and began to shake. Matthew knew he looked good when tending bar; his arm muscles were finely honed, and an athletically shaken shaker always brought the eyes on him. Generally female eyes, unfortunately, but now and then he’d get the kind of look from a guy that Silas was giving him now. “You do that very well,” Silas observed as Matthew poured the drink over ice, a terrifying blue liquid that turned green once topped off with Red Bull. “What’s in this?” He took the tall glass and sniffed it.

Matthew gestured to the array of open liquors out in front of him. “All of these. You just saw me make it.”

“It looks unhealthy.” Silas took a sip and made a face. “It’s strong.”

“Drink it slowly,” Matthew repeated. He poured himself a simple 7 and 7, and then walked back over to the couch. Zuul was stretched out there, her back legs straight out behind her, and he scooped her up onto his lap once he sat down. She blinked her kitten eyes up at him and then began kneading his leg, her tiny needle claws piercing the fabric of his jeans.

“She’s out of the crate now?” Silas sat down next to Matthew and reached out to pet the cat, his hand temptingly close to Matthew’s groin.

“Yeah, I’ve been letting her out when I’m home. She seems okay with it.” Matthew petted Zuul as well, his hand brushing Silas’s. Maybe he could provide another comfort to Silas after all.

But Silas either didn’t take notice of Matthew’s overture or didn’t care, because he abruptly stood, severing their contact, and went to take his laptop out of his bag. “That reminds me. While I was home today, I designed a few new things for her.” He sat back down next to Matthew and opened several files. “Here. This is a litter box with a truncated side to make her entrance and exit easier, plus dimensions that will accommodate her turning around in the cat wheelchair. And I also created a couple of different ramps for your furniture. I know they’re just ramps, and you can buy them, but I designed them with textured surfaces for her claw health, too.”

Matthew flipped between the files. “You did all this today?”

“I had time.” Silas took the laptop back and set it aside. “Did you talk to your coworker about using his workshop for construction? Some of this would be better 3-D printed, but I don’t think that’s an option for us.”

Matthew nodded. “Yeah, Caleb is happy to help. He rents an air-conditioned storage locker and does his welding in there. Does Friday afternoon work for you?”

“Sure. I have nothing else to do.” Silas sighed mightily, the sigh of the world-weary. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Matthew. I don’t know who I am if I’m not working.” He drank, taking a much larger swallow than Matthew would have advised, followed by another.

“Easy, man. The liquor cabinet’s not going anywhere and we’ve got all night.” Matthew held out a hand to steady Silas’s arm.

Silas looked down into the drink. “The later sips are better than the first.”

“Yeah, alcohol tends to be like that.” Matthew grinned. “Still, if you drink this fast, it’ll hit you hard and all at once, and you’ll end up facedown on my floor. I don’t want to be picking you up and dragging you up onto the sofa. You’re not a small guy.”

“Nope.” Silas drank more. “Of course, if I remember correctly, neither are you.” He winked.

Matthew chuckled. He couldn’t figure Silas out. “You change moods fast. Are you making a sex joke?”

“I’m a mess, Matthew. I’m making whatever jokes I can think of.” Silas sobered almost immediately, and Matthew regretted having called attention to his change of mood. “I’m going to have to get a part-time job or something.”

“Why? Aren’t they going to pay you?” Matthew shifted slightly, but Zuul dug her claws into his leg to keep him from moving. “Ow. Chill, Zuul.” He refocused on Silas. “I thought if it was forced leave like this, but not because of any misconduct, they had to pay you.”

“They’re going to pay me, but what am I supposed to do with my time?” Silas spread his hands. “I can only read so many books.”

Matthew rubbed his chin. “You could volunteer somewhere. There’s probably an animal shelter or something nearby.”

Silas made a face. “Present company excepted, I’m not a big fan of animals.”

Matthew fake-gasped and covered Zuul’s ears with his hands. “Don’t listen, sweetheart. The big mean man is lying.”

That got a smile out of Silas. “I’m serious. You know how long my life as a cat owner lasted.”

“I remember. I’ll tell you, if I’d lived nearby, you could’ve played with all my pets. I dragged home every stray in the neighborhood.” Matthew took to rubbing Zuul’s ears, and she started to purr.

“Kind of like you’re doing now, with me.” Silas’s smile looked wistful. He reached a hand over to pet Zuul, and she batted lightly at his fingers before letting him scratch her.

Matthew shook his head. “Nah, man, you’re not a stray.” His hand brushed Silas’s, and he wrapped his fingers around the other man’s palm and lightly squeezed. Zuul, deciding she’d had enough, crawled out from under their hands and toward the edge of the couch. Matthew lifted her up and set her down on the ground, where she dragged herself off to the crate.

Silas watched her move across the floor. “She has an interesting walk.”