Page 2 of Dickathlon

I restrained myself from throwing my phone at her. “That’s what you told me to start with!”

“Does he even have your number? Maybe introduce yourself.”

Tyler: It’s Ty.

Tyler: Tyler.

Tyler: Tyler Hale.

“What about now?”

“Fuck, dude, this is bad.” I held out my phone for her to take as I pounded my head on the table. Her laughter said it all.

“Oh my sweet bi Ty. Wait. Are you bi or are you gay?”

I paused my head pounding, but didn’t pick my head up to answer. “Likely bi, though Luke says it’s a sliding scale.” I lifted my head up to say, “I’m apparently in the middle somewhere.”

“Mmm, I can see that.”

“You can?”

“I don’t know. You’ve got super chill parents. You have four brothers and all of them are straight. Statistically, one of the five of you wasn’t. Now we know. It’s you.”

“Back to more pressing matters”—I gestured to the phone—“can you save my dignity with Declan?”

I waited patiently while she typed a message, then handed it back to me.

Tyler: How have things been since Brisbane? Are you back in California?

“How’d you know he’s in California?”

“This thing called Google, Ty.”

Duh.

Our food came and while I started my salad, I asked, “So, what do I do if he texts?”

“Hmm, maybe have a conversation? What have you done with girls all these years?”

“I guess they kind of talked most of the time.”

“Of course you’d say that, you pig.”

“Oink oink.”

“You’re ridiculous and still fidgeting with your phone. Put it down!” She slapped my hand. “You’re gonna accidentally send him a dick pic or something.”

I placed my phone gently next to my napkin and shrugged. “Maybe he’d like it?”

“I’d wait until at least the third date for that.”

“Don’t get me excited. We don’t even know where he is.”

“His Insta says he was in Long Beach three days ago,” Quinn replied quickly.

“Road trip?”

“Reality check, Ty. That’s what a stalker would do.”