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“She just… she lets people walk all over her,” said Tommy, shifting on his hooves. “She gives and she gives and she—”
“Are you fucking serious?” Niles was starting to get angry now.
“I don’t want to see someone take advantage—”
“I’mtaking advantage of her?” Niles barked out a disbelieving laugh. “Okay, sure.”
Tommy stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Niles snorted, studying the floor. “I think you know what it means.”
“You don’t know anything about Dahlia and me,” said Tommy quietly. “And you don’t even know abouther.”
“What? Is this something about the phoenix wings or—”
“She’s not a phoenix,” said Tommy. “She’s a—”
“Tommy,” broke in a voice. Dahlia’s voice.
Niles looked up to see her coming through the swinging door.
“What’s this?” said Dahlia, blinking at them both.
Tommy flinched. “Hey, uh, I was just coming by to see if you wanted to grab a drink with me at the Meck, that’s all.”
“But you’re talking to Niles about me instead?” Dahlia folded her arms over her chest. “What were you telling him?”
“Nothing. Briars, I don’t even…” Tommy scratched the side of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “I wasn’t going to tell him about… you.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding, voice tight.
“I wouldn’t betray your confidence like that, I swear.” His eyes were bright, as if they were full of unshed tears. He cleared his throat. “I’m going to go, actually. I don’t know what I’m doing here.” He turned and tried to open the door, but it was locked. He swore. Unlocked it. Threw it open, the bells on the door jingling, and then he hurled himself onto the street.
Niles just watched him go.
Dahlia went over and locked the door. She rounded on him. “Phoenix, huh?”
“I’m sorry,” said Niles. “You don’t want to talk about it. It’s none of my business.”
“It’s not,” she said. “I mean, I might tell you someday, okay, but… this is, like, our second date.”
“Right,” he said. “Our second very secret date, except that you told your boyfriend about us, and he’s jealous, so—”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure he’s gotten the memo.”
She groaned.
Niles rubbed his forehead. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t know how to do this, okay?”
“Okay,” she said. She sighed. “I think I need to go after him.”
“Oh,” said Niles, laughing to himself. “Okay. So, this isn’t our second date, after all. This is you telling me that our date isn’t happening because he’s sulking and you’re going to go make him feel better.”
“You’re being kind of a dick, you know that?” She glared at him.
“Oh, it’s me? Of the two of us, it’s me that’s the dick?”
