"Patrick's new girl?" he asks.
Luna clears her throat.
Oliver just laughs. "She hates when I do that." He turns to me. "It's nice to meet you, Imogen."
"I am seeing Patrick."
"My condolences," he says.
"He's not so bad," I say.
Oliver makes thatmaybemotion.
"He's just grumpy because Patrick flirts with me," Luna says. "Or he did, a lot, before you two were serious."
"We're not really serious." I think.
"Using him for his body, huh?" Oliver asks.
"Basically," I say.
"Smart move." Oliver looks to Luna. "That's why she's here."
"No. It's really tragic, but I love the grumpy asshole," Luna says.
"Grumpy? Am I a Muppet?" He pulls her onto the couch, into his lap, in one swift moment.
"Mm-hmm." She wraps her arms around him. "Coffee monster."
"Pussy monster."
"Ollie!"
"You deny it?"
"Well…"
He presses his lips to hers. "I missed you."
"I missed you more," she says.
"Damn. They've been like this all night." The other guy shakes his head and stands. "Dare."
He looks familiar. About the same height and build. Dark features. SimilarI'm ridiculousattitude.
"Darren," Oliver corrects. "He thinks he sounds tough going by Dare."
"Aren't you making out?" Darren, uh, Dare asks.
Oliver nodsgood pointand does, in fact, return to making out.
Dare shakes his headyou're ridiculous. He looks to the sliding glass door behind me, checking for something. For Patrick, I guess. "It was your boy who earned me the name. He's Tricky. I'm Dare. You know, 'cause he has to trick girls into kissing him. And I have to dare them into it. I guess it doesn't sound clever now. But when we were thirteen…"
"You've known each other that long?" I ask.
He nods. "Friends since middle school."
Really? Patrick doesn't mention Dare often, but then what do I know about old friends?