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“What?” I asked, taken aback by the sudden question

“Your parents Did you have a strict upbringing?”

“Yeah,” I said “It’s kind of a sore subject”

“I didn’t ht,” he said

“What were you like, growing up?” I asked

“I was a curious kid,” he said “I liked to find out how things work Wasn’t great at putting theh One tiet it back together He was not happy”

“You took apart his cellphone?!” I gasped

“Landline They were still a thing in the 90s,” he said He looked at uess, at that e is just a nuht?

“I was innovative I used to buy candy in bulk and sell it at school,” he said “The school had banned candy fro machines”

“They used to sell candy in them? In school?” I asked, shocked

“Oh, yeah,” he said “Anything you want But, you know, kids have so little self-control They’d burn through the candy pretty quick Now, it’s all healthy options”

“But that’s a good thing,” I pointed out “Kids should eat healthy”

“True”

My phone buzzed It was Shawn He had been textingto knohere I was I kept listening to Julius, but I became distracted by my phone I discreetly tried to text back, “I broke up with you, you drunk!”

“What are you doing?” he asked, a little sternly

“Oh, it’s nothing Just a text I should—”

“It’s a little rude to be texting at dinner, isn’t it?” he said, rather sternly

“I guess”

“You guess, or you know?”

“I know It is rude My apologies If I could just finish the—”