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“I think you’re overesti how interested people are in your life Most people are too busy with their own lives You’re not that fascinating”
“Julie asked you about it, didn’t she?”
“She works with us every day She’s o anywhere together? I don’t want to just sit in front of the TV every night I’h for that yet I’ll feel like a prisoner”
He was pouting like a boy That tactic had almost alorked in the past, but Paul had started to build up defenses to Ian’s face
“Maybe you should call a friend and go out soether practically twenty-four hours a day It ood idea for you to spend time with other friends”
It was such a logical and perfect suggestion that Paul made it out of pure momentum He wanted so much to put an end to the current discussion that he didn’t really think things through Th
e last thing Paul wanted was for Ian to start going out with a bunch of fun, attractive young people As soon as he said it, he hoped Ian would reject the idea
“Maybe I will,” he said
When they got hoh na in the drawer for pizzanot to watch Ian would scroll down to a nao back to scrolling His list of nu Whose nu about theer, , and sexier lover Any one of theht word or suggestion That direction one ahead and taken Ian to the restaurant in the first place
Finally, Ian stopped scrolling He squinted at the phone’s screen for a er He finally pushed the send button, flipped his hair back, and put the phone to his ear He tapped his left fingers on his knee as he waited for an answer
“Hi, Ray?” he said “It’s Ian” Only “Ian” No last name “Yeah, I kno are you?” Then Ian jumped to his feet and went into the bedroom
Why was he taking the call in another room? Paul told himself it was none of his business what Ian and this Ray were talking about It was natural to want privacy, wasn’t it? It didn’t
He called and ordered the pizza When he had finished, Ian was still on the phone He heard laughter cohing about? Paul was consuhter was about hi about Paul only a few feet away?) He drifted to the bedrooh to hear Ian’s half of the conversation and just far enough to maintain plausible deniability if Ian suddenly walked out He held the pizza menu up to his face and looked in its direction without focus He was asha, but he could not help himself
“Really? How is she? … You’re kidding, twins?! … No, I haven’t talked to hies … Are you still in touch with Brad?”
Paul was relieved and disappointed: relieved that he had not heard anything incri but disappointed because he felt certain that he had simply missed the important part of the conversation—the part where Ian confessed that he wasfun with his friends