Page 81 of The Only Seconds that Matter
“Can I come in?”
“If you—” Johnny cut him off by sliding past him into the hotel room.“Sure, why not,” Victor muttered before closing the door behind him.Johnny sank down onto the corner of Victor’s bed, running a hand through his greasy strawberry-blond hair before rubbing both palms on his thighs.
“What’s up?”Victor asked, crossing his arms over his chest a respectable distance away.
“Feel like drinkin’,” Johnny mumbled.
“You were drunk this morning.”
“Yeah.”It looked like he wanted to say something else but hesitated briefly.“Who was that person—guy—from last night?”
“What guy?”When Victor saw Johnny’s dead-eyed expression, he continued, “Oh, right, that guy.Just a date.Nothing serious.”
“What do you mean,nothing serious?”
“Well, he lives in Fort Worth and I live in Oklahoma, so—”
“How long have you known him?”
“Less than a week.Why, are you jealous?”
“No.Just wonderin’.Seemed kinda…” Johnny rolled his tongue against his cheek for a moment.
“Kinda what?”
“Oh, you know.”
Victor raised an eyebrow.
Johnny lifted a hand and let it go limp at the wrist.
“What’s wrong with that?”Victor asked.
“Nothin’.Just didn’t think you were into that sort.I thought he was a girl.Looked like one, too.”
“You have no clue what I’m into.”
“You were into me.”
“And how did that go?God, Johnny, I just wanted one night of uncomplicated fun.Don’t read more into it than there is.”
“You have sex?”
“That’s none of your business.Should I remind you that you were seeing and sleeping with Daisy for two months and you didn’t say athingto me?”
“We only slept with each other, like…” Johnny had to take a moment to think about it, “twice, and she talked me into it both times.I have a hard time sayin’ no to her.It wasn’t my idea.”
Victor had to laugh a little, even if it came from a place of helplessness.“Right, you just tripped and fell into her vagina.”
“It beats drinkin’.”
“Why are you here?”Victor had to ask, because this conversation was going nowhere.
“I told ya, I felt like drinkin’ so—”
“Seems like it’s partially you wanting to ask me about my date from last night, which you have no right to know about.So if all you want is information on who I fuck in my free time, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“All I’m wonderin’ is why you can run around with this stranger but when I suggested we casually mess around, you acted like I slapped you across the face.”
