Choose Your Own Adventure (Yaoi style!)

I glared up at Cole. “Laugh it up, fuzzball.”

He just snorted in amusement—until the sofa cushion collided with his face. “Hah!” I yelped in triumph. But he shook his head and just tossed the cushion back. Sometimes he was way too even tempered. But he dropped back down on the couch and snuggled for a bit longer, so I forgave him.

Unfortunately, he had errands to run and didn’t stay much longer. I proceeded to brood the rest of the day until going out with Trace later on in the evening. Yeah, it was sad that we went out to bars on the few nights we didn’t have to work in one, but well, there you have it.

“What’d you do today?” I asked her as we settled in a booth with our beers.

She shrugged. “Slept in. Fucked around in the studio. Same ol’, same ‘ol.”

“Why do you always say it like that? Your art is amazing. You should be proud you still find time to do it with the schedule we keep.” She glared and sipped her bottle. We’d had this argument before. I didn’t have any creative talent, so it irked me when I constantly heard her downplay hers.

“Anyway,” she said evasively, “what did you do?” I pretended I didn’t hear her as the live band began to play. I loved live music, but it made it almost impossible to talk. Which was fine with me at the moment.

“Huh?” I said absently.

“You heard my lumpnut.” I snorted. That was a new one.

“Cole stopped by and then my Mother found us snuggling.”

She turned wide eyes to me, barely holding back a laugh. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope!” I chuckled. What was it people said? Time plus pain equaled humor? A parental visit wasn’t a huge pain, so I guess a day was long enough that I could laugh about it.

She opened her mouth, then caught sight of someone going through the crowd towards the band in the back. “I don’t believe it.”

“Don’t believe wha-?”

“Fern!”

No way. “Eric.” There he was, larger than life. Literally- the guy took up a lot of space. I saw people scowling as they had to crowd around him to get closer to the music.

“Fancy meetin’ you here,” he chuckled. I had to smile. What a goofball.

One of his thug friends tapped his shoulder and Eric waved him to go on, much to the guy’s obvious displeasure. The meathead sent me a glare before departing. Good riddin’s. I focused back on Eric.

“Can you step outside?” he asked.

I glanced at Trace. She shrugged and nodded toward the door. “I’m fine.” I read her lips more than heard her as the band soared into a new, loud riff. I gave Eric a nod and followed him out.

The moment the door shut behind us, the noise was muffled and we were left alone. Relatively. There were always a few smokers milling out front. Actually, there were less than usual, and they seemed to be preoccupied with looking down the nearby alleyway. Huh.

-If Ferd should check out what's happening in the alley, go to chapter 8A

-If Ferd should keep talking to Eric, go to chapter 8B