gotta watch you walk in the room baby, gotta watch you walk out

Chapter Three

"...so, then he said, 'only if you were on fire, darling' and...Can? Are you even listening to me?" Money pouted and put her hands on her hips, glare fierce upon him.

"What? Oh, right, sorry, Mon," Can said, tying the apron around his waist and smiling up at her, giving her his best puppy eyes usually guaranteed to soften her up. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've got a bit of a headache."

Money snorted and her frown faded as she ruffled his hair affectionately. "I'm not surprised. Every time I saw you last night you had a different coloured cocktail." Her eyes landed on his neck and his failed attempt to cover the red mark there. "Get lucky, did you?"

Can felt himself turn red. He'd woken up that morning tucked under a blanket on the sofa with no recollection of how he'd got there. He'd not actually been that drunk, but he had been exhausted from weeks of work and college with barely a break. ChaAim had helpfully informed him that she and Bow had left him under Tin's charge after the three of them had had a lift back from the party in his BMW. He'd gone to shower and seen the mark on his neck in the mirror and had a full five minutes of panic. What the hell had happened with Tin, and moreover, why couldn't he remember?

The truth had been far preferable. "No 'luck' for me," he said with a bright smile. "Pond thought it would be hilarious to give me a hickey while I was asleep." When he'd come out of his room, he'd found all his flatmates, except for Good, lined up on the sofa all trying to look innocent and failing the moment they'd seen his face. Can had seen the funny side once the relief had set in that he hadn't made out with that asshole. That would be something he'd want to remember.

Wait. What?

Not that said asshole would lower himself to a such Can's level anyway. He would never be on the radar of a guy like Tin. Can didn't know much about the guy but he'd heard his friends say Tin was mega rich, which was obvious from how he acted and, if rumours were to be believed, a cold-hearted playboy. Can could well believe that.

Money sighed, putting her hands on Can's shoulder to spin him round so she could tie his apron properly. "Can, you're my favourite nong and seriously cute, you know, that right? You get at least three phone numbers a week when you're working here but you never call any of them, and Zo, you know she quit?"

Can turned around to look at his boss, shocked. "She— Why?"

Money shrugged, "She confessed, and you said no. I think she's embarrassed."

Can groaned and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. "Why did she have to do that? I never gave her any reason to think I liked her as more than even a colleague." He hadn't, had he? He didn't think so. She was a pretty girl, funny and sweet, and Can liked her. That was as far as it went. "I like her, but I don't like like her."

"Have you ever liked anyone?" Money's eyes gleamed as she added, "Can, are you a virgin?"

Can felt himself flush again. "No," he answered, because he far from that. He checked behind him to make sure no other staff members were circling. Everyone else was in the kitchen prepping for the day and the other servers who were on that day all started just before noon. Can was starting an hour earlier to cover the casual coffee and cake drop-ins who liked to sit out in the courtyard. "I had a girlfriend for a year and a half."

Money eyed him suspiciously, chewing her lip. "Girlfriend? I thought—" She shook her head, tutting. "No boys?"

"I like both." He just liked guys, like, seventy percent and girls thirty.

"What happened with the girlfriend?"

"Nothing really, we just sort of fizzled out. We are still pretty good friends." If he was honest his heart had never been at risk there, they'd been more like best friends. "I'm okay as I am and I'm too busy for a relationship."