fucking genius scientist is proud of my ability to cut and sew clean lines.”
Archer’s jaw tightened. “Don’t. I’m not a genius, and I have envied you for most of my life. Jesus, I think every single day of high school I wondered why someone as amazing as you would want to know me. You just…you always looked at everything like it existed to conform to your desires. Everything was inspiration to you, and I wanted to know what that was like so badly.”
Shen blinked at him, then threw his head back and laughed. “We’re ridiculous.”
After a second, the laughter became catching, and Archer nestled a little closer, letting their feet tangle together against the table. “I’m glad you came over. I missed you. I mean, I had friends there, but it wasn’t like this.”
“I know.” Shen linked their hands together and it felt like everything he’d been missing clicked back into place. Shen was never someone he could fall for, but he didn’t need to. What they had was enough. “I think your phone’s ringing.”
Archer lifted his head and saw his screen lit up with a text. It was an unknown number, which was odd because his brother had been very particular about his set-up and who was able to get messages in. He grabbed it and swiped open the screen, ignoring the way Shen hooked his chin over his shoulder to read.
Unknown: Hi, I got this from a friend who is a former client of yours. He told me about your ad regarding services, and I was wondering if you’d be available for a friend of mine.
Archer glanced at Shen in his periphery. “Uh, clearly it’s the wrong number. What do I do?”
Shen snatched the phone away and ignored Archer’s protests as he typed.
Archer: What services were you looking for?
Unknown: Uh, the usual? I mean, no sexual intimacy, but a date. It’s complicated though, it’s a multi-day situation, but my friend said that you accompanied him on a weekend trip.
Shen sucked in his breath. “Oh my god, I think this is for…I think he thinks you’re a hooker. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Archer elbowed him. “Very funny. It’s obviously the wrong number.”
“Is it, though?”
Archer grabbed the phone back and tried to hold it away from him. “My brother is the fucking Governor, of course it’s the wrong number.”
“And yet you don’t seem scandalized,” Shen pointed out.
“I just spent six years in Paris,” he answered with a sniff. “This is tame compared to half the billboard ads.” He grabbed his beer and finished it off as Shen cracked open two more. He was definitely drunk now, his limbs soft, and he flopped back against the cushions, and his words came out with a faint slur. “I never got needy enough to call, but I was tempted once or twice. The guys on the ads were so hot.”
Shen laughed and shook his head. “Deviant.”
“There’s nothing wrong with sex work. I mean, you watch enough porn.”
Shen held up a hand. “Guilty. Did he say anything else?”
“N—” he started, but his phone buzzed again, and Shen pressed against his side to read.
Unknown: I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t an emergency. My friend really needs this, and I’m willing to pay.
Archer looked at his friend. “This is like…sad.”
“You should do it,” Shen said, elbowing him. “Be a good Samaritan.”
“I’m pretty sure that didn’t involve hookers,” Archer said, but something about the text had gotten to him. “I wonder what kind of emergency it is.”
“Ask,” Shen urged. “I mean, what can it hurt?”
“Apart from my texts getting hacked and released on Twitter,” Archer reminded him, but his fingers were moving anyway.
Archer: Can you tell me more about the situation?
Unknown: My friend is being forced to attend a week long wedding celebration for his ex-husband who is marrying someone else in his family. His mother emotionally manipulated him into it, and it turned into a huge shitshow.
“That is so fucked up,” Shen breathed into his ear. “Oh my god, you have to do it now.”
“I can’t be a hooker for a week,” Archer hissed at him, his voice low like there might be someone listening in. “Rex would murder me. Literally. He’d murder me, bury me in a field, and tell everyone I fucked back off to Paris to live in some super-villain underground lab. And everyone would believe him.”
“No, he wouldn’t. He’d forgive you anything,” Shen reminded him. “Come on, this is so fucking sad, and it’s not like you’re actually