The Love Hack

Ben

The pub was loud, but somehow the nerves hammering in my chest felt louder. Leo had already been inside, holding us a booth. Arty had eagerly slid in next to Leo, leaning in close. That left me and Talia on the other side, and I couldn't determine if the fact her thigh was ever-so-slightly touching mine was an accident or by design.

I felt my mood immediately sour just looking at Leo. I knew he was attractive, but I'd never seen him this close-up before. Dark hair swept effortlessly back, sharp jawline, and eyes that were unsettlingly piercing, and this faint smirk that kind of made me want to punch him in the face.

I plastered on a smile and tried to focus on Talia, despite how hard my gaze kept drifting over to Arty. The way he tilted his head as Leo spoke, nodding along to every word. Arty smiled so authentically that it made his eyes sparkle in the lowlight of the bar.

"So, Ben," Talia's voice broke through my thoughts, bright and animated. "Arty tells me you are a firefighter? What's that like?" She propped her head up on her hand, giving me her undivided attention.

"Volunteer firefighter," I corrected. I noticed Arty's hand graze Leo's arm, the same hand that had been rubbing my arm just moments ago. I suddenly felt my throat constricting and began pulling awkwardly at my sweater.

"Same difference," Talia brushed off, moving her hand dismissively.

"It's slow, which I guess is good," I joked, but felt myself getting self conscious when Talia didn't react, and just kept staring at me. My cheeks flushed red and I looked down to the ground. That was when I noticed the way Arty's leg was brushing against Leo's underneath the table.

I immediately turned towards Arty and Leo with such intensity that it got their attention before I even spoke. "It's not much of a double date if you don't even introduce everyone," I interrupted.

Arty looked up, a little startled, but his expression softened as his eyes met mine. "Oh, right! Leo, this is my best friend and roommate, Ben." His eyes flicked to Talia, who was still giving me that curious, studying look. "And this is my friend Talia," and then he turned his attention back to Leo, smiling brightly as he squeezed his arm. "And everyone, this is Leo."

Leo, lounging against the booth like he owned it, flashed me a wide, confident grin. "Nice to meet you, Ben." Leo ignored the existence of Talia entirely.

I forced a smile, trying to ignore the twisting in my chest. "Same to you, I've heard a lot about you," I said, keeping my voice light.

Leo turned to Arty with a questioning look, but didn't comment. I could almost see the question flickering in his eyes—Does Arty think this is serious?

It stung more than I cared to admit, watching that subtle calculation happen in Leo's eyes. He wasn't concerned about the specifics of whether Arty had spoken his praise or laughed about him behind his back. He only cared about the fact that Arty had taken the time to talk about him at all.

And what stung for me about it was that this was the guy Arty was choosing. This was what he thought he deserved.

Was this guy really a better option than me?

Arty chuckled, patting Leo's arm lightly. "Only good things. Promise," Arty reassured, and it made my heart ache for him when Leo didn't even spare him a second glance.

The waitress turned up at the table, rattling off the specials for the evening. "Could I get you guys started with drinks?" she asked, and before Leo had a chance to push his sobriety high-horse down our throats, I chimed in.

"Could I get a shot of tequila?" I asked.

Arty's head whipped towards me, his eyes widening slightly. He flickered his eyes between me and Leo, biting down gently on his lip, as if he was assessing the future fallout.