“Why don’t you tell her?” Colin groaned inwardly as the question left his mouth. Asking had been as involuntary as a sneeze.

Tristam shot Colin a dirty look. “You know I don’t bother other people with my emotions.”

Except me, Colin thought to himself. He struggled to keep his face straight. Tristam didn’t leave the house for much anymore and any perceived slight would send him back inside for months.

“Besides,” Tristam continued, “she’s seeing some guy.”

The words slipped out of his mouth. “Of course she is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tristam asked, his voice laced with bitterness.

Crap. Evasive maneauvers. Deploy countermeasures. “Um, she sounded attractive and awesome, those kinds of girls don’t stay single for too long.”

Tristam continued looking at Colin with one squinty, searching eye for a long moment. Then he sighed. “Yeah.”

Colin rubbed his temples with thumb and middle finger, trying to massage away the strain he was under. “Maybe she’ll be single again someday.” he added lamely.