“Damn,” Auggie said. “Theo, I guess it’s a bust. We’ll have to keep looking.”
“Fine,” Theo said. “You’re throwing cash around like it’s nothing. Paying way too fucking much for any scrap of information. I told you this was a bad idea, and I told you we’d get stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere doing it.”
“See?” Auggie said to Lindsey. “This is why he’s the lawyer and the ideas guy, and this is why I’m the one who makes the videos. Nice meeting you. Thanks for the picture—tag me for sure, ok?”
They were halfway to the door when Lindsey said, “I could call someone.”
“I thought you didn’t know Robert,” Theo said.
“Calm down,” Auggie said, putting a hand on Theo’s arm. “She’s trying to help.”
“No, she’s trying to get cash out of you.”
“Jesus, Theo. Don’t be such a dick. What are you talking about, Lindsey? You know how we can find his family?”
“Not . . . I mean, not directly. But if he’s from around here, I can call a few people. See if I can find him.”
“Seriously?” Auggie said
“This is bullshit,” Theo said. “Let’s go.”
“Let me just make some calls,” Lindsey said. “It’s not like it can hurt anything.”
“You are amazing,” Auggie said with a huge smile. “Do you realize that? You are absolutely amazing!”
“I’ll just—” she shrugged and nodded. “Do you want something while you wait? It might take a few minutes.”
“I think Auggie needs to try the Frozen King Super Freeze,” Theo said. “I’ll have a chocolate malt. And fries.”
Lindsey looked at Auggie for confirmation.
“Yeah, I mean. Gotta live a little.”
She giggled, took Theo’s money, and passed the order back to Sal. Then she disappeared to make her calls.
Theo sat at one of the booths near the picture window; traffic was still steady on Route 50, huge waves of slush splashing across the drainage ditch as cars and trucks fought through the snow. Darkness was settling over everything, and the world became a geometry of white: cones of light from the cars; arcs of slush glittering, suspended, in the beams; pale quadrilaterals cut out of the ground below the picture windows; and then Frozen King itself, clean lines of tile and glass.
Auggie kept checking his phone.
“What time is your date?” Theo asked.
For a moment, Auggie hesitated. Then he slid the phone back into his pocket.
“Six.”
“What’s her name?”
Auggie traced a circle on the tabletop; his finger left a smear on the plastic.
At that moment, Sal emerged from the back. He put two waxed-paper cups on the table and a basket of fries. He scratched his arms, staring at them.
“This looks good,” Theo said. “Thanks.”
Sal just stood there.
“Oh,” Auggie said, looking up. “Yeah, thanks.”
After a few more seconds, Sal stomped back to the kitchen.
“What’s his deal?” Auggie said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Theo said, nudging one of the cups toward Auggie. “Try your freeze.”
Auggie grabbed the cup, poked the spoon around inside, and said, “Do I want to know what’s in it?”
“Just try it.”
“It looks like dog food.”
“Just try it.”
“I don’t eat a lot of ice cream.”
“Auggie, please have one taste.”
Making a face, Auggie shoved a spoonful into his mouth. His eyes went wide.
Theo laughed and said, “I know, right?”
“What’s in there?”
“Peanut butter, marshmallow crème, hot fudge, I think they’ve got Reese’s Pieces, chunks of brownie.”
“Um.” Auggie poked around with the spoon a few more times and took another huge bite. “Yeah,” he said through a mouthful of brownie, “’spretty good.”
Theo laughed again. He snagged a few fries and dunked them in the chocolate malt.
“Gross,” Auggie said.
“You didn’t think you were going to like your dog food.”
“No, seriously, that’s gross. French fries in a chocolate shake?”
“It’s a malt.”
“Same thing.”
Theo shrugged.
“It’s flat-out gross,” Auggie said.
Theo shrugged again.
“Let me try,” Auggie said with a grin.
Flicking the basket of fries toward Auggie, Theo offered the malt. Auggie took a fry, dipped it, and popped it in his mouth.
“It’s not bad,” Auggie said after swallowing.
“It grows on you.”
“It’s not good either.”
“Then you should probably eat your freeze instead.”
“Just a few more,” Auggie said. “For science.”
Two minutes later, Auggie had the malt, and Theo was digging around with a spoon inside the freeze, searching out the Reese’s Pieces.
“This place is really good,” Auggie said.
“Yeah.”
I mean, really good.”
“It’s an institution for a reason. If you didn’t have a date tonight, I’d make you get a burger.”
“Good?”
“I think they’re the best around here.”
“Damn. We’ll have to come back.”
Theo nodded.
“It’s a guy,” Auggie said, his gaze dropping to the fry he was stirring the malt with. “Tonight.”
“Oh. I didn’t think you—”
“I don’t know. I mean, I think you know, like, that’s probably, um, yeah. My thing, you know? But I’ve got my business, so it’s never really felt like an option.”
“Well,” Theo said, the spoon slowing now, and he trapped a chunk of brownie against the waxed paper of the cup. “I am going to go on the record here and say I’m not trying to sound like I’m your dad.”
Auggie groaned and popped another fry in his mouth.
“I’m just saying this as a friend.”
Another groan.
“Is that ok? Am I allowed to say things as a friend?”
“Whatever will make this moment end.”
“First of all, I’m really happy you’re trying something that might make you happy.”
“Gross.”
Theo tried to tamp down his smile at that. “Second, I hope you’ll be careful—”
“I will literally gouge out my own eardrums if you say any of the following words: lover, pleasure, tender, intimate, protection, safety, satisfaction.”
“If I could finish?” Theo asked.
“Oh, and don’t say stroke, passion, bliss, caress, necking, or thrust.”
“Sweet Jesus,” Theo said, closing his eyes.
“Or lube, pelvis, cradle, velvet heat—”
“Ok, ok, ok!” Theo said, his eyes shooting open.
Auggie was grinning. “Go ahead.”
“I hope you’ll be careful of a few things. If you’re not ready to be open about everything in your life, people can sometimes see that as a way of taking advantage of you. People can also pressure you into doing certain things that you’re not ready to do—”
“Oh my God.”
“Ok, ok. But mostly, I just don’t want you to risk
