it’s not as if aaron expected him to just sit there and take it. he thought there’d be some resistance, sure, but auggie’s tone has his jaw wound tight all the same. he eyes carson as if he’s at fault, and maybe he was, for inviting someone else to a meal he thought to be private. this was meant to be easy, catching up with a friend as a prelude to whatever the rest of the day holds, but now he was stuck reliving last night’s choices. “ i think i’ve had enough surprises for the day, thanks. didn’t expect anyone to crash our brunch, but i’m sure you’re fun at parties. ” the words are spoken with a smile, but there’s no sincerity there, the kind of thing he reserves for ad campaigns he could care less about. “ so how did you meet, really? ” he’s looking through the menu as he speaks, seeing but not comprehending, too damn distracted to make sense of the words.