"Hey. D'you know that guy that Gallagher's fuckin'?" Mickey suddenly asked Mandy.

They were sitting in the living room. Mandy was sat cross-legged on the floor, painting her fingernails, Mickey was sitting on the couch, picking his feet.

"What?" Mandy looked up at him.

"The guy."

"What guy?" Mandy rested the hand holding the brush on the arm of the couch.

Mickey huffed. "The. guy. that. Gallagher. is. fucking," he spoke each word as clearly as he could.

"Alright, you don't have to be an ass about it," She went back to her bottle of polish, "I don't know anything about who he's with."

Mickey was surprised. "I thought you told each other everything? Aren't you fuckin' BFFs or something?" Mickey hoped he'd laid on enough disdain in his tone to cover up any panic that Mandy might actually pick up on.

Mandy ignored his tone, "He told me he was sleeping with someone on the DL but that was ages ago."

On the DL? Sure as hell didn't seem like it. Who the hell is he? Mickey wondered. His thoughts were interrupted by Mandy suddenly remembering something.

"Oh! And he was asking me about how you know if a guy is into you." Mandy nods, clearly recalling the conversation.

Mickey swallowed, trying not to give away how this affected him. "He came into the store."

"So? He works there!"

"Not Gallagher, you stupid bitch. The guy." He rolled his eyes.

"And?"

"And. He's really fuckin' old." He leant to light a cigarette.

"What's your point?"

"Well, it's fuckin' creepy that's all. Doesn't that make him like a pedo or something?"

"Er, no. Kash was like a pedo," Mandy eyed him carefully "Ian's seventeen. And will you take your skanky feet away from me?" She smacked at his ankles.

"It's fuckin' disgusting anyway," Mickey tutted, shoving his feet up on the coffee table out of the way. "He's old enough to be someone's granddad."

"Well, you know, if he's old and whatever, maybe he just needs someone young and hot to get the blood pumping?" Mandy snorted.

Mickey pulled a face, "I don't need to be thinking about that in my place of work."

Mandy stood up then, her fingers splayed, "Well..." she blew on her nails, "why are you thinking about it?"

Mickey suddenly seemed to snap to attention, "What?"

"You don't usually give a crap who anyone else is screwing as long as you're getting laid, so what difference does it make to you who Ian is fucking around with?" Mandy put her hands on her hips.

"He came into the store," Mickey said again.

"Yeah, you said that. So?"

"So they don't need to flaunt their gay shit all over everywhere, that's all." Mickey replied.

Mandy sauntered off towards to the kitchen, "Well, maybe they can't help it. Maybe they're just drawn together. You know, like how opposites attract, even if they probably shouldn't be with each other?"

Mickey closed his eyes for a long moment. Basically that's how he's felt for the last two years.

He cleared his throat, "What are we even talking about this for?"

Mandy turned back to him, her eyebrow raised sardonically, "I don't know, shithead. You brought it up."