I definitely see Archie's paranoia about Johnny Keems and Orrie Cather trying to steal his job as being related to the fact that he admits they are both attractive men. He knows he's got them beat on every job related front imaginable, but then he also understands that people don't have that much control over what they find sexually attractive, and OMG, what if Wolfe couldn't help himself? Even if it didn't come to anything - and it wouldn't come to anything - I can see Archie harbouring a secret anxiety because he would be completely gutted if Wolfe's eye strayed and he knows that there is nothing he can could really do about it.
Dude, seriously. Also, aww. Archie knows 100% that he is a better detective than either, it's one of the things he seems actually-sure-of rather than slightly-defensively-sure-of, but he totally has a sore spot there anyway, and the continual needle that they are both attractive does crop up more than you'd expect if it wasn't, y'know, extremely relevant. OMG.
Also I think there is a line in one of the books where he admits that the view from the back is the best view of him? made me laugh a lot.
Also I love this whole discussion. I am thinking that maybe the not-wanting-to-just-be-a-prettyboy is why Archie seems to have some slight issues with the focus Wolfe puts on him being ace with the ladies. I am also guessing Wolfe may have a better idea of how much better Archie could actually be doing for himself elsewhere than even Archie does, there: Wolfe does quite often seem kind of pointed in those comments. And they both have a tendency to talk about the job/the agency when what they really mean is their life together. *heaaaarts*
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Date: 2010-04-21 02:17 pm (UTC)Dude, seriously. Also, aww. Archie knows 100% that he is a better detective than either, it's one of the things he seems actually-sure-of rather than slightly-defensively-sure-of, but he totally has a sore spot there anyway, and the continual needle that they are both attractive does crop up more than you'd expect if it wasn't, y'know, extremely relevant. OMG.
Also I think there is a line in one of the books where he admits that the view from the back is the best view of him? made me laugh a lot.
Also I love this whole discussion. I am thinking that maybe the not-wanting-to-just-be-a-prettyboy is why Archie seems to have some slight issues with the focus Wolfe puts on him being ace with the ladies. I am also guessing Wolfe may have a better idea of how much better Archie could actually be doing for himself elsewhere than even Archie does, there: Wolfe does quite often seem kind of pointed in those comments. And they both have a tendency to talk about the job/the agency when what they really mean is their life together. *heaaaarts*