Page 107 of Pretend Girlfriend

I could see that she was conflicted. Retrieving some weed was just her excuse; she didn’t really want to do it. Pressuring someone into drug-related shenanigans wasn’t what I was all about. That wasn’t fun, even if it was hilarious watching Joanna try to keep her stories straight.

“You don’t have to stick around with us,” I told her. “We’re pretty lame.”

“For sure,” Theo agreed, seeing the out I was giving her. “If you’d rather go hang out with the girls…”

For some reason, that made her dig in her heels. “I’d love to stay with you guys. I need to relax after learning I’m not getting that job at Defense Technologies.”

“All right!” Bradyn said, clapping his hands. “Party on the balcony!”

As they all went outside, Theo lingered until it was just the two of us. “You going to be cool,” he asked, “or blow our cover?”

I held out my palms. “I’m cooler than a cucumber on ice, amigo.”

Theo clapped me on the shoulder. “Good answer. Now let’s have some fun.”

I smiled back at him. Oh, I intend to.

44

Joanna

I was not experienced when it came to marijuana.

I tried it once at a party in college. It ended up not doing much for me; I think I coughed so much none of it actually got into my system. After that, I stuck to alcohol.

But what I said was true: I did want to relax after finding out there was a hiring freeze at DefTec. And if there was ever a place to try it for the first time, it was Jamaica.

It was also nice to hang out with the guys for once. I was sick of Marisa, Danicka, and the other girls.

“You sure you want to do this?” Theo whispered to me after handing a joint to Bradyn.

“It’s only weed,” I said. “It’s been legal in Illinois for years. It’s not a big deal.”

“Just making sure you don’t feel pressured to do something you don’t want to.”

His concern was touching, but I wasn’t in the mood for it tonight. I turned toward Bradyn, who was lighting the joint on the balcony.

Once he got it lit, I watched what the others did. Wyatt took a puff for two seconds, then passed it on. Peter did the same thing. When it was my turn, I pinched the joint between my fingers and took a breath.

One Mississippi, two Mississi—

I abruptly started coughing, just like when I had tried it in college. The smoke tickled my lungs!

“Easy, there,” Austin said, putting a comforting hand on my back. “You’re all right. Just relax.”

“I’m a newbie!” I admitted while passing the weed to Austin. “I’m bad at this.”

“Being bad at something is the first step to getting good at something,” Theo said. He took a long puff, then handed it to me. “Try again.”

The second time was easier, although it still tickle-burned my lungs. When it was over, I stared out at the view from Theo’s balcony. We could see half the resort from here, with the ocean beyond. The sound of the wind, and the waves, was calming.

Once the joint was used up, we went back inside. Theo played some relaxing music on his phone. Bradyn and Wyatt sat on the bed, while I took the couch with Theo and Peter. Austin sat in the chair across from the couch.

It was a strange sensation, being high. My thoughts kept falling apart before they could coalesce, like mist dissipating between grasping fingers. What was I about to say? I suddenly couldn’t remember. In fact, I couldn’t remember all of the things that had been bothering me.

“Oh this is nice,” I said after a few minutes.

“Right?” Theo asked. “They have the real stuff down here.”

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