Page 9 of Love Me Like It's Real
“Ah! I know. You’re trying to be in top form for tonight,” he finally turns around and chuckles.
“I’m just trying to up my game.”
Jason blows raspberries.
“You should probably focus on your stealth skills, dude because if Agnes or the rest of the committee catch you tonight, you’re a dead man,” he says.
“If they catchus, you mean,” I raise an eyebrow at my accomplice.
“Uhm…no. Don’t drag me into this.”
“Aren’t you already dragged into this? You’re a club member.”
“I’m not. You only made me a member because I bought your T-shirt.”
“Ergo, club member.”
“Anyway…” he says and adjusts the weight on the lat pull-down and takes back his seat. “I’m still not coming tonight.”
“What! Why?” I drop my weights and focus on my friend. “I thought you were a friend.”
“Iama friend. And because you’re my friend you’re not going to force me to go through that again. Once was enough.”
I sigh. “What happened to we’re in this together?”
Jason narrows his eyes and grimaces. “Sounds like a drunken Jason,” he says. “But even drunken Jason knows better than to help with your club activities.”
I scoff and grab my towel to wipe the sweat from my forehead. And to swat at my traitor of a friend. “I’m not sure I like you much anymore.”
He shrugs. “And I’m sure you can live without my maple syrup supply.”
My eyes go wide and I bite my lip.
“You wouldn’t!”
He stops and raises an eyebrow. “That depends. How much do you love me again?”
“A lot. So much. So much it makes me sick. So much that if it was sexual I’d be running for the hills.”
Jason smiles and hums in satisfaction. “That’s more like it. Friend.”
“Does that mean I still have unlimited maple syrup for life?”
Jason purses his lips and takes a deep breath. “Yeah, of course you do. Does that mean I can skip tonight because I don’t want to make a fool of myself and get caught by Agnes and suffer the consequences?”
I let out a long breath, and with a heavy huff I nod. “Fine.”
Jason stares at me.
“Don’t tell me you, the big, bad, fearless Anti-Valentine are scared of frail, little Agnes?”
“Agnes is anything but frail and you know it. She’s scary!” I wag a finger at his face.
Jason laughs. “Tell that to yourself. You’re the one that wants to risk her wrath.”
I shrug. “I’ve got a foolproof plan. I’ve tipped Conall generously to let me in through the back door and sneak me in a badge. Agnes will stay in the front as usual. Besides, I’ll be wearing a cap so she doesn’t recognize me.”
“A cap?” he asks and I show him by putting on my cap that holds my keys and phone. “Hayworth? Hayworth? Where did you go? Do I know you, sir?”
