Page 12 of Lovesick
Mark swore at his phone when the internet failed, then stood up. “Thanks, Lizbeth. Breakfast was delicious. We’ll see how the weather does later today. I might be able to take you home. More likely I’ll take you tomorrow when I leave for a business meeting.”
“Thanks, Mark.”
He stalked out of the room, cursing thegods of mountain internet. I watched JJ slowly unwind in the aftermath.
“When did you guys get internet, anyway?” I asked.
“A couple months ago,” said JJ, still shaking his head. “It’s actually not too bad. Faster than I expected it to be when Netcast announced they were expanding out here in the canyon. Does seem to be hit-or-miss in bad weather. But it’s really letting Mark go full steam ahead with his expansion plans.”
“Oh, is that why you guys haven’t been in the Frolicking Moose as much lately?” I teased with a grin. “I was afraid you’d found a new favorite coffee shop.”
He shot me a quizzical look, like he was surprised I’d noticed, and I scrambled to change the subject.
“What do you do while Mark does ... all this?” I asked casually. My coffee mug half-covered my face. Not only was I hesitant to ask, but I didn’t have a book to hide behind. Coffee was the next best thing.
JJ froze. I held my breath.
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look back at me. “Ah ... stuff here and there.”
“Oh. Prep for summer campers?”
“Sort of.”
Silence fell around us, which gave me ample time to study him. His hair was tied out of his face. He wore a pair of workout pants and a T-shirt with a picture of a climber on the back. Sleep lingered in his eyes.
Why was he so weird about such a simple question?
Whatdida man like JJ do to stay busy in the wilds of Adventura? Maybe nothing. Maybe he was bored out of his mind. But something in his response told me there was a hidden layer here. This seemed like the perfect world for him. He and Mark fit together like twin puzzle pieces that fed off one another.
JJ took a deep breath. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Mark breezed back through the room like a hurricane.
“Internet is gone-zo, bro. Hate these storms. Had a text from Justin last night, though. He got snowed in after his date with Meg. Said he’ll be back when the roads open. He took Atticus with him.”
“Glad he’s safe.”
Mark grabbed something from his desk, then returned to the attic.
“Climbing is my world,” JJ said to me then. “But it’s not easy to live off money from climbing.”
“So you and Mark came up with Adventura?”
“Yeah.”
“But in the winter?”
He shrugged. “I have a ... few things in the works. For the most part, I make a lot of food, do a lot of hiking, and help Justin with maintenance if it’s needed.”
Sounded ... like not much.
“Oh,” I said, because what else was there to say?
JJ leaned back in his chair. “Mark and I have only ever known life together. Born together. Grew up together. Graduated high school together. Moved to college together. We’ve traveled the world ... together. Started several other stupid companies that failed. Eventually, we bought Adventura together. We’ve pushed through our parents’ bad marriage and nasty divorce. Ex-girlfriends, broken bones, you name it. We’ve experienced it. Together. We’ve never been apart for more than a few weeks at a time.”
The picture slowly became clearer. “You want a chance to be on your own, don’t you?”
“Maybe.” He hesitated. “But maybe not. I know I want to climb, but that doesn’t pay the bills.”
“Mark seems to have endless ideas.”
