Page 6 of Faking with Three

“No kidding?” He whistles. “I was just about to call you with some updates on the channel, but, hey—this could be good. More time for Love Lab, right?”

Love Lab. Of course. Only Marcus could come up with a name like that and somehow keep a straight face. The idea’s not terrible; I’ll give him that. It’s got a little flair, and the concept is… out there, which I guess is the point.

Two years ago, we added Marcus, our third partner—a psychiatrist to our channel. And a few months ago, he came up with a groundbreaking concept he calls theLove Lab.He thinks people are endlessly fascinated by how romance works and wants to get experimental about it. Basically, he wants to put people into weird dating situations and see how they react. And that’s how we ended up here, trying to salvage our little online empire, one social experiment at a time. We haven’t launched it online yet, and only because it would mean totally revamping our entire channel. That could go sideways fast, something I’m hesitant to do.

“Listen, man,” I say, leaning back. “Love Lab’s a good concept, I get that. But I’m not changing our channel name for nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You’ve got to start believing it,” Jax says.

“Sure, but you’ve seen the numbers. How many views did our last video get?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jax says, brushing it off. “But this could be the one, Ethan. Think about it. People eat up reality dating showslike candy. Marcus has that whole ‘psychiatrist’s edge’—he can add something real to it. Plus, he says he’s willing to bring in some actual participants this time, not just the same crowd we’ve used for everything else.”

“Sure. But I’m just saying, it’s still a gamble.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, knowing I sound like a downer, but I can’t help it. “We can’t afford to keep throwing stuff at the wall, hoping it’ll stick. I don’t even know if Marcus’s angle is enough.”

Jax sighs. “You’re always a pessimist, man. Remember when we started this thing? We didn’t care about making bank, just wanted to have some fun and maybe make something out of it. Now we’ve got a concept that’s fresh, unique. We just need to find the right people.”

I shake my head. “And who’s gonna want to join a love experiment with three random guys running it?”

“That’s why we need to think big,” he says, clearly gearing up to try selling me on this for the hundredth time. “If we can land a few, you know, influential types or get someone who’ll really draw people in, we’ll be good.”

I snort. “Unless you’ve got some hidden connections, I’m all out of ideas on that front.”

I let out a slow breath, still unconvinced. “Jax, we’re a glorified science experiment at this point. I mean, what’s next, setting up fake dates and watching people crash and burn for a few laughs? People aren’t gonna buy it.”

“That’s exactly what they’re gonna buy, though!” he says, his voice rising with excitement. “Think about it, man. It’s real life, it’s messy, and it’s uncomfortable. People love that. Look at reality TV. We’ve been overthinking it this whole time—this is the way in.”

I shake my head. “I dunno, man. Reality TV? Playing ‘mad scientist’ with other people’s love lives? Feels kinda...cheap.”

“Cheap? Come on, this is gold, and you know it,” he says. “Marcus even came up with this whole psychological angle. Think of it like we’re actually helping people. People want advice on dating, but they also want to see hownotto date. It’s all entertainment with a little social education mixed in.”

I snort. “Right. What exactly are we teaching here?”

“That we’re all a mess,” he says, laughing. “And that’s exactly why people are gonna watch it. Look, I get it. It’s not high art. But it’s also not us busting our heads trying to be deep and missing the mark by a mile. It’s simple. Fun. People want to be entertained, not educated.”

I run a hand through my hair. “Fine, but there’s a catch,” I say slowly. “If I’m gonna be on board with this, we’re not just doing blind dates and awkward first encounters. We need something fresh.”

“Done,” he says instantly. “In fact, Marcus already lined up a couple of ideas—thought you’d have some input too. You want weird? We’ll make it weird. Whatever it takes.”

I sigh, still skeptical but maybe just the tiniest bit intrigued. “All right. But I’m not betting my future on this one. Just… temper your expectations, okay?”

“Hey, this isn’t just some hail Mary,” he says, all confidence again. “This is the first real idea we’ve had in ages. And it’ll be good. I promise.”

“You’d better be right,” I say. “Because if we’re about to crash and burn, I’d rather go down with a little dignity.”

“Dignity?” he snorts. “Where we’re going, we don’t need dignity.”

I roll my eyes, but a part of me can’t help feeling like maybe, just maybe, Jax might be onto something.

After Jax’s call, I lace up my sneakers and head out for a run, hoping to shake off some of the doubts swirling around my mind. The fresh air helps, and as my feet pound the pavement, I focus on the rhythm of my breathing, trying to clear my head. By the time I make it back to my building, I feel halfway sane again, if not slightly winded.

As I round the corner to the front entrance, I almost plow straight into someone. I pull up short, managing to avoid a full-on collision, and look up to apologize, words dying on my lips as I take her in.

She’s… breathtaking.

She’s curvy—no, scratch that, she’s got this lush figure that draws the eye. Blonde hair falls in soft waves around her face, framing a pair of green eyes that practically glow, even in the fading light.

“Olivia?” I say, surprised, and as soon as the name leaves my mouth, her eyes widen a bit, flickering with recognition.

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