Page 9 of Samuel's Heart

He cheers in my direction after he opens the can, and before taking a long sip.

Something is going on with him.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s been a long week,” he says, as if sensing the direction of my thoughts.

“It’s only Tuesday,” I reply, amused.

“Told you. It’s been a long week.” His face is serious, but I spot the glint of mischievousness in his eyes. If anyone would try to guess his age, they’d never say thirty-five. He looks and acts ten years younger, and can get away with it.

“Yep, you said that.”

“I had to work on the weekend, and with what’s happening in the company, I’ll be working this weekend, too.” His face speaks to how happy he is about it.

“If I say I kind of envy you, are you going to kick my ass?”

“I’ll do something different to your ass if you prefer?”

We look at each other for like, a second, and then react to his comment at the same time.

“Fuck, no!”

And then we’re both laughing like bobbleheads.

“I love you man, but yuck.” I wink at him to soften the blow, and he pats my back maybe a little too hard. Yep, alpha males here.

“What’s troubling you?” Jason asks, after another swig of his beer. He tries to be casual, but he fails.

I’m not fooled by his behaviour, sure something has given away my inner turmoil.

“I can’t stop helping others.”

“That’s a good thing, man. There should be more people like you.”

I’m kind of touched by his words, and at the same time, weirded out by how in touch he is with his inner self—even showing openness doesn’t bother him one bit.

“I have more of a filter when I have the chance to sleep. Right now, not so much.”

I open my mouth to ask the question everyone has been pondering for months, but he beats me to it.

“No questions allowed,” he says, before sniggering at my disappointed face.

He’s too good for a simple mind like mine. Easy to understand why he’s one of the top dogs in his company at just thirty-five. I bet he could have his own company, and thrive, but he seems content to make money for others.

“Okay, I won’t ask, but one of these days, you’ll have to open up.”

“Nothing to open. That’s why I don’t have answers for you all.”

I pull an I-don’t-believe-you face, that has him doubling over and laughing his ass off.

“Don’t do that, man. It’s weird.”

What an idiot.

“Are you staying for dinner? I can call the others,” I say, to change the subject.

“No, I have a work thing I can’t miss.” He doesn’t seem too keen on it, but he’ll never miss anything work related.

“Don’t work too much, okay?”

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