Page 25 of From Air

What the hell?

Calvin finally glances up at me and scratches his chin beneath his barely restrained grin. And that says it all—everything is a lie.

“Sucks being homeschooled.” I wink and saunter toward the door for my boots and coat. “Fitz, if you and Mrs. Wilke are ever open to a threesome, let me know. It’s been a fantasy of mine for years.”

Chapter Nine

CALVIN

Maren hums while scrubbing her and Jamie’s toilet, hair corralled like a hay bale on top of her head. She’s still in her nightshirt, boxer shorts, and brown teddy bear slippers. It’s our biweekly cleaning day—the easiest biweekly cleaning ever because our new roommate is a perfectionist. Jamie’s always organizing, washing laundry, and cleaning shit.

She bakes.

She has a great job.

She’s sexy as fuck.

I’m not marrying her, but some guy should.

“Maren, do you want to be my date to Gary’s birthday party this weekend?” I ask.

“Oh man, I wish, Fitz. Gary has the best parties. But I can’t. I’m going home this weekend.”

When I don’t respond, she eyes me over her shoulder. “Ask Will.”

“He’s working.”

“It’s okay for you to go alone.”

I cross my arms. “I know.”

Maren chuckles, returning her attention to the toilet. “Order a ride if you drink too much, and have a condom in your pocket if you don’t want to be some third-grade teacher’s baby daddy.”

“Are you sure you have to go home this weekend?” I stop short of begging, but I’m sure she can hear my groveling undertone. Crowds make me uneasy. When I get uneasy, I drink. When I drink, my dick wanders.

“Ask Jamie.”

“There’s no way I’m asking Jamie.”

“Ask me what?”

I suppress a sigh at Jamie’s stealthy way of sneaking up on me. She needs more weight to her steps or a few creaks in her joints.

Maren flushes the toilet just as Jamie makes it to the top of the stairs. “Fitz needs a chaperone to Gary’s birthday party this weekend.”

“I don’t need a chaperone because I’m not attending the party.” I brush past Jamie to the stairs just as she flips a dusting rag over her shoulder.

“I think we have a mouse in the house,” Will declares with the refrigerator pulled out of its spot, inspecting the area behind it. “Are those traps still in the garage?”

I mumble a “yeah” on my way to the laundry room.

After I knock down a few cobwebs in the corners and empty the lint filter, Jamie appears in the doorway. “I’ll be your date.”

“I don’t need one.” I dump the clean sheets into a laundry basket.

“Then why did you ask Maren?”

“Because she knows Gary.”

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