Page 5 of Operation: Ogre

“How comfortable are you going to be talking to Aaron?” I asked. This was vital information to the plan, because if he couldn’t talk to Aaron, it was going to make all of this so much harder.

“Probably not at all.”

“Not an issue,” I lied through my teeth. “We’ll just have to get you comfortable around him. You talk to Carter and Samantha just fine. In no time at all, you’ll be chatting up Aaron.”

“If you think so.”

“I do.” I did not. It had taken forever to get Jaxon to say a single word to Carter, let alone full conversations. Sam had been easier, but she hadn’t really given him a choice. She’d poked and prodded him until he answered. Also, she had stolen his number from me and texted him nonstop. Aaron wasn’t going to work that hard, or more accurately, press Jaxon when it looked like he was in agonizing pain at being talked to.

“I’ll strike up a convo with Aaron, and you’ll hand him a drink to make sure you're included. I’ll talk you up, ask him some questions, and you can nod along, looking cool.”

He smiled.

Would that be enough? I didn’t want Aaron to think I liked him, because I had zero interest in him, as nice and as good looking as he was. I didn’t know if Jaxon being in my proximity would help get them together, and how in the hell would they date if Jaxon wouldn’t communicate with him?

“Texting,” I shouted all of a sudden, and Jaxon startled, as did most of the coffee shop, with even Seth glancing at me. I shrugged. They’d all get over me yelling. It had worked with Sam; it should work with other people.

Looking at Jaxon, I said, “I’ll ask if I can give Aaron’s number to you, and you can text him.”

“Then I can get to know him.”

I bounced in my seat as I drank more off my massive coffee. “Yes! You won’t get tongue-tied, at least not yet.” I wiggled my eyebrows, and he rolled his eyes. “But the two of you can get to know one another. Problem solved. Well, I mean, assisted. We will still need to plan, but after I find more out about Aaron, then I can better form an attack plan.”

My mind was racing in a thousand ways as I drank my coffee. I would text everyone, and I knew basically everyone, and if I didn’t, my siblings did. Kim siblings’ information highway. I giggled at the thought, then cleared my throat. I would also Boogle him and check his social media accounts.

By tomorrow, I would know everything there was to know about Aaron Dodson. That nice-guy-would-rather-listen-to-other-people’s-interests-than-talk-about-himself routine was no match for my sleuthing. I laughed, and Jaxon stared at me but didn’t comment, too used to me probably.

Chapter Three

Jaxon

After Chris crashed from his sugar high, allowing me to unpack in relative quiet—K-pop still played through his Spookify in the background—I looked over my classes.

This year was still general studies classes mixed in with a few lower-level business classes. At least in all of my general classes, Chris would be there. We’d registered for classes at the same time, to match as much as possible. He had soccer and training he’d had to work around, but for the most part, we’d succeeded. I did better in class with Chris, and he liked having a built-in study buddy, which he needed.

A loud snort sounded, and Chris shot up from his bed, pen and notebook falling to the floor with a dramatic flop. “What happened?”

I laughed. “You passed out from all that sugar.”

He rolled over with a groan. “Not possible. There’s no such thing as too much sugar.”

I mmm’d at him, but I didn’t bother to directly contradict him. We’d had that conversation more than once. Christopher was firmly on the sugar train, and his ass wouldn’t be moved. He stretched, his arms going above his head, and his shirt lifted enough for me to see the base of his taut stomach and the line of black hair that vanished under the waistband of his jeans.

I ripped my gaze away, my cheeks flushing, then wondered why. I’d seen Chris naked before, so a little bit of skin shouldn’t bother me. But it did, for some reason. My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to think of when seeing Chris had started to make me… well, aware of him in a way I shouldn’t be.

Heat slammed into my cheeks when the memory of him sleeping against me in my bed over the summer appeared in my thoughts. Chris had complained when he slept on the floor, then complained when I did, so we’d just shared. But every day I’d woken up to him pressed against me, nestled tightly in my embrace.

“You okay?” Chris asked. “You look like you're thinking hard.”

I shook my head, then nodded, fighting the blush that wanted to rush over my cheeks. “Just dreading class.”

“Already?” He playfully punched my arm, and everything returned to how it should be. “You’ll be fine. I’m here.”

I smiled, but that lingering memory of his warmth sleeping against me wouldn’t quite leave my thoughts.

“Alright. I’m going for a run, then I’ll shower, and we’ll go to the bonfire, okay?”

“Sounds fine.”