Hope, Levy, Marc [good summer reads TXT] 📗

for Hope, based on what we saw in class earlier, I’m not too sure she’ll be joining us after all.”

“I invited her to our place tonight.”

“You did what?” Luke jerked his head up.

“You owe her. She’s the reason you still have a car.”

Instead of the romantic dinner she might have wished for, Hope had to make do with Chinese takeout that Luke ordered over the phone. The three of them were squashed into the room they used as both an office and living room, the only space that separated their two bedrooms.

“How do you guys afford a mansion like this?”

“As you can see, we save money on our grocery bills,” Josh said through a mouthful of noodles.

“We get by,” Luke interjected, before his friend could reveal any more.

“She knows.”

“Knows what?” Luke put his chopsticks down on the overturned crate they used as a table.

“Hello?” Hope waved. “You know I’m sitting right here?”

“She knows we work for a company that pays our tuition and for this incredible luxury apartment,” Josh continued.

“And does she know she needs to keep that to herself?”

“Hope loves being referred to in the third person, and Hope thinks you need to get over yourselves, because Hope isn’t a rat, and she thinks you should already know that. Hope thinks Luke and Josh are free to do whatever they want with their lives and their free time.” She smiled. “This is actually kind of fun. We could go on all night, or we could never say anything at all because we’re too scared of sharing dark secrets.”

Luke picked up his chopsticks and began eating in silence.

“Okay, I should never have come here. Don’t worry, Luke. I won’t stay the night. Thank you for dinner. Next time it’s my turn.”

“What’s your problem, both of you? Can you stop bitching at each other?” Josh burst out.

Luke sighed before reaching a hand out to Hope in a gesture of peace.

“I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”

“Apology accepted.” Hope glanced down at his outstretched hand. “Old Mr. Soy Fingers.”

“In the meantime, let’s get straight to the point.” Luke wiped his mouth. “Either join us, or accept that irrespective of your relationship with Josh, you need to stay out of our work.”

“Sometimes you scare me, Luke.” Hope looked back and forth between her two friends. “What are you doing that’s so secret?”

“Nothing illegal. But the competition we’re dealing with is enough to make us careful. We don’t want any leaks dampening our chances.”

“I know how to keep a secret.”

“You’ll do even better if you don’t know what the secret is.”

Hope jumped up to open the window. The spices had gone to her head.

“Call me paranoid,” she whispered, “but you know the motorbike we saw near your car? It’s parked across the street.”

Josh joined her at the window.

“It’s a pretty popular bike, but I have to admit it’s suspicious. Come and see, Luke.”

“See what? A motorbike? In a city? I mean, wow,” he snorted. “I’ll let you guys play Double-O-Seven. I have work to do. I’ll be in my room.”

Josh and Hope peered outside for a little while longer before retreating, almost disappointed. There were lots of motorbikes on campus, it was true. And besides, maybe the biker was just new in town.

Hope slipped under the covers and snuggled up to Josh.

“He’s jealous. If he’s that defensive, he must be.”

“I don’t think Luke’s in love with me, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Josh laughed.

“I’m in his space, though. I’ve wiggled my way into your friendship,” murmured Hope. “That can’t be easy. Why is he single?”

“Luke’s dated before, but he stays single. He always has. That’s just the way he is.”

“It’s not about being a certain way. It’s about who you meet. You’ve dated, and you were single before we met.”

“Not single like ‘Luke single.’ I’ve had girlfriends before. I had one long-term relationship.”

“I should go.” Hope frowned.

“You should stay.” Josh kissed her breasts. “Staying is an amazing idea.”

His tongue trailed down to her belly button and between her legs as he kissed along her thighs.

“Amazing . . . ,” Hope moaned.

The next evening, Josh and Hope went to the movies. Luke was on his way home alone when a motorbike pulled up beside him. The biker handed him a helmet. Luke climbed on behind him, and they roared off into the night.

Twenty minutes later, the bike ground to a halt in front of a slick restaurant on the other side of town.

Luke hopped off the bike and handed his helmet back to the biker.

Inside the restaurant, he recognized the drinker sitting at the counter and sidled onto the stool beside him.

Flinch gestured at the bartender, urging him to take his guest’s order.

“Your courier should learn to be more discreet,” Luke whispered.

“Considering what you brought me, I’m not sure I should be taking lessons on discretion from you.” Flinch glanced around the room. “I don’t like this, Luke. You know how important discretion is to me.”

“What do you want me to do about it? They’re in love. I’ve never seen Josh so vulnerable . . .”

“Vulnerable?”

“She put a spell on him . . .”

“Sounds to me like you’re not a fan. Or could it be that the opposite is true? I have bigger fish to fry than college love triangles, anyhow.” Flinch sipped at his martini.

“I was going to wait a few days before telling you this, but . . . we’ve had a breakthrough.”

“That’s funny. You’re changing the subject. Tell me something.” He leaned over to Luke. “Who gave you the authority to decide whether or not to update me? Do I need to remind you of the contract? Your obligations?”

The bartender placed a drink in front of Luke. He stared at it.

“Speak up!” Flinch barked, too curious to let it slide.

Luke’s voice was eerily calm as he explained how the rat-brain neurons that he had disaggregated had then spontaneously reassembled on the silicone plates.

“That’s incredible,” Flinch gasped.

“By tomorrow, the neuron network will be dense enough for us to start giving it