How was he supposed to say no to a look like that? Not when there was a straight shot, not a single person in the way of the swinging doors to freedom.
Jameson swallowed, then pulled together his nerves. “Go!” he mouthed back to Gray and took off like a bolt toward the door. He knew that cameras were flashing and that he was about to cause a social media storm, but once his legs started pumping and Gray charged close by his side, he didn’t care.
He was just having too much fun.
“Oh my god,” Jameson laughed as they burst through the doors.
“Keep going,” Gray laughed, and as they sprinted to the second set of doors, he reached back, taking Jameson’s hand. “They’re right behind us!”
They only held hands for a brief second, a split moment when they were alone in the entryway. Just as quickly, they released each other, but it was enough to send Jameson surging with delirious energy all the way to the SUV. He was still laughing, his cheeks aching, when he jumped into the passenger side. And Gray had them on the road so fast, he knew they were in the clear by the time they passed the second stoplight.
“Shit,” Gray grumbled, steering them out of town. “I fucked it up. I’m so sorry you got spotted.”
“It’s okay,” Jameson said, still laughing. “I mean, I’m going to have to avoid the internet for another week, but we made it out.” He rubbed his palms on his knees, still jumpy with energy. “I didn’t have to sign any autographs! That’s huge, Gray.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Gray asked.
Jameson appreciated that Gray understood the situation he was in, even if his instinct to run was probably not the best idea. And sure, the excitement that was making his heart hammer at the back of his ribcage was going to turn into anxiety soon enough. But running had felt so freeing, he couldn’t imagine making any other choice. “You got me in and out of the movies,” Jameson pointed out. “And I totally got to enjoy the matinee like a regular person. You didn’t knock my hat off my head, Gray. I made that mistake.”
Gray laughed. “I’ll glue it down next time?”
Jameson rubbed the top of his head. “I’d rather not shave my head, although maybe it would help me blend in.”
“Keep the locks,” Gray answered. “They look good on you. We’ll find a better hat.”
When they pulled back up to the mansion, Jameson was still jittery with excitement. Something about being around Gray made him feel hyper, and it wasn’t a feeling he was quite ready to let go of. Instead, when they climbed out of the SUV, he glanced toward the house. “Would you like a drink?”
Gray stood there, his leather jacket hanging open. He studied Jameson, looking him up and down as the wind rustled through the trees on the hillside. It was like Jameson could feel Gray’s gaze, touching him all over, and a shiver went down his spine.
“Sure,” Gray finally said. “I’m up for a beer.”
A tiny version of Jameson did backflips in his imagination while he led Gray into the house. “There’s a parlor,” he said over his shoulder. “Around behind the kitchen.”
Pickles came charging down the hallway, and as he greeted her, Jameson caught a good glimpse of Gray. He had a half-grin cocked up as his eyes went back and forth between Jameson and Pickles, like he was entertained by both of them.
The parlor was set up with a small bar, some lounge chairs, and a massive coffee table that had taken him forever to track down through an antique dealer. The room was meant for hosting little parties and even had these tiny chandeliers hanging across the ceiling, but its main use was as a lair for Jameson and Dee to binge TV with the good sound system. As they entered, Jameson hit a few buttons, and one of his chill playlists popped on.
“Safe at home,” Gray said.
Jameson laughed. “Maybe I will try a different disguise next time. I didn’t spend all those years sitting in wardrobe without picking up a couple of things.”
“Oh yeah?” Gray asked. He leaned against the bar, and Jameson caught the flash of lightning behind his eyes. “What kind of things?”
He paused at the counter, poised to open a bottle of beer, and it took him a moment to compose himself again and flip the cap off. It was just like at the fire. Somehow, Gray seemed to be homing in on the exact thing that Jameson wanted to hide.
Or the exact thing that he wanted Gray to discover was maybe more accurate.
“I guess a lot of what I learned isn’t that useful. Like going undercover as a cyborg wouldn’t help, for instance.”
Gray laughed. “Hold on a second. Could you really do that costume fromSecond Dragon?”
“Not the whole costume,” Jameson acknowledged. “Just some parts of the look.”
His heart pounding, he turned his attention to making himself a cocktail. He was dancing so close to the truth, it made him dizzy.
“Like, the makeup?” Gray asked.
Jameson swallowed as he poured a splash of vodka into his glass to meet the tonic. He felt shaky and vulnerable, but more than that, he felt compelled to keep going, like the temptation was too much to resist.
