Empty Bargains ~Jason McCann~

~9.18~

    It had been two days since I’d figured out how to win Jason’s game, but I hadn’t gotten anywhere significant.

    I’d been wearing the clothes Jason had bought me; I was a little frustrated that I liked the style.  Every morning and night since Tuesday I’d made the guys a meal, making sure to throw a smile in Jason’s direction.  When I woke up (still in Jason’s bed after his refusal to let me sleep on the air mattress) I wasn’t hostile—I had even said a “good morning” the day before.

    When I thought about it, three days wasn’t a long time when I was trying to get someone like Jason to like me.  I’d been snarky and antagonistic since they’d dragged me in and thrown me into the basement; not without reason, of course.  It would take a while to see a change in Jason.

    But all the while, I was wondering where Tyler and Sam were.  I would’ve expected they’d have figured something out by now.  If all else failed, wouldn’t they just result to forcing their way in?  Tyler knew I’d at least do that for him.  Then again, I didn’t always think things through in their entirety before acting.  The point was that I felt abandoned, after thirteen days at Jason’s place.

    I shook my head as I sat back in my bean bag chair, watching at the ceiling fan as always.  It was around three, and I was alone in the house with Leo and Grant.  I hadn’t spoken to either of them since the night before, which felt like forever when all I did was sit and stare at an inanimate object.  They were both keeping their distance because I could tell they knew I was bluffing.  By the way I was acting, I didn’t know how anyone else couldn’t see it as well—they most likely just hadn’t said anything because I was making food and acting less annoying.  It was almost painful for me to be kind to Jason, but somehow it’d gotten better.

    Leo shuffled into the room from the staircase and glanced my way.  I smiled at him out of habit, probably a little too enthusiastically.  He rolled his eyes and kept walking, though I saw the corners of his mouth twitch upward.

    “You don’t have to play that bullshit nice-girl act when Jason isn’t here,” he said as he moved into the kitchen area.  “Grant and I both know you’re just trying to screw with him.”

    I almost let out a sigh of relief.  “It’s good to know even you aren’t that thick,” I said.  I sat up, watching where he’d been a few seconds ago.  Hesitating with my next question, I drummed my fingers on my leg.  “Is it working?”

    Leo snorted.  “I don’t know.  Jason doesn’t usually tell me about how he’s feeling.”

    I huffed and folded my hands, dropping my eyes to the ground.  If Jason hadn’t shown any notable signs of change, I wasn’t working hard enough.  I just needed one breakthrough, one of his desires, and it would be smooth sailing for me.  Granted, I didn’t know how much energy Jason invested into the emotional aspects of his life, but this seemed better than any other option I could come up with.

    I’d been quiet for about a minute when Leo spoke again.

    “There was this one girl,” he said absentmindedly.  “Her name was Leah.  She was hot, no doubt about it.  And she was nice,” Leo added after I cleared my throat loudly.  “Jason met her at a party—one we were supposed to be crashing, actually.  But one look at her and the plan disappeared; two hours later they were up in Jason’s room, making a lot of noise.”  He paused, and I didn’t know whether his laugh was out of lack of comfort or actual humor.  “He was starry-eyed for days.  They ended up having a fling for a month or two, then one day she up and leaves.  Jason wasn’t the same for weeks.”