Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 38

HE'S DEAD ASLEEP. SOMEONE COULD CARRY HIM OFF AND HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T EVEN NOTICE.

AH, THERE GO MY PHEROMONES AGAIN...

THE MORE TIME WE SPEND TOGETHER, THE HARDER IT IS TO KEEP THEM UNDER CONTROL.

MAYBE I SHOULD SWITCH TO SOMETHING STRONGER THAN WHAT I'M TAKING NOW...

COME TO THINK OF IT...

THAT GUY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET ME SOMETHING THAT'LL WORK.

I SHOULD REACH OUT TO HIM.

CHASE, I HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL TODAY, SO I'LL BE OUT ALL DAY.

WHAT? ALL DAY?

IT'S PHYSICAL THERAPY. I MADE THE APPOINTMENT A WHILE AGO, SO IT CAN'T BE HELPED.

NO... BUT STILL, THIS IS SO SUDD-

...FINE. GO.

...?

YOU SHOULDN'T MISS YOUR APPOINTMENT...

WHAT'S WITH HIM? IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ABOUT TO THROW A FIT,

SO WHY IS HE BEING SO COOPERATIVE?

Something's weird...

AHEM, AHEM. IT'LL TAKE YOU A WHILE TO GET THERE, SO YOU SHOULD GET GOING NOW.

CHASE, WHAT'S WITH YOU? WHY ARE YOU SO EAGER TO SEND ME OFF?

W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

ARE YOU PLOTTING SOMETHING BEHIND MY BACK?

PLOTTING WHAT? YOU SAID YOU HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO GET TO.

HMM... ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE NOT HIDING ANYTHING FROM ME?

THEN WHAT'S WITH THE SUSPICIOUS ACT—

...YOU!

UHP!

UHM, HUH!

HUU, UHM.

UH, UHP-

AH...!

WHY DON'T YOU SKIP YOUR APPOINTMENT? I'LL POSTPONE MY SHOOT.

SORRY. LET'S FINISH THIS WHEN I GET BACK.

...THEN JUST A LITTLE LONGER.

AH, HAHA!!

YOU SAID YOU HAD A SHOOT!

DANE!

JOSH.

DIDN'T THINK YOU'D STILL HAVE THE SAME NUMBER.

YOU STILL A FIREFIGHTER?

YEAH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

HERE, TAKE THIS.

GO TO THE ADDRESS WRITTEN HERE,

AND YOU'LL FIND THE DRUGS YOU NEED.

MAKE SURE YOU BRING MONEY, OF COURSE.

THANKS.

HERE'S YOUR COFFEE.

OH, THANKS.

YOU COMING OVER TO MY PLACE TONIGHT, DANE?

WE'LL SEE. I'LL THINK ABOUT IT.

ALRIGHT. I'LL WAIT.

YOU CAN COME TOO, IF YOU WANT.

I ALWAYS WELCOME GOOD-LOOKING GUYS.

...DANE, ARE YOU STILL HAVING ONE-NIGHT STANDS?

DON'T YOU THINK IT'S TIME YOU FOUND A REAL PARTNER?

YEAH, THANKS. I'LL GET RIGHT ON THAT AFTER I'VE SLEPT WITH EVERYONE.

YOU PLANNING TO SLEEP WITH EVERY WOMAN IN CALIFORNIA?

MEN TOO.

ANYWAY, WHAT BRINGS YOU TO CALIFORNIA? WORK?

SECURITY JOB.

THE CLIENT'S A CELEBRITY, SO KIDNAPPING THREATS COME UP A LOT.

I HEARD YOU GOT HURT. WAS IT BECAUSE OF THAT JOB?

YEAH. THERE WAS A TERROR ATTACK NOT TOO LONG AGO.

REMEMBER THAT BASTARD WHO THREW A GRENADE BACK WHEN WE WERE IN THE MILITARY?

THEY USED THAT SAME METHOD.

That's how I was able to recognize it so fast.

AH, THAT TIME YOU SAVED MY ASS?

THAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN EASY.

HOW MUCH DOES SECURITY WORK PAY? LIKE A HUNDRED GRAND?

Jam Session

ALTOGETHER, IT'S PROBABLY AROUND THAT.

WHY? ARE YOU INTERESTED? THINK YOU CAN WORK A SECURITY JOB ON TOP OF BEING A FIREFIGHTER?

NAH, NOT THAT.

BUT THIS CELEBRITY... HE DOESN'T HAPPEN TO NEED A KEPT MAN, DOES HE?

DANE...

NEVER MIND.

ANYWAY, WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU'RE ASKING ME FOR DRUGS,

EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE NEVER REALLY HAD MUCH OF A PHEROMONE SCENT TO BEGIN WITH.

...ONE OF THE ALPHAS ON MY TEAM FIGURED IT OUT,

SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE BETTER TO KEEP IT HIDDEN WHILE I'M ASSIGNED TO THIS JOB.

OH? WHAT KIND OF ALPHA?

IS HE HITTING ON YOU?

NOT EXACTLY. BUT SOMETHING KIND OF SIMILAR HAPPENED.

SIMILAR HOW?

THERE'S A TEAMMATE WHO DOESN'T KNOW I'M AN OMEGA.

TURNS OUT HE LIKES ME.

HE'S AN ALPHA TOO?

YEAH.

THEN IT'S JUST THE PHEROMONES.

CAN THAT STILL HAPPEN IF I BARELY GIVE OFF A SCENT?

IN THE END, ALL THAT CRAP ABOUT LIKING SOMEONE...

PEOPLE ARE JUST GETTING JERKED AROUND BY PHEROMONES.

DO YOU THINK ONLY BETAS' LOVE IS REAL, THEN?

...NO.

THE EMOTION PEOPLE CALL LOVE IS A LIE TO BEGIN WITH.

THAT KIND OF THING DOESN'T EXIST IN THIS WORLD.