Chapter 3
Anson
What the hell is going on here?
I've never had a personal trainer before, but I'm pretty sure they're meant to, you know, train a person, not offer up fast food and threaten loss of remote control privileges.
Then again, he is Robbie's brother, so shame on me for expecting him to be conventional.
"Thai," I reply slowly.
Jarvis nods and hands me the Thai takeout bag. "Very well. Have you ever watched JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Awesome. You are going to love it." He glances around the room. "Now, do you, like, have a butler, or do we need to plate up ourselves?"
I chew the green chicken curry, discreetly glancing between the action of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure unfolding on the giant flat screen in front of me and the real-life bizarre adventure currently sitting a few feet away from me on the sofa.
I rewind my memory to when Robbie stopped by last week and play it back. I was sober, so I definitely recall him asking for a favor to help his brother who was lacking self-confidence.
He must have a secret brother I don't know about because nothing about Jarvis suggests he lacks self-confidence. He's tucking into his Pad Thai, transfixed by the TV, which gives me a convenient excuse to properly take him in.
He's got a solid build, like someone who played football in their younger years.
Not that he's not still in his younger years.
I know he's only a few years older than Robbie.
His face is boyishly cute, smooth skin, eyes a few shades lighter blue than his brother's, with a lopsided, mischievous grin I've already seen several times despite meeting him less than half an hour ago.
"Watch this next bit," he says without taking his eyes off the screen. "It's fucking rad."
I haven't watched cartoons since I was a kid, but I manage a couple of appreciative hums just the same since he seems to be very into it. By the time the episode ends, we've finished our food, but I'm still no clearer on what we're actually doing.
Jarvis turns the television off. "So, what did you think?"
"Of the cartoon?"
He gasps, clutching his chest like he's about to go into cardiac arrest. "You did not just say that."
I glance at the now-black screen and wonder what I said wrong to provoke such a strong reaction. "Uh…"
"Anime," he says, swinging an arm over the back of the sofa as he turns to face me, "is a cinematic art form filled with emotional trauma and deep musings on life, death, and everything in between. Cartoons…are for children."
"Right. I see. My apologies."
He smiles, which quickly rolls into a laugh. A light, airy sound, infectious enough to almost make me smile right along with him. Almost. I haven't cracked more than a grin in so long I've probably lost the required muscle memory.
"You want any more?" he asks, gesturing toward the food containers laid out on the coffee table.
"No, I'm good, thanks."
"Okay. So, what would you like to do now?"
I quirk a brow. Is 'a workout' too obvious an answer? "I guess we should…exercise?"
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"A statement," I reply, running my hand through my hair, suddenly unsure of myself. I glance over at Jarvis who's eyeing me up and down. "Can I help you?"
"You planning on exercising in jeans?"
I glance down at my outfit. Oh. "Guess I didn't really think it through."
"It's okay," he says, placing his hand on my knee, the warmth of his touch seeping into me, startling in how good it feels. "Let me guess, Robbie strong-armed you into doing this?"
"Well, not exactly, but…"
Jarvis grins. "Say no more. You don't have to worry. I'm not one of those army general trainers who yells at people. You've got nothing to be afraid of with me. Let's—let's get up."
He shoots to his feet, and before I'm fully on mine, he's marching toward the balcony. He opens the sliding door, heads for a patch of shade under the awning, then spins around to face me. My heart’s already beating way too fast, and we haven't even started doing whatever it is Jarvis has in mind.
I'm feeling…bewildered. Yeah, that's it. Bewildered.
"You got any knee or ankle issues?" he asks, taking a few steps back.
I shake my head.
"Good. Can you do this?" He springs off the ground, legs and arms shooting wide like a star before snapping back together. "Now you."
"Jumping jacks?" The words fall out of my mouth before my brain has the chance to vet them.
"Hey, don't knock jumping jacks." Jarvis steps in closer, so close I can see the faint freckles scattered across his cheeks and the amused, ever so slight, twitch in his lower lip.
"They're great cardio, and they engage your entire body.
Plus, they count as a workout, so if we do, say, ten of them, I won't have to lie to Robbie when he asks whether we actually trained today.
And if we hurry up and do them sometime this year, we'll be able to squeeze in another episode of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure before my ninety minutes are up. "
Robbie, I'm not worried about, and I couldn't give two stuffs about the cartoo—anime show. The most enticing part of Jarvis's offer? Getting to spend another twenty-five minutes sitting next to this utterly unique and intriguing young man.
"Alright." I roll my neck and wave my arms. "Let's get this shit done."