Infinite Cashback System

The sidewalk narrowed as they walked, and Jordan shifted position without thinking, placing himself between Chloe and the curb. Old habit. His grandmother had drilled it into him when he was twelve. Men walk on the street side. Women stay protected.

Chloe noticed immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"Walking."

"You switched sides."

"Yeah."

She looked at the road, then back at him, then down at their joined hands. Something in her expression softened. "That’s kind of sweet."

"My grandma would haunt me if I didn’t."

Chloe swung their arms together, the movement easy and playful. Forward, back, forward again. The momentum pulled them closer with each swing until their shoulders bumped.

"You’re ridiculous," she said.

"You started it."

"I did." She swung their arms harder. "I’m going to launch us into space."

"Please don’t."

The karaoke place appeared two blocks ahead. Brass Monkey, the sign glowing pink and gold in Korean and English, with a second-floor entrance up a narrow staircase between a tteokbokki restaurant and a convenience store.

Jordan pulled the door open and Chloe walked through, their hands still linked as they climbed the stairs. The interior smelled like beer and fried food and the kind of industrial air freshener that tried too hard. A desk sat at the top of the landing with a bored-looking host scrolling through his phone.

Chloe leaned against the counter. "Reservation under Kumi?"

The host checked his tablet. "Room seven. Down the hall, last door on the right."

"Thanks."

They walked down a narrow corridor lined with closed doors, muffled singing bleeding through from different rooms. Someone was murdering a ballad in Korean. Someone else had turned the bass up so high the walls vibrated.

Room seven sat at the end.

Jordan opened the door.

Kyle sat on the curved leather booth scrolling through his phone, earbuds in. Kumiko perched at the edge of the seat with a laminated drink menu held six inches from her face, studying it with the focus of someone translating ancient text. Leo stood near Alexis, who was on her phone typing rapidly with her thumb, completely ignoring him. She wore a white bodycon dress that stopped mid-thigh and gold heels that made her legs look a mile long. Kumiko had gone full pastel chaos, lavender cardigan, pink plaid skirt, white knee-highs, and a ribbon in her twin-tails that matched her cardigan perfectly.

Leo was mid-sentence when the door opened. "I’m just saying, if you ever want someone to show you around Cabo—"

Alexis held up one finger without looking at him. Still typing.

Kyle glanced up. Pulled out an earbud. "Yo."

Jordan stepped inside. "Yo."

Kyle stood and crossed the room, hand extended. Jordan met him halfway and they dapped up, the handshake quick and solid. Kyle’s grin was easy. "Thought you were gonna bail."

"Almost did."

Chloe released Jordan’s hand and moved toward the girls. Kumiko squealed before Chloe even reached her, dropping the menu and launching herself off the seat to wrap both arms around Chloe’s neck. "You came! I thought maybe you’d flake because you were weird at discussion section!"

"I wasn’t weird."

"You were extremely weird." Kumiko pulled back, hands still on Chloe’s shoulders. Her eyes tracked sideways to Jordan, then back. "Did you guys get here at the same time?"

"Nah." Chloe hugged Alexis next, who returned it with one arm, phone still in her other hand. "We rode together."

Kumiko’s mouth dropped open. "Together? Like in a car? His car?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"We live in the same complex."

Silence.

Kumiko’s eyes went wide. "Oh."

Alexis finally looked up from her phone. Her gaze landed on Jordan, then traveled slowly from his face down to his shoes and back up. "Looks like a simp can clean up nicely."

Jordan raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t you just apologize for that this afternoon?"

"Well now I’m doing it in a friendly way."

"It wasn’t in a friendly way."

"Agree to disagree."

Leo crossed the room and extended his fist. Jordan bumped it. "Glad you could make it, man. This is gonna be sick."

"Yeah."

Leo clapped his hands together. "Actually, I forgot something outside. You ladies should order some food while I grab it from my car." He turned to Jordan and Kyle. "Jordan? Kyle?"

Jordan’s stomach sank.

Kyle pulled his other earbud out. "What?"

"Come with me real quick."

Jordan sighed. "Why?"

"Just come on."

The three of them filed back into the hallway. Leo walked fast, nearly jogging to the stairs. Jordan followed at a normal pace. Kyle brought up the rear, hands in his pockets.

Outside, Leo stopped on the sidewalk and turned around, waiting until they both caught up.

"Alright." Leo looked between them. "What girls are we pursuing?"

Jordan blinked. "What?"

"I can already tell Jordan and Chloe had something starting in the car. My alpha meter was going off."

Kyle’s face went flat. "Never say some dumb shit like alpha meter again. You’re gonna scare the hoes."

Jordan nodded. "Agreed. Don’t do that."

Leo waved them off. "Whatever. Point is, I need intel. Kyle, what’s your move?"

Kyle shrugged. "I’m here for a good time and free food. None of the women here are my type. I’ll find her at the gym."

Leo stared. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"So you’re just vibing?"

"I’m playing wingman." Kyle’s grin returned. "Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t crash and burn."

Leo turned to Jordan. "And you’re with Chloe."

Jordan said nothing.

Leo’s eyes narrowed. "You are with Chloe, right? Because if you’re not, I need to know the dynamics before I make my move."

"Your move on who?"

"Alexis."

Kyle groaned. "Bro."

"What?"

"Alexis Van Der Berg." Kyle looked at Jordan for backup. "Tell him."

Jordan crossed his arms. "She’s out of your league."

"No she’s not."

"She absolutely is."

"I have money."

"So does she." Jordan leaned back against the brick wall. "More than you. And she knows you’re trying to use it to impress her, which means it doesn’t work."

Leo’s jaw tightened. "Then what does work?"

"Not being Leo."