“I’m excited to see you in a few days.”
“Oh, you remembered that, huh?”
He laughs again. I’m a real riot. I should waltz into Hollywood as the next hot standup comedian.
“Of course, Lila. How could I forget you?”
“Yikes. I bet that line works on all the girls.” Despite my words, I’m smiling. Flirting with him is my new favorite activity.
“It probably would if I said it to anyone else.” It’s my turn to laugh. At least he’s honest.
“So, what’s the plan for this date? Stargazing in left field? A little first base on first base? A rendezvous in the dugout?” Of course I slipped my fantasy into the conversation. Part of me wouldn’t be mad if he took me there. Still, the real reason I said it is because I had three margaritas with dinner.
“I have more tricks up my sleeve.”
A tap on my shoulder has me turning, and I didn’t even realize until now I’m halfway behind a large plant pressed against the building to the taco bar. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with,” I tell him honestly. “I gotta go. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” My cheeks heat at the presumption, though we’ve been talking every day anyway.
“Goodnight, Lila.” I like how he doesn’t end the conversation with goodbye but always with goodnight.
Hopefully next time I see him, it won’t just be a goodnight, but a goodnight kiss.
SIX
Lila
When Friday rolls around, I’m beat. I had two more finals today and I’m ready to curl up in bed and sleep for the entirety of the weekend. Only one final on Monday stands between me and sweet, sweet freedom, also known as graduation. I’m half asleep when my phone vibrates with a text. It’s Hollis, reminding me about our date tonight I’d somehow managed to forget. I groan as I lie back on the couch and throw my arm over my eyes.
“Trouble in paradise already?” If I had the energy to throw a pillow at her, she’d probably be knocked to the ground with my hulk-like strength. Alas, she’s lucky, because I’m exhausted.
“I can barely keep my eyes open and Hollis is trying to take me to some fancy restaurant tonight to impress me and if I’m being totally honest all I want to do right now is eat pizza and lay on the couch bingeing trashy reality TV.”
“Okay, take a breath.” She doesn’t keep talking until I oblige. “Why don’t you just tell him that? Phoebe is working tonight. I can go out with some of the other girls to get out of your hair. You can have the place to yourself.”
“Are you sure?” I don’t want to kick her out. She must be able to tell by my face that’s exactly what I want to do.
“Please, beg me to stay a little harder.” I roll my eyes at her sarcastic tone. “Seriously, call him.” She gives me a pointed look.
“Thank you.” I press his contact and he picks up on the second ring. “Don’t hate me,” I say.
“That’s not the best way to start a conversation. It falls somewhere behind ‘we need to talk,’ but it’s still not great.”
“I know you had this amazing fancy date night planned and I appreciate the effort, really, I do, but I am wicked tired, and if it’s cool with you, I’d kinda like to just order in? Preferably in the form of a large extra cheesy pizza.”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” His tone doesn’t convey any resentment. I can breathe a sigh of relief.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to ruin your plans. Also, I’m not trying to get you here just to seduce you. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to sleep with you yet.” Oh my God tell me I didn’t just say that out loud. “See, I’m exhausted and saying crazy things. Not that not sleeping with you is crazy…or sleeping with you would be.” I rub my forehead, exasperated with myself. “You know, I’m just going to shut up.”
“Please, don’t stop on my account. Do keep talking. I love hearing your inner thoughts.”
I groan. “I’ll see you soon.” I hang up before I let anything else embarrassing slip out.
A half hour passes before there’s a knock on my door. I’m nervous to see Hollis. Part of me is wondering if I’ve romanticized him. Maybe he’s not as handsome or sweet. Maybe it’s stupid of me to have a virtual stranger over to my place.
Maybe our eerie connection isn’t real.
I try not to let the thoughts consume me as I open the door and let him in. He’s a vision; not only in the sense of his tight jeans and tee, but because he’s also carrying a pizza box—and he’s definitely as hot as I remember.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for ruining your night.”
“I still get to see you. Nothing is ruined.” His boyish grin only amplifies his handsomeness. My knees are ready to turn into putty.
“I had thought about this, you know, if I ever had you over to my place. I’d cook for you and I’d fluff the pillows and make sure every room was obsessively clean like I live out of a lifestyle magazine.”
“You’ve thought about having me over?”
My cheeks heat and he smiles broader. “Not like this.”
“Why? This is perfect. Staying in and eating pizza is like, my number one fantasy. You’re a bonus.”
I laugh at his words, grateful for his sense of humor and making me feel comfortable. I grab plates from the cupboard—paper, because there’s no way in hell I’m doing dishes tonight—and lead him over to the couch.
“Want to watch a movie or something?” I scroll through the channels and catch a Marvel movie on. I’m not a comic fan, but anything involving Chris Evans is something I can get behind.
Hollis seems pretty invested in the movie. About ten minutes in he asks me if I’ve seen it before and I shake my head no. He kinda nerds out a little bit, talking about the movies and what led to this one. It’s still weird to me seeing Hollis be so…normal.
“You’re totally turned off by me now, aren’t you? I just went full comic book nerd.”
“I don’t remember saying I was turned on by you.” I smirk, glancing over at him from the corner of my eye. His jaw drops and his hand clutches his chest in faux offense. “Anyway, uh, no. It’s cute. It’s obviously something you’re really interested in.”
We finish our pizza and joke through the rest of the movie. Being with him is as comfortable and natural as I remember. There’s no weirdness between us, only chemistry so strong it feels like I’ve known him forever.
When the movie ends, another one begins right after it. It seems we’re stuck in the middle of a Marvel movie marathon, but I can’t complain as long as Hollis is here.
As the movie plays, I clean up the table, throwing our plates and sodas away, and immediately, I start overthinking. Now that we’re not eating and nothing is between us, do I move closer to him on the couch? Will it be too obvious, too desperate? Will he view it as a come on? I’m not trying to have sex with him tonight…am I? If I have to ask, the answer must be no.
Ugh, why is dating so hard? Why can’t I live in the 1400s when arranged marriage was a thing? It’s like how some girls want to go to private school for the uniforms, so they don’t have to think about what to wear every day. I’d like to not have to think about dating and embarrassing myself constantly.
Did I really just equate an outfit to an anti-feminist notion of selling women into unwanted marriages? Who am I? I really am cracked.
I shake the ugly thoughts away and return to the couch, not thinking about where I sit. Where my ass lands is where I sit. I’m like a fucking cat—if I fits, I sits. End of discussion. I look over and find Hollis staring at me, a comical grin plastered on his face. God, I wish I could get a look inside his head. He’s always looking at me with a smirk, eyes alight with laughter.
“What?” My words and my tone are so eloquent sometimes I even surprise myself.
“I really like you, Lila…” he fidgets in his seat, running a hand through his messy hair. “and I have a bit of a crazy proposition for you.”
“Oh no. It’s pegging, isn’t it? Or are you like, a furry? What do they call th
em? Do I wear the cat tail or do you? Truthfully, I’m not sure. I haven’t done any research on it. No judgment, I’m just glad you told me before anything happened here.”
He bursts out laughing and when he looks at me again his head is cocked in amusement. “Lila, no. I’m not into cat tails or pegging. Where do you come up with this stuff?” I keep my mouth closed. It’s probably one of the better decisions I’ve ever made.
“I want you to come on the road with me this summer.”
I stare at him, wide-eyed and blinking for several minutes. “You want me…to come on…the road…with you?” I test the words out as if it’s the first time I’ve ever spoken.
“Yup.” The overconfidence in his tone is pretty sexy, not gonna lie. “Come on, what’s stopping you? You said it yourself, you’re basically free until you move to Philly for school.”
“True, but I can think of a handful of things off the top of my head to stop me.” I start ticking items off on my fingers. “Like, for one, you’re obviously crazy. I barely know you. This is literally our second date. We haven’t even kissed yet.”
“Well, then let’s rectify that.”
He leans in close across the sofa, but not all the way. He watches me through half-hooded eyes, a look of pure desire as his gaze flits to my lips. He doesn’t grab me or pull me close. He comes about seventy percent of the way; he’s making me commit, making me close the thirty percent gap left between us.
And, of course, I do.
My breath is shaky as I lean in to meet him. The second my lips graze his, he takes over, and I’m grateful. Hollis’ mouth crushes against mine. The air feels stolen from my lungs as the electricity sizzles through me. As far as first kisses go, this one has to fall in the top ten of all time. It’s romantic and sexy all at once. A deep, throaty sigh escapes from his throat as if he’s been waiting all of his life to kiss me. I have a visceral reaction to the noise. I reach up and tangle my fingers in his deep brown locks, and his arm wraps around my back to tug me closer. I get lost in him.
Until the front door opens.
I pull away from Hollis as if it’s 2014 again and we’re in the middle of the ice bucket challenge.
“Phoebe, hi. I, uh, thought you were working tonight?”
“It was dead, so I got cut. I’m sorry to interrupt.” She giggles and retreats to her bedroom.
Hollis and I look at one another; he looks amused, I feel embarrassed.
“Now with the kissing out of the way…” The sentence hangs and I bite my lip. Didn’t I say I was due for something a little wild? After this summer, I’m off to grad school and on to the real world. It’s my last chance to have some fun, to be a little reckless. Hollis asks me once more, “What do you say, Lila?”
SEVEN
Lila
“Are you sure about this?” Bridget is sitting cross-legged on my bed watching me pack a suitcase. I came directly home from my last final and started to pack my bags. After this week, I’ll be on the road. Graduation is Thursday and I head out with Hollis on Friday.
What a time to be alive.
“Weirdly, yes. I feel like I have to do this, you know? Besides, I’ll be back basically every week anyway when he has home games. If I don’t show up you can call the police then.”
“Ha ha, you’re so funny. I’m worried for you, Lila. You’ve never done anything like this before.”
“I know. I’ve been boring, followed all the rules, never stepped out of line. I want to have a little fun. At the very least, I’ll get a good story out of it, right?”
“And…at the very most?”
I sit down on the opposite corner of the bed, perching on the edge. My back is to my best friend as I stare into my closet, not wanting to admit to her what I’m thinking and feeling. It’s crazy. If I say it, she’ll lock me in my room and never let me leave. She’ll slowly replace each wall with a padded one.
“I know I sound like I’ve fallen off my rocker. No, more like I’ve been launched out of it and had a lobotomy. There’s just something…there, ya know? I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve never felt like this before, Bridge.”
“Call me devil’s advocate, but could it be because you never allowed yourself to feel something for anyone? You’ve barely dated. How can you know he’s special? Could it just be the fame and money and attention he’s giving you?” I turn to look at her, my knee bending in front of me to sit on the bed.
“I don’t know. You might be right, but something is telling me that I have to go. I would regret it more than anything if I pass this opportunity up. What would you do?”
She pretends to think it over but smirks almost instantly. We both know if it were her, she’d have three suitcases packed by now.
I stand and resume packing. This stretch of games is longer than usual. The Sox will be away for two weeks before they head back home, which is why I’m bringing a full suitcase. I’m not even totally sure of the arrangement. Hollis touched on it briefly, but I was too shocked by the mere fact I actually agreed to go that I blacked out and forgot all the details.
Am I going to every game? Do I have to purchase tickets? Will I be in the fancy player boxes or whatever? Did he get me a job as a bat girl? Am I supposed to stay locked up in the hotel room as a sex slave he can use at his leisure to let off steam?
Speaking of which, I assume we’re going to be sharing a room, which brings a brand new bout of anxiety to the forefront. I’m not ready to sleep with him yet, which may be even wilder than going with him in the first place.
What if he sleeps naked? What if he snores? What if I snore?
“You made this decision. Don’t even try to back out now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve folded and refolded that same shirt at least five times now. You’re panicking.”
“Whaaaaaaat?” My pitch is only twelve octaves too high. I’m sure she didn’t even notice.
“Come on. We’re going out to celebrate the end of undergrad and to get your mind off everything.”
I don’t try to fight her. I’ve learned my lesson in that respect. Bridget may look innocent with big blue eyes and a preppy blonde ponytail, but she’s scrappy and tenacious. The word ‘no’ isn’t in her vocabulary.
She runs into her room and when she comes back out, she’s wearing a low-cut black top and black jeans that look painted on. “What? You never know when you’ll meet someone,” is her explanation and I shrug and follow her out the door.
We head to a local restaurant bar by campus, the one where Phoebe works. She spots us right away and runs over to us, pulling us to a table open in her section. She spends a solid five minutes gossiping with us until her boss comes and literally drags her away, only for her to return a few minutes later, two margaritas in hand. She places them on our table with a wink and promises to be right back.
The place is full. A lot of students seem to have had the same idea as us and are here drinking and celebrating the end of the year, or like us, the end of undergrad altogether. Bridget and I cheers and down our drinks in record time, only for Phoebe to come back with two fresh ones.
“So, are you feeling any better?” Once I’m halfway done with my second drink and I’ve stuffed my face with enough junk food to feed a small country, my best friend finally broaches the sensitive subject.
“Yes, thank you. I don’t know why I’m such a spaz. I mean, you’re right. I made this decision as if it were nothing; I don’t know why I’m freaking out now. It’s not like I’m going to be gone for months at a time. I’ll be back here all the time.”
“And if you need me, I’m just a phone call away.” Something about her tone has red flags waving in my mind.
I pause, a loaded nacho halfway to my mouth. A black olive rolls off the top and into my lap. “What do you mean? Just like, when I’m gone though, right?”
Her face falls and a pit forms in my stomach. “I didn’t know how to tell you.” I put my chip down before my hand
starts to cramp. “I got a job offer. I’m still going to school; it’ll just be part time instead.”
“Congratulations, B. You deserve it. You worked your ass off for this.”
“Thank you.” She nods and takes a large gulp of her drink, finishing it off. “I start on Monday.”
“Like, next week?” She nods. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been so selfish. I’ve been so focused on Hollis and my own drama. I’m sorry. Shit. I’ve been such a bad friend.”
“No, you’re fine. Really. I just found out and I didn’t know how to tell you. A spot just opened up. It was very quick.” She shrugs. “Your life is much more exciting.” I frown and sip on my drink. “At least you’ll still have Phoebe,” she says as our third roommate walks back up to join us.
“You’ll still have me for what?” She brushes her red hair over her shoulder to allow her nametag to show once more.
“At the apartment. Bridget here is abandoning us for a job.”
“Oh, that.” My mouth falls as realization dawns. Bridget already shared her news with our other friend before filling me in. In response, all she can do is shrug. “But, no, I’m leaving too. I just put in my two weeks’ actually. I’m moving in with Derrick.”
“You’re what?” At least I wasn’t the last to find out this information. Bridget seems as surprised as I am.
“It’s no big deal. He’s moving to California and I’ve always been more of a west coast girl. He’s opening a branch of his dad’s company out there. We’ll have a place to stay and jobs. It’s all kind of perfect.”
“I didn’t think it was serious between you two,” I say. What is happening in the world? Phoebe is one of the last people I ever imagined settling down with a guy. She’s always loved the single life. Between this revelation and my impending summer rendezvous with Hollis, hell must look like it got invaded by Elsa.
“It’s not, but it could be. He’s a good guy, you know? I could use some stability and the Pacific Ocean. It’s a win-win.” She scurries away and brings us one more margarita each.
I realize this is my last week with both my roomies. When I leave on Friday, it’ll be the last time they’re here. I swallow thickly at the thought.
Fastball Flirt (The Boys of Summer Series Book 1) Page 4
