“Are you busy tonight?” she asked.
Her suggestion brought me out of my daze. “Tonight?” My mouth had gone dry, and my voice cracked. I took a sip from my water bottle so I could talk without sounding like a prepubescent loser. But the delayed response must have seemed like I was hesitating. I could tell by the way her eyes got glassy as she fiddled with the cuff of her sweater—she thought I was looking for an excuse to say no.
“Sorry, I know it’s Friday. If you have plans with your friends or a date or something, it’s not a big deal. We can go another time.”
Bashful Abby was back, uncertainty written all over her face. It’s like she expected me to brush her off. The nice guy inside me wanted to put her at ease. But the evil, immature side of me wanted to antagonize her. I thrived on the adorable, flustered reaction I always got.
Evil Evan won.
Pretending to be shocked, I gasped. “Why, Abby, are you asking me out?” I thought my grin clarified the fact that I was teasing, but her eyebrows shot to her hairline and she panicked.
“No!” she insisted, her tone a cross between fear and mortification.
Okay, apparently that was too far. Great job, moron. I placed my hand on her arm. “Hey, don’t stress.” Not knowing what to do, I pulled a page from Garland’s playbook and made a bad joke of it. “It’s obvious you weren’t asking me out. I mean, The Mega Party Superstore would be a lame date destination. You’re way too classy for that. I’d expect nothing less than a trip to McDonald’s and a stroll around Walmart.”
She shrank down in her chair, chortling grimly. “You’re a jerk. You know that?” She almost sounded serious. If I were Garland, she’d probably be laughing right now. I felt awful.
“Abby, I’m genuinely sorry.” I said it reverently as I placed my knuckle under her chin and forced her to look at me. She frowned. It made my heart pound and my gut clench.
She sighed. “No, it’s okay.”
I shook my head. “It’s not okay. I nearly sent you into a panic attack.”
“Really, it’s fine. I don’t mind it when you tease me.” The right side of her mouth tipped up in half of a mischievous smirk. “It opens the door for my rude comebacks.” I chuckled, and her smile widened. “I’m not usually comfortable bantering with people, but for some reason I can do it with you. I kind of like it.”
“Then why the freak-out?” Abby bit her bottom lip and continued to chew on it for a moment. I assumed she was contemplating how much to tell me. Without thinking, I took her hand. “Come on, fess up already. No need for secrets amongst friends.” Referring to her as my friend felt good. It felt natural. Forget Garland. I could totally do this friendship thing.
She looked down and blurted, “I’m dating impaired.” That’s when I noticed she was staring at our joined hands. Oops. Hadn’t meant to do that for so long. I gave her hand a couple pats and pulled mine back.
“Dating impaired, huh?” It made complete sense. Like I kept saying, Abby and Garland could be twins, separated at birth. That sounded like a good thing, in theory. Realistically, it complicated my mission. How did I get two people that don’t date to date each other?
“Yeah. I have no problem being friends with a guy, but once someone throws around the word date, I get all nervous and clam up.”
“You? Nervous?” I asked facetiously. “I don’t believe it.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve heard my word vomit. Now times it by ten, and that’s how bad I am when I like someone. Hot boys are a crippling disease.”
“I’d like to think I’m hot, so I don’t know whether to be offended or flattered.”
She pulled her hair over her shoulder and ran her fingers through it. Her eyes were dancing when she said, “Present company excluded, of course. You’re less like a disease and more like a nagging cough.”
I barked out a single laugh. “Now I’m definitely offended.”
Abby finally relaxed, and a genuine smile spread across her face. But her phone rang and ruined the moment. “Hey,” she answered, then paused for a long time. Suddenly she frowned. “I’m so sorry. That sucks. I’m leaving now. Be there in fifteen.” After she hung up, she stood and started packing her bag.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she replied somberly.
“That wasn’t very convincing.” I started packing my stuff up, too.
“Sam had a date tonight with this guy from her psychology class. He just called and cancelled, said he was getting back together with his ex. She can be a little dramatic, but the tears were real. I need to go home and snuff the flame before it turns into a full-on fire.”
“I’m headed that way, too. I’ll walk with you.” I pulled the coat off the back of her chair and held it open. She stared at me like I’d grown a third eye. It took me a second to figure out why she was gawking. “What? It’s called being a gentleman.” She raised an eyebrow. I stomped my foot. “Quit being stubborn, and put your dang arms in the coat.”
That made her giggle. It was a sound I enjoyed more and more each time I heard it. I pulled her ponytail out of the jacket while she zipped it up, then insisted on helping with her backpack, too. When I tried to slip her mitten on her hand, though, she slapped me with it. She shook her head as if I were being absurd, but the smile never left her face.
On the way to the dorm, Abby vented about Sam. She said they got along well, but that Sam was high maintenance and could be emotionally exhausting. It was the perfect segue into talking about Garland and how he was the exact opposite—chill and laid back almost all the time.
“That sounds refreshing. You’re lucky.”
“He has his moments, but he’s a good guy.” I bumped into her with my shoulder. “You two should talk more; maybe he needs to vent about his high-maintenance roommate.”
“You? High maintenance?” She mimicked me. “I don’t believe it.”
“I know. Who’d have thought?” I slung my arm around her and tucked her into my side. She fit there perfectly. We walked like that the rest of the way.
When we reached the entrance to her building, she stepped out from under my arm and started for the door, talking to me over her shoulder. “Don’t worry about decoration shopping tonight. There’s lots of time to get it done.”
I’d completely forgotten about that. “Wait,” I called out.
She spun around and cocked her head to the side. “Yeah?”
I got this strange, uneasy feeling, like all my nerves were being poked with hot, sharp needles. It didn’t make sense, because I wasn’t afraid to ask girls out. Plus, that’s not even what I was doing. “When you mentioned shopping earlier, I hesitated because I was actually going to see if you and Sam wanted to hang out tonight. There’s a billiards table in our common room if you like shooting pool. Or we could watch a movie. If you want a good boost to your self-esteem, we could play cards. Garland’s horrible at all card games.”
Abby stuck her hands on her hips and gave me a lopsided smile. “Were you really going to ask me to hang out? Or are you still feeling guilty because you nearly gave me a heart attack?”
I held up my hand as if I were taking an oath. “I swear, it was always the plan. And now you can’t reject me because I happen to know that the only thing you have going on tonight is consoling your heartbroken roommate.”
She narrowed her eyes and hummed. “Well, I could reject you, but it’d make me look like a jerk. Which I have no problem with.”
I pulled out the big guns and pouted. “You might as well come over. I’ll even help you with Sam. We can alternate support shifts, reminding her that she’s better off without the jerk.” Abby chewed on her lip again. I was starting to learn her various tells. That one meant that I almost had her. “I’ll buy pizza…”
“And soda?”
I grinned. “Whatever you want.”
“Okay, fine.” She relented. “But if you’re really going to help me with Sam, you’ll need chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.”
My phone chimed, and I looked down at the screen. “The girls are here,” I said to Garland. He was fixing his hair with mousse. “You look sexy; stop fussing with it.”
He rolled his eyes. “I swear, sometimes you talk like a chick. And I don’t care about looking sexy. They’re here to hang out with you anyway.”
“They’re here to hang out with both of us. Abby’s excited to see you again.”
He paused and looked at me in the mirror. “She said that?”
Not exactly. Or really at all. “Sure did,” I lied. He’d need all the confidence he could get tonight. It wouldn’t hurt to pad his ego a little. I snatched a bag containing an assortment of chocolate candies from my desk. “Now, grab the cooler and let’s go. It’s bad form to leave your date standing out in the cold.”
“I thought this wasn’t a date?” he challenged.
“It’s not.” I grinned, waggling my eyebrows. “Unless you want it to be.”
He picked up the sodas and shoved his phone in his pocket. “Do you want it to be?”
I absolutely did not want this to be a date—for me. But, if it was going to turn into one for Garland, I’d have to take a hit for the team. “Not sure yet. I guess we’ll see how things are going in an hour.”
I held the door open. Garland shook his head and walked out. “Poor girl. She doesn’t know what she’s up against.” As he passed, I noticed he’d used my cologne. That was a positive sign. It was expensive, so even though I’d said he could use it whenever, he only did when he wanted to leave a good impression.
We made it downstairs to find that someone else had already let Abby and Sam inside. They were huddled up on the couch in the lobby. “Sorry it took so long to get down here.”
“No worries,” Sam chirped as she shrugged out of her coat. She was wearing dark pants which looked like they’d been painted on; a thin, low-cut sweater; and a pair of boots that went all the way to her knees. “It wasn’t hard getting someone to open the door.”
“I’ll bet not,” I murmured. Her makeup had obviously taken a while to do. It was heavier than I preferred, but she was gorgeous. There was no denying it. “You look nice tonight.”
“Thanks.” Sam grinned. If Abby hadn’t said something earlier, I’d never have guessed Sam was bawling over a guy only a few hours ago.
Garland thumped me on the back of the head, then turned to Abby. “You also look nice.” He pointed his thumb at me. “I’m sure that’s what this dolt was about to say.” She snorted. He seemed pleased by her reaction. I got excited. Thumping aside, this was going to be a good night.
“Hey,” I griped. “I was getting there. Cut me some slack.” My gaze roamed over Abby. She appeared much more comfortable than Sam in her Uggs, jeans, and crewneck sweater. The material was fuzzy. I had an overwhelming urge to touch it. I pulled her into a hug—a full, real hug—and rubbed my hand across her back. “You really do look good. And this sweater is so soft. What’s it made of?”
“Not sure. But you’re welcome to borrow it anytime,” she quipped. As revenge for the jab, I bear-hugged her until she begged for mercy.
After I set her down, Garland held up his hand. “Nice one.” Abby gave him a high-five as she walked by. He looked at me. “It’d probably even fit you.” With that dig, they all lost it.
“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” Abby didn’t look all that apologetic, but watching her and Garland snicker together was rewarding enough.
“I think I could pull it off.” I puffed my chest out confidently. “That shade of pink would look great against my skin.”
“I’m serious, whenever you want to borrow it…” Abby smashed her lips together.
“How about now?” I asked. I held out my hand, curling my fingers as if to say give it over. Her eyes popped open like a deer in the headlights. It amazed me when comments like that surprised her. She should have expected it by now. “Okay, fine. Another time, then.” I poked her in the side, and she squirmed.
“Shall we head to the rec room?” Garland asked.
“Why don’t you and Abby head down and pick a few games? Sam can wait with me. The pizza should be here any second.”
“Okay. This way, m’lady.” Garland swept his hand down the hall and bowed like a goofball. I’m not sure he noticed, but Abby’s cheeks were starting to match her sweater.
Sam leaned against the wall. Her hands were tucked into her back pockets, accentuating her assets. I tried not to let my eyes wander, but hey, I’m a guy. And I’m pretty sure that’s the reaction she was hoping for.
“How are you doing? I heard you had a rough afternoon.” It was tacky of me to bring it up, but she was giving me this look, like she wanted to pass on the pizza and eat me for dinner. I needed a way to escape her smoldering stare.
Her eyes darted to the floor. “Yeah, it kind of sucked.” Her instant mood change seemed genuine. I felt guilty. “I should have known better, though. He told me that he and his girlfriend had recently broken up. I didn’t realize recently meant a week ago. I might as well have tattooed the word rebound across my forehead.”
“Hopefully he’s happy, because if not, he’s missing out.”
She smiled sadly. “It’s okay. Once I stopped feeling rejected, I decided it was for the best. I don’t want to be anyone’s second choice.”
I matched her stance, leaning against the wall across from her. “And you shouldn’t have to be. I’m sure there are plenty of guys out there who’d be thrilled to date you.”
“You think?” Sam looked up through her thick eyelashes as she kicked the baseboard with her toe. I couldn’t tell if the insecurity was an act or it was the real deal. But if she was faking, Garland should recruit her for the improv group. She’d be a fantastic actor.
Don’t be too nice, a little voice whispered in my ear. She’ll get the wrong idea. But it was hard not to console her when she looked so broken. I saw the pizza guy approach the building.
“Let’s do an experiment,” I suggested, and handed her thirty dollars. Her face scrunched up in confusion. “Trust me. Just pay the guy.”
“Okay…”
I stood back and pulled out my phone, secretly recording the exchange. It went exactly as I thought it would. When she turned around, I motioned for her to put the pizza down and crooked my finger. “Come here,” I said, then played the video.
“What am I looking for?” she asked. Was she really that clueless?
“First of all, pizza dude’s eyes visibly light up when he sees you. Then they wander straight to your boobs.” Sam tilted her head and gave me a bland expression. I was mildly annoyed. “Hey, if you don’t want us to look, don’t show them off.”
She narrowed her eyes, trying to glare at me. But we both knew I was right. After a second, she shook her head and smirked. “Fair enough.”
I turned her focus back to my phone. “After ogling your chest, he basically undresses you with his eyes.” I hit pause, zoomed in, and pushed play again. “See how they sweep from head to toe and back up again. When you hand him the money, he makes sure to brush your hand, even though it wasn’t necessary. And last but not least, pizza dude actually turned around to check out your butt when you walked away.”
Sam stared at me, mouth slightly agape. “How on Earth did you know he’d do that? It just seemed like a normal transaction to me.”
I laughed. “That’s because it was normal. You’re a beautiful woman. All guys probably look at you that way.”
She ducked her head sheepishly. “That video only shows he was attracted to me. I don’t want to get asked out because of how I look.”
I gripped her shoulder and shook it gently. “I’m going to level with you, Sam. You’re always going to get asked out based on your looks. It’s the burden us gorgeous people carry.” I winked, and a tiny smile took over her frown. “But once you’re on the date, you can dazzle the guy with your personality. So, forget about the idiot who burned you today. Be yourself, and you’ll have no problem.”<
br />
She glanced up, and her eyes were rimmed with tears. I was afraid I’d messed up until she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I almost pulled back but knew that would only feel like another rejection to her. “Thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome. Now are you ready to have some fun?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Dry your tears, and let’s go before the pizza gets cold.” Sam swiped at the corner of her eyes with a finger. I grabbed the pizza box from the chair and offered her my elbow. She hooked her arm through it. “Slap on a smile, Sammie. I need you on your A game tonight if we’re going to convince our roommates that they like one another.”
“Is that what this is all about?” She sounded disappointed.
I hated to be honest. I had to do it, though. “Mostly. But I also thought it’d be cool to hang out. You two are good company.” I don’t know if the answer satisfied her, but when we walked into the rec room, she looked like her normal, happy self.
Garland and Abby were sitting at a table. Whatever they were talking about had them very engaged. I almost didn’t want to interrupt. Abby looked up, though, so there was no sneaking out. “What took so long?”
“Evan and I were having a heart-to-heart.” Sam clutched my arm to her side and rested her head on my shoulder. It was a quick gesture, but Abby noticed. She blinked a few times. I couldn’t read her expression. Garland raised his eyebrows in a silent question.
I shrugged and changed the subject. There was a stack of games on the table. “What’d you guys pick?”
“I was thinking Monopoly or Pictionary.” She stared sideways at Garland. “He thinks we should play Twister.”
“Figures.” I laughed.
“What? This would be the perfect group to play it with.” He was alluding to the close contact with hot chicks, and we all knew it.
“I vote Pictionary,” I said, raising my hand.
“I agree,” Abby added. “What about you, Sam?”
“I’m cool with Pictionary.” Sam took the seat, and I sat across from her. “How do you want to do teams? Boys against girls?”
The Problem With Cupid (Holiday Romance Book 2) Page 4
