The Single Game

by Amanda Black

  “You’re more than worth it,” he smiled, pulling back to kiss my hand. “You’re my beautiful girl. I want you for as long as you’ll have me.”

  I didn’t say a word for fear of crying, so I kissed him again and laid my head on his shoulder as he drove me home, the words I really wanted to say playing over and over again in my mind.

  How does forever sound?

  Chapter 21

  On Sunday afternoon, I returned home from the grocery store to find that not only had I forgotten my cellphone at home on the kitchen counter, but that I had also missed five calls from Amy.

  Groaning loudly, I put away the biscuit dough and butter I bought to make monkey bread, then stomped upstairs to face my doom.

  “Where the hell have you been?” she answered on the first ring. “I’ve been calling you all day!”

  “I was only gone for an hour, Amy.”

  “Oh. Well it felt like all day.”

  “What do you want?” I was only stalling. I knew damn well what she wanted.

  “Spill it, girl.”

  I sighed loudly, sitting on the edge of my bed. “I already told you. My lips are sealed.”

  “Oh come on!” she whined. “I don’t expect a blow-by-blow, but give me something to work with, here! I know you two did something.”

  “So what if we did? What does it matter to you?” It came out harsher than I’d intended, and I could practically hear her flinch over the phone.

  “I’m sorry, I just… I’m just so happy for you guys, and I’m dying to know if you’re working out as well as we all hoped you would.” Her voice was so tiny that I instantly felt like an asshole for snapping at her.

  “Amy, I’m sorry if I sounded harsh. It’s just that I still don’t feel comfortable sharing too much personal stuff. I’m not a prude, I just don’t want to betray Logan’s trust. Let us have our privacy for now, okay? I’m sure that before long we’ll both be talking openly with you guys, but I need to know what’s safe to talk about and what isn’t.”

  “I understand. I guess I’m just curious if we picked the right guy for your list, you know? I can’t wait to jump up and down and say ‘I told you so.’”

  “Well, I can definitely confirm that one. You told me so. Logan’s right for me. In fact, he’s just fucking perfect.” I felt the heat rising in my face at my admission, but I had to talk to someone about how I was feeling.

  “Yay! Told you so! Told you so!” I could tell from the stomping sounds in the background that she was literally jumping up and down.

  “Are you about done?”

  “For now, I guess,” she laughed. “So are you telling me that you’re falling for him?”

  “Amy, I don’t know what to do. I’m falling so hard for him that I can’t even believe it myself.”

  “Why do you make it sound like a bad thing? Isn’t that the best possible outcome?”

  “Yeah, eventually. But this fast? Won’t that scare him away? Every time I’m with him I have to fight to keep from telling him.”

  “Eden,” she sighed. “I understand your concern, but you have to think about this. Logan’s not afraid of commitment. And from the looks of things, he’s just as crazy about you as you are about him. I’m sure he would be thrilled to hear how you feel.”

  “My dad said that he’s probably too nervous to admit that he feels the same way.”

  “Wow…your dad said that?” She was quiet for a moment while she thought. “I gotta say, I think he’s right on this one. You’re the experienced one here. Logan is following your lead and playing the rest by ear. That boy has probably been in love with you for months, but he doesn’t want you to think he’s only saying it because you’re his first…well, his first everything.”

  “I think that’s part of the problem. I’m his first. Emphasis on the first. That’s going to lead to seconds and thirds, and so on.”

  “You don’t think he could cheat on you?”

  “No, nothing like that. I trust him. But I’m not naïve enough to think that two kids who hook up in high school have any chance of staying together in this day and age.”

  “True, the odds aren’t the best, but things are different here. It’s a small town. People marry their high school sweethearts and have families and settle down.”

  “And then they resent them for the rest of their lives for getting in the way of their dreams.”

  “Wow, aren’t we a negative Nancy today?” Amy jabbed. “If you go into something expecting the worst, that’s all you’re ever going to get.”

  “I’m not expecting the worst, I’m trying to be practical. It doesn’t make sense for me to love him so soon. And I do, Amy,” I choked back a sob. “I love him so much it hurts!”

  “Then tell him, Eden. Give him the chance to surprise you.”

  “I’m scared,” I whispered. “I don’t want to lose him. Just the thought of being without him terrifies me.”

  “Tell him that, too.”

  “You make it sound so simple.”

  “Because it is. He’s not the kind of guy you play games with or try to outsmart. He isn’t looking to hit it and quit it. Everything that you’re feeling, he’s feeling, too…for the very first time. He’s probably really overwhelmed by it all. Cut him some slack.”

  “You’re right,” I sighed. “I need to just suck it up and tell him.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I should probably get going. I still have a few things to do before he picks me up for dinner with his parents.”

  “Ooh, is that tonight?”

  “Yeah, and I was already nervous about it. Now I need to think about telling him I love him, too,” I groaned.

  “Come on, Eden. You have balls of steel and you know it. There’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.”

  “Thanks for the pep talk,” I laughed. “And thanks for listening, Amy.”

  “Anytime.”

  We said our good-byes and I let her go, heading back downstairs to think about things while I baked my monkey bread. I was going to take it over to Logan’s house for dinner, but I had to make two batches because I knew that if Dad smelled all of that melted cinnamon and there was none left here to eat, he would be extremely grouchy.

  I was just taking my second batch of bread out of the oven when my phone ringing behind me on the counter startled me.

  I chuckled at the new ringtone I’d selected, “Whatta Man” by Salt N’ Pepa, knowing when I chose it that it fit Logan perfectly.

  “Hey, baby,” I smiled into the phone. No matter how nervous the idea of telling him how I felt made me, it didn’t change the fact that talking to Logan made my heart sing.

  “Hey, yourself,” he purred. Okay, maybe he said it normally, but his voice was so sexy and velvety to me that it sounded like a purr. “That was some email you sent me today,” he laughed.

  “Oh, did you like that? Yeah, I thought you might appreciate it after last night.” When I woke up that morning I had emailed him the link to the video for “I Just Had Sex” by The Lonely Island with nothing but the message, “Feel like singing this today?” It was a goofy and silly song, but I really wanted to make him laugh and let him know that it was okay to talk about it and be lighthearted.

  “Yeah, it was great. Except you made me hum that damn thing all day.”

  “I’m sure your good mood had nothing to do with it.”

  “Well, you might have a point there. I have had a smile plastered on my face all day.”

  “I hope I had something to do with that,” I teased.

  “You had everything to do with that,” he growled in return.

  “What time are you picking me up?”

  “That’s why I was calling. Is six thirty okay? That will give us time to get back to my house and make the introductions before dinner at seven.”

  “That’s fine. I should let you go, though, or I won’t have time to get cleaned up.”

  “All right, but don’t go overboard. We’re not doing
anything fancy.”

  “I know, I just want to look my best.”

  “Okay…but you always look perfect to me.”

  “God, stop saying those things or we’ll never get off the phone and I’ll be late!”

  “I’ll let you go for now, but I’ll be there soon.”

  “Can’t wait!”

  “Bye, sweetheart.”

  “Bye,” I whispered. He ended the call, and I felt his absence tugging at my heartstrings. My body craved contact with him so badly that it even hurt to stop talking on the phone.

  God, I really had it bad.

  * * *

  Later that night, as we pulled into Logan’s driveway, I was hit with a sudden wave of anxiety. When he saw my face, he turned off the car and grabbed my hand.

  “Hey, what’s going on in there? Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s got into me. I feel like I should have dressed better, or brought something more high class. How could you let me bring monkey bread?” I knew I sounded like a panicked idiot, but that’s exactly how I was starting to feel. I really wanted his parents to like me and it felt like everything was riding on this first impression.

  “Eden, it’s just my mom and dad. They’re not snobs. And I know for a fact that my dad loves monkey bread.” He smiled at me, immediately calming my nerves.

  “I’m sorry I wigged out,” I whispered after I’d calmed down a bit. “I guess I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, you know? There’s no way you could be this perfect.”

  “I’m not. I have a crippling fear of talking to beautiful girls who get paired up with me in zoology.” He shot me a wink, and I giggled.

  “You’re talking to me now,” I smiled.

  “True, but if you weren’t so patient with me, we might never have happened.”

  “That’s a scary thought.”

  “Tell me about it. I thank my lucky stars every night that I have you in my life.” He leaned over and kissed me gently, making my heart leap.

  “Well, I’m just glad that you didn’t puke on me, because I don’t know if I could have gotten over that so quickly.”

  “Oh, God,” he groaned, turning beet red. “You heard about that?”

  “Before the party.”

  “And you still let me kiss you? Wow, you’re braver than I thought,” he chuckled.

  “I had faith in you,” I said quietly, kissing him again.

  “I’m happy to hear it,” he hummed against my lips. “So please, just have faith in my family. They’re going to love you just as much as—uh…as if you were their own.” His words faltered a bit and he got a frightened look in his eye, but it was gone before I could mention it. I just chalked it up to jitters from bringing a girlfriend home for the first time, which made me feel like an inconsiderate ass for not thinking of his feelings before I lost it over my own.

  I told myself to get a grip. They couldn’t be all bad, or Logan wouldn’t be so sweet and thoughtful.

  Hoping to reassure him, I smiled brightly and let him walk me to the front door. Once we were inside, he took my coat and gave me a quick tour of the main floor before leading me upstairs to the next level, which housed the kitchen and dining room.

  The house was immaculate, to say the least, but decorated with so much warmth and love that I immediately felt comfortable. I scanned over the family photos on the wall as we walked up the stairs. There were so many happy moments captured in time. I realized Logan easily could have thought I was strange to cherish one old, ratty picture when he had so many to choose from. It was yet another reason I knew he was special.

  He just got me.

  When I had almost reached the landing I stopped and turned back quickly, a small photo catching my eye.

  “Oh my God,” I chuckled. “That’s the spelling bee, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” he grumbled. “I hate that picture.”

  A tiny, nine-year-old Logan stared back at me, holding up a huge trophy with the biggest smile on his face. The little suit he wore was even more adorable than I had pictured, and his smile made me wonder how every girl in his class hadn’t fallen all over him even at that age.

  “Aw, how can you hate it?” I cooed. “You were so cute!”

  “You wouldn’t be saying that if they’d taken the picture five minutes later.”

  “I get it,” I sighed. “It’s a bad reminder. But now you have to stop hating it, because it’s about the most precious thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “I’ll tolerate it, how about that?”

  “Deal.”

  We both laughed as we rounded the corner, and I had to bite back another gasp at the most professional looking kitchen I’d ever seen. A beautiful woman with shoulder-length, chestnut hair was pulling a large pan out of the oven, and when her brilliant gray eyes looked up to meet mine over the countertop, I had absolutely no doubt who she was.

  “Oh! You startled me,” she said, holding her hand over her chest as she ran around the counter to get a better look at me. “I didn’t hear you two come in!”

  “Sorry about that,” Logan apologized. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “Mom, may I introduce—”

  “Wait!” she interrupted. “Where’s your father?”

  “Uh…his study, I guess.”

  “Douglas!” she yelled. “I’m so sorry, dear,” she said, patting me on the forearm. “I know he wouldn’t want to miss this. Douglas!” she shouted, running to the doorway. I heard the sound of a masculine voice, but I couldn’t tell what it said. “No, not five more minutes! Logan’s back, so get your ass out here, mister!”

  I heard more clearly, “Well, why didn’t you say so?” just as a handsome middle-aged man stepped into the room. He looked like an older, blonder, blue-eyed Logan. I glanced quickly between father and son and couldn’t help thinking that if Logan aged anything like his parents had, he was only going to get hotter.

  How was that even possible?

  “All right, sweetheart,” his mother said, dragging his father over to stand next to her in front of us. “Please continue.”

  “As I was saying,” he laughed, squeezing me to him more tightly. “Mom, Dad… I’d like you to meet Eden. Eden, these are my parents: Douglas and Nora.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Dr. Black, Mrs. Black.” I held out my hand nervously for them to shake.

  “None of that doctor business.” His dad waved off the statement like a bug in his face. “Please, call me Douglas. No need to call me doctor unless you’re having a medical emergency.”

  “Same goes for me,” his mother added. “Call me Nora.”

  “Okay,” I smiled, already feeling welcome. “Thank you so much for inviting me. Your home is so lovely.”

  “Why, thank you. What have you got there?” Nora asked, nodding at the large foil-covered plate I was holding.

  “Oh, well… I wanted to make something to bring…you know, for dinner…as a thank you.” I stumbled over my words, starting to feel silly again for what I’d chosen to make, until Logan jumped in and rescued me.

  “Eden made monkey bread, Dad!”

  Douglas got a sort of glazed, dreamy look in his eye for a moment before he turned to Logan and said, “You have my permission to marry her, son.”

  We all laughed as Nora took the plate from me. “Why don’t you come into the kitchen with me while they set the table, Eden, and we’ll find some place to put this until later? It isn’t safe out here near him.” I followed her into the other room, watching as she uncovered the dish and took a closer look at it. “Oh my, this is just beautiful! I don’t think we’ve had any decent monkey bread in years. I’ve never had the patience to make it—the few times I’ve tried have all ended badly.”

  “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” I smiled.

  “No, it’s true! The last time, we needed the fire extinguisher.” I couldn’t help laughing as she described an incident in which all of the cinnamon glaze had boiled
over the edge of the Bundt pan onto the bottom of the oven, quickly catching on fire. As I calmed down from my fit of giggles, I noticed she was staring at me closely. “You’re such a beautiful girl,” Nora said wistfully.

  “Thank you.”

  “I can see why Logan is so taken with you.”

  “Well I’m…quite taken with him, too,” I replied, unable to stop my blush.

  “Yes, I can see that, as well.” She sighed loudly before leaning back against the counter and crossing her arms. “Listen, Eden…”

  Oh, God, here it comes. She’s going to tell me that she knows I touched her precious little baby last night; that I’m a dirty slut who never should have come here.

  “I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for Logan.”

  “Excuse me?” I knew she couldn’t be thanking me for sleeping with her son, so I figured that I better stop freaking out and pay attention.

  “I know that he can be pretty awkward around girls—especially girls he likes—but he’s been so different this past week, like he’s coming out of his shell. I know that wouldn’t have happened without your help.” She reached up and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I’m just happy that someone finally realizes how special my son is.”

  Touched by her honesty, I gave her some of mine. “Believe me, I do. I find more things to like about him every day.”

  “Good,” she nodded, collecting herself. “That’s good. Well, I guess we should get this food out there before they start whining. Care to help me carry in a few dishes?”

  “Of course.” I grabbed a large salad bowl and a basket of breadsticks and followed Nora into the dining room.

  “I hope you don’t mind lasagna,” she said as she set the large casserole pan on the table. “I figured since you made spaghetti for Logan last week that Italian was a safe choice.”

  “Yes, I love it, thank you.” I found myself quickly hoping that tonight would go much better than the last time I’d eaten lasagna and thrown it up all over Riley’s driveway.

  “Is there any Italian in your family, Eden?” Douglas asked as we all dished up our meal.