by Chris Cannon
“Let’s see…a decent house, a cool car, and money for going out.”
Nathan pointed his butter knife at Jane. “Anything you’d add to the list?”
“Money for a vacation every year would be nice.” Jane tapped her nails on the table. “I can’t think of anything else.”
“Now you.” Nathan pointed at Bryce.
“What do I consider necessities?” He ran his hand back through his hair. “A great house, a top-of-the-line car, golf clubs, the latest electronics, a vacation home, an in-ground pool, and enough money to go out and have a good time.”
Nathan set his knife down. “It’s all a matter of perspective, I guess.”
Jane poked him in the shoulder. “You didn’t take your turn.”
“My list is similar to Bryce’s with a few additions. I’m spoiled and plan to stay that way.”
I shook my head. “But you’re missing the point. Haven’t you heard that quote, ‘no one wishes they’d spent more time at work when they’re on their death bed.’”
Bryce rolled his eyes. “Sounds like a made-for-TV movie where everyone figures out family is more important than money. I say, it depends on who your family is and how much money you’re talking about.”
Our food arrived. Which is a good thing, because I had no idea what to say to Bryce’s comment. He valued money above family. While my brothers drove me crazy on a regular basis, I wouldn’t trade them away for cash or a vacation home.
Jane scooped some of her lemon asparagus pasta onto my bread plate. I followed suit, giving her some of my ravioli. Curious, I tried the lemon pasta. It tasted tangy and fresh.
“I like it.”
Jane nodded with her mouth full, happy about her choice. All conversation ceased while we dug in. The only noise from our table was the sound of forks hitting plates. I stopped eating short of being miserable, and hoped if I gave it a few minutes I’d have room for dessert. Even if I didn’t think I could eat it, I planned to order the chocolate-raspberry cake. It was my favorite, and I could always take it home.
I caught Bryce checking out the lemon asparagus pasta. “Try some. It’s good.”
“No. It’s better if I stick with what I know I like.”
…
After dinner, I carried my box of chocolate-raspberry cake out to the parking lot. I’d managed a few bites. Best dessert ever.
Jane winked at me as she and Nathan walked over to his car. I followed Bryce to his Mustang, nervous about how the evening would end. Would he kiss me good night? He’d already kissed me once, even if it had been to annoy my brothers. Given a choice, would he want to kiss me? Since I was his only option for a kiss at the moment, would he kiss me just to have someone to kiss? Should I even want to kiss him, since it wouldn’t mean anything?
The circle of questions was getting me nowhere. When we climbed into the car, Bryce turned on the radio. He didn’t blast it like he had on the way to the shelter, so conversation was an option. Traffic was heavy on the main road. The drive home promised to be slow.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” Bryce asked.
My heart tripped a rhythm. Was he asking me on a date for tomorrow? “No. I’m off.”
“Good. I’d hate to think of you working all weekend because of Brittney.”
Oh, that was nice. Not what I expected, but at least it showed he could empathize. “Speaking of Brittney, has she resurfaced lately?”
“No, which makes me wonder what she’s up to.”
“She needs to move on. It’s not like she’d have a hard time finding another guy.”
“As long as she doesn’t talk much. After a few conversations, the craziness starts to show.”
What was the craziness-to-hot-girl ratio? If a girl was hot enough, would a guy ignore her personality defects? I should ask my brothers.
Traffic thinned out, and began to flow at normal speed. We still had a good ten minutes until we reached my house. To keep my mind off of the kiss-that-might-be, I started a new topic.
“What do you think about Jane and Nathan?”
He took a left onto a side street. “I’m never sure what Nathan is thinking.”
“It’s the same way with Jane. I love that about her. She says things other people think, but are afraid to say.”
“Meaning she has no tact.”
“No. She cuts through the BS and says what’s on her mind. I wish I could do that.”
We stopped at a light. He gave me a look of disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”
“What? No.”
“You aren’t exactly shy about expressing your opinion.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant. “Because I blackmailed you?”
“There’s that. But I was talking about the blonde at the restaurant.”
Any hope for a pleasant conversation was officially dead in the water. “Forget about it. If you want to flirt with other girls, just don’t do it in my line of sight.”
The light turned green, and we moved forward.
“You’re one to talk,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“The guy in the hallway, by the restrooms? Ring a bell?
“The guy I bumped into? What about him?”
“Bump would imply you bounced off rather than leaned into.”
Holy crap. Could he be jealous? “I suppose fell onto would be a better term. At least he was nice about it, so it wasn’t totally mortifying.”
“Please. He was flirting with you.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Jane said the same thing. I guess I’m not good at recognizing flirting. I think maybe it’s the new clothes.”
“Your new clothes are making you flirt with people?”
“No, but maybe people are flirting with me because of my new clothes. Jane suggested I buy girlie clothes, and now I like them.”
“What did you wear before?”
“My mom wears T-shirts and jeans in the summer and turtlenecks and jeans in the winter, so that’s what I wear. I don’t think she owns a dress.”
“My mother doesn’t own a pair of jeans.”
“Our families are so different. It’s weird.”
We turned down the road which dead ended into the nursery and became my driveway. “Watch for the—”
“Dogs. I remember.” He slowed the car. Ford and Chevy came running from back by the greenhouses and kept pace with us.
He stopped the car a few hundred feet from the house. There was an awkward silence. “What is with the giant metal chickens?”
Not the declaration of romance I’d imagined a boyfriend would make. “My dad is a sculptor. He makes things and we sell them along with the flowers and plants.”
“People pay money for giant metal chickens?”
“He makes other things. My mom picks what she likes to put in the yard.”
He showed no sign of looking at me or leaning toward me. A good-night kiss must not be in his plans. Okay. No point in dragging out this beyond-awkward situation. I unbuckled my seat belt and reached for the door handle. But, I had to say something.
“Thanks for dinner and the movie. I had fun tonight.” I pushed the door open a crack, hoping he’d stop me.
“Haley?”
My heart beat double time. I turned back to him. “Yes?”
He held my carryout box toward me. “Don’t forget your cake.”
Not wanting him to see the disappointment in my eyes, I grabbed the box and avoided eye contact. “Thanks.” Moving as quickly as possible, without looking like I was running away, I pushed the door open and climbed out. My good mood evaporated with every step away from the car.
He’d shown no interest in kissing me. None. Zero. Zip.
Disappointment, anger, and embarrassment swirled around inside me, making my chest hurt. I let myself in the house and was grateful to find the front room empty. My brothers were both out on dates, and if the noise from the basement was a clue, my parents were downstairs in the family room watching a movie.
<
br /> At least I wouldn’t have to explain my evening to anyone. I tossed the cake into the refrigerator, trudged up to my room, and changed into my softest pj’s. Jane would call soon. She’d want to tell me about her good-night kiss. I climbed into bed, putting the cordless phone by my pillow.
Ten minutes later, the phone rang. I picked it up and tried to sound happy. “Hello, Jane.”
“He kissed me.” She made a high-pitched girly-squealing noise. “It was the best good-night kiss ever.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “Good for you. Do you need to give me details, or can I go to sleep now?”
“No, you can’t go to sleep. You have to tell me about your good-night kiss.”
“Nothing to talk about.” I tried to sound like it didn’t matter, but my voice wavered.
“What do you mean?”
I sniffled. Crap. I fanned my eyes. I would not cry. “He didn’t kiss me good night.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.” I relayed the conversation we’d had in the car. I took a deep breath and blew it out. “I know I’m not his type, and it’s not like he owed me a kiss, but…”
What I was thinking was too embarrassing to say. The truth is, I didn’t think guys were that picky. I’d overheard my own brothers talk about kissing girls they weren’t into because the opportunity presented itself. So what did that say about me, if getting nothing was better than kissing me?
Chapter Ten
Bryce
On the drive home, I told myself there was no reason to feel like I’d kicked a puppy. It hadn’t been a real date. She’d known that. It was part of our deal. If I’d kissed Haley good night, it would’ve complicated the issue.
It’s not like I’d wanted to kiss her good night. Not really. She was blackmailing me, after all. But the sparkly lip gloss she’d put on had made me consider kissing her. The way her lips looked in the moonlight had made it almost impossible not to kiss her.
But it was best to keep things simple. Stick to the deal, and then go back to dating girls I understood. My mind drifted back to the popcorn. I never would have tried it on my own. It’s not like any of the girls from the country club would consider eating anything but salad.
If I’d kissed Haley, it would’ve been because it was convenient. That’s how I’d ended up with Brittney. She’d come on to me at a party. The girl I’d been interested in hadn’t shown and Brittney had been there looking for a good time, and I’d been stuck with her for the next three months. I wasn’t going to let something like that happen again. After this mess was over, I’d find a girl I understood, someone simpler than Haley.
My cell rang through the car stereo, startling me. Nathan’s name scrolled across the console. I hit the button to answer. “What’s up, Nathan?”
“Admit it. You had a good time tonight.”
“The movie wasn’t bad.” I wasn’t about to give him anything to hold over me, since this date had been his idea.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. Admit it. You like Haley.”
“Hello?” I knocked on the dashboard. “Have you seen my best friend? Apparently he’s turned into a girl.”
“Are you telling me you would’ve had a better time with Brittney tonight?”
“Depends on what you mean by a better time.” I turned into my gated community and waited for the guard to acknowledge me. He nodded and pushed the button to open the gate. I waved and drove through.
“Even you can’t be that shallow. Brittney is six kinds of crazy. Is hooking up with her worth putting up with all of that?”
“Right now, no. But it depends on the day.” Time to change the subject. “How’d you leave things with Jane?”
“She’s…fun.”
That surprised me. “How fun are we talking?”
“None of your business.”
If anything had happened, he’d want to share details. “Which means she kissed you good night and said good-bye.”
“Maybe, maybe not. What about you and Haley?”
“Nothing to tell.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I said good night and dropped her off.”
“Oh hell, you do realize I’m going to hear about this.”
“Not my problem.”
“You really are an ass.”
I resorted to a time-honored tradition. “Takes one to know one.” And then I hit the button to hang up.
I parked in the last slot of our four-car garage, and followed the lighted walkway to the back entrance of the sunroom. The best way to avoid playing twenty questions with my father was to avoid the main hall, which went past his study.
Moonlight filtered in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing me to weave through the furniture without tripping over anything. I went down the side hall past the kitchen where the scent of hot cocoa drifted through the air. Backtracking, I peeked in the kitchen door. My mother sat at the island reading.
Using some sort of maternal radar, she looked up. “Hello, dear. Did you have a nice night?”
“I’m not sure.” I poured myself a cup of cocoa and joined her at the island.
“Care to elaborate?”
How could I explain without admitting I’d been blackmailed? “I’m seeing someone new. She’s different. I’m not sure we’re compatible.”
My mother folded the corner of the page she’d been reading, before closing the book. A habit she’d passed on to me, which my father hated. “What do you like about her?”
“She’s smart, assertive, and stands up for herself.”
“Those are good qualities. What’s the problem?”
When it came down to it, I didn’t understand Haley. But I could guess at what she wanted because it was what all girls wanted, a steady boyfriend they could control and wrap around their finger. I wasn’t that guy. “She has unrealistic expectations.”
“You mean she expects you to buy her jewelry?”
“Nothing like that. She tried to pay for something tonight.”
“Oh, well that is a terrible trait for a girlfriend. I understand why you’d want to dump her immediately.”
I rolled my eyes, which only made her laugh. “You look like your father when you do that.”
“Is that good, or bad?”
“I’m not sure. Now, back to your new girlfriend. What is it that makes you, what did you say? Incompatible?”
I couldn’t say she wasn’t my type because she was built like a child. And that wasn’t completely true. My mind flashed to the image of Haley walking up the steps in front of me in the theater.
“We don’t have anything in common. Our lives are completely different, and I don’t think we’re looking for the same thing.”
“Different can be interesting.”
Haley was definitely interesting, but in the end, I didn’t want to get roped into a relationship. “It can be, but I think she might be looking for a serious boyfriend, and that isn’t a role I want to play.”
My mother set her cocoa down and leaned toward me. “Is it the role, or the partner that’s bothering you?”
“Both.”
“You’re the only one who can decide what girl is right for you, though I’d appreciate it if you avoided the Brittneys of the world. Eventually, I’d like to have grandchildren who can walk and chew gum at the same time. Who knows? Maybe Haley is exactly who you need.”
That was a terrifying thought. Just because I had fun with her and I liked talking to her didn’t mean she was girlfriend material. Did it? I needed someone more predictable, someone I understood. Was that shallow?
…
Haley
“I don’t want to go in.” Gray light filtered through the clouds, making the Monday morning as bleak as my prospects for a real boyfriend. I leaned forward, laying my head on the dashboard of Jane’s car.
“Haley, come on. It was one date.” Jane patted the twisted knot that was my impromptu hairdo.
I�
�d spared no thought to my outfit this morning. After the I’d-rather-be-celibate-than-kiss-you date, my mood had declined. It didn’t help that my dad had enlisted me to plant more mums Sunday morning and the guy who had come to check on the placement of the flowers had called me son, multiple times. After the third time, I’d whipped off my hat and yelled at him, explaining I was a girl.
The guy had been mortified. He went on and on about not knowing my dad had a daughter. My dad was pissed, so then I’d been forced to apologize to the idiot because, according to my dad, the stupid customer was always right. But if my dad had corrected him the first time, it wouldn’t have been an issue.
I sat up and rubbed my temples, hoping to ease the pounding in my head. “It’s not the one date. I thought we had fun together, and the whole time he was just fulfilling an obligation.”
“Nathan thinks—”
“You told Nathan?” The pounding in my head tripled. “Why would you do that? Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is for me?”
“I wanted to get a guy’s opinion.”
And of course, Jane could get a guy’s opinion because the guy she was dating actually liked her. Ugh. I will not do this to myself. Exhausted from emotional whiplash, I laid my head back down on the dashboard.
“Nathan thinks—”
“Stop. I can’t hear this right now. I don’t want to try and figure Bryce out. I want to stop thinking about him. I should break up with him. You got your double date. Boys should see I’m datable now. It’s time to end this charade. Spending more time with Bryce will just piss me off.”
“Asshole,” Jane muttered.
I whipped my head up so fast I wrenched my neck. “Excuse me?”
“Not you. Bryce.” Jane pointed out the window.
Bryce walked by, talking to two girls. Fabulous. Just what I wanted to see first thing in the morning—my fake boyfriend acting decidedly unboyfriend-like. I watched until they were out of sight. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
When I stepped out of the car, my breath hung frozen in the air. I jogged across the parking lot, intent on reaching the heated building. Once we were inside, all I wanted to do was drop these fifty pounds of books off at my locker. People milled around in the hallway, slowing traffic. A guy in front of me turned and his elbow came at my face. I blocked it with my forearm. “Watch it.”
