by Chris Cannon
He ducked his head. “Every time they fight, it’s because of something related to me.”
“No, it’s because your dad is acting like an idiot. He wants you to control what other people think and say. Until you develop psychic powers, that isn’t going to happen.” I wrapped my arms around him, hoping a hug might help. “Maybe a movie tomorrow night will help you forget.”
“I’m not taking you to the movies tomorrow night.”
And now my life sucked. “I get it. You have a lot going on with your family.”
“No. That’s not what I meant. My father is insisting I go to the stupid banquet at the country club. He wants everyone to see how happy we are.”
When he said we, did he mean us, or his family? “Do you have a plan on how to handle the banquet?”
“We’ll hang out with Nathan and Jane, avoid my father, and leave as soon as possible.”
Score one for me. “There’s a problem with this scenario. Where am I supposed to find a dress that will cover the lovely parting gifts you left on my neck?” Especially since I’d be shopping at Goodwill.
“Figure something out, because I need you there for moral support.”
…
By the time I sat down for lunch, I’d given up worrying about the marks. “I’m sure I’ll find some kind of dress or necklace to cover them up.”
“What are you going to do about changing clothes in PE?” Bryce asked.
“I’m not going to PE.”
“You’re going to skip a class?” He made a show of glancing around. “I’m pretty sure that’s a sign of the apocalypse.”
“I’m not skipping class. I emailed Principal Evans earlier this morning and told him my family worked out most of the drama, but I was still upset and hadn’t managed to finish my homework. He agreed to let me have study hall last hour instead of PE so I could catch up.” I was quite proud of myself for coming up with this plan. If it hadn’t worked, I was going to fake the worst case of feminine cramps in history, and hope Coach would let me sit out. Good thing it hadn’t come to that.
Bryce tilted his head and studied me. “It’s scary how easily you come up with these scenarios.”
“Believe me, it wasn’t easy.” Jane opened her cupcake container and passed Nathan a white cupcake with chocolate frosting. “I was on the phone with her for an hour while we hashed out possibilities.”
…
Bryce
Haley talked dresses with Jane, while I ate my cupcake. When Nathan breaks up with Jane, which I’m sure he’ll do eventually, I’d miss the cupcakes. If I stopped seeing Haley, what would I miss…bonding over dogs, having real conversations about things that matter…
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. If? I’d thought the word, if. I should be thinking when I break up with her, not if. One more week and I’d be free to date other girls. And that’s what I wanted. Right? Somehow I wasn’t sure anymore. What the hell was wrong with me?
“Why are you frowning?” Haley asked.
“I wasn’t frowning.” No way had I been frowning about dating other girls. Must be the stress from my family.
“Whatever.” She slid her hand across the table and laced her fingers through mine. “If you need to talk, I’m a good listener.”
I didn’t discuss my family issues with other people. Except I had, with Haley. Why had I done that? Because I knew she’d be supportive. Would Brittney have given a crap about my problems? No.
I didn’t like where these thoughts were taking me. The bell rang, and I followed Haley to her class, remembering not to put my hand on her lower back. There. See. I didn’t need to touch her.
She squinted at me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” And I was. And I would be once we ended this deal, and I went back to my real life where everything was predictable and under my control.
Once Nathan and I were seated in class, he crossed his arms and smiled at me like he knew something I didn’t.
“What?”
“You’re better off not fighting it,” he said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You said it yourself. You like her. When was the last time you liked one of the girls you dated?
Was he crazy? “I’ve liked all of them.”
“No, you wanted them, but you didn’t like them.”
Class started before I could respond. Where did he get off lecturing me about girls? He’d dated as many girls as I had, maybe more. Then Jane had come along with her cupcakes and neutered him.
By the end of the day, I wanted to bolt from the parking lot without saying good-bye to Haley. But that would hurt her feelings. And I cared about her feelings. Damn it. I was doomed.
I spotted her heading in my direction. When she saw me, she gave a small wave. Her hair was different than it had been at lunch. She’d knotted it up on top of her head, and there were pencils sticking out of it. She should’ve looked ridiculous, but on her it was cute.
Her grin grew wider as she came closer. When she stopped walking and glanced over her shoulder, I figured someone had called her name. A dark-haired guy I didn’t know jogged up to Haley and smiled at her. She smiled back. Why was she smiling at him?
As I watched she shook her head no and then pointed in my direction. The guy glanced my way, and then said something that made her laugh before he jogged off. I didn’t know who he was, but I knew what he was up to, and I wanted to punch him.
…
Haley
Bryce watched me as I approached him in the parking lot. His head tilted as if he was figuring something out. He’d seen Chase talking to me. Could he be jealous? If he was, would it be wrong for me to revel in that fact? I’d spent more than enough time watching him flirt with other girls.
I dropped my backpack by his feet. “Hi.”
“Who was that?”
“You mean the guy who stopped to talk to me?”
“Yes.”
“His name is Chase.”
“What did he want?”
I could feel my smile growing wider. “I met him when you and I were having a bad day. Jane shared that information with him. He said if we broke up, he’d like to take me out some time. So, he stopped me to ask if I was still seeing someone. I told him I was, and he left.”
Bryce crossed his arms over his chest and eyed me up and down. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
Laughter bubbled up from my throat. “Immensely. Think of it as payback for all those times I stood off to the side while you flirted with Amazons.”
He leaned back against the Mustang and looked up at the sky. “Fine.”
Since he seemed contrite, I walked up and laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. He smelled fresh like dryer sheets. His hands came to rest on my waist. I looked up to find him studying me.
I reached up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“In my life, I like everything a certain way.”
“Alphabetized and at right angles?” I wiggled my eyebrows so he’d know I was teasing.
“Exactly, and you don’t fit.”
Bam. His words smacked into my chest and knocked me back a step. “What?”
His eyes went wide. “Wait…I didn’t mean it like that.”
I held still, forcing myself to breathe slowly, waiting to hear if his next words would make everything better or make me want to punch him in the throat.
“You don’t fit the mold of what I think a girlfriend should be.”
Through gritted teeth, I said, “Excuse me?”
He grabbed my hand. “I want you here, but you confuse me. My life is crazy right now, and I don’t know how to deal with any of it.”
No need to panic. “So you like me, and you like having me around, but I confuse you.”
He nodded, seeming grateful I understood.
“Number one, your communication skills suck. Number two, you need to hug me or I will
punch you.”
“Did you ever think you might have anger-management issues?”
I balled up my fist and aimed for his shoulder. He laughed and tugged me forward, wrapping both arms around me. I listened to his heartbeat. Heat from his body flowed into mine and filled me up with warmth. This heat had nothing to do with wanting him. It was more to do with needing him, which scared the crap out of me.
“Are you guys about finished over there?” Jane called from beside Nathan’s car, one row over.
“Almost.” I glanced up at Bryce. “You should kiss me.”
“I could’ve figured that out by myself.”
He leaned down and pressed his mouth against mine. His hand cradled the back of my head. The kiss was sweet, and it made my heart do a happy tap dance.
“Pick you up at six tomorrow for the banquet?” he said.
I nodded.
…
I gave Jane a summary of Bryce’s horrific communication skills on the drive to pick up my car.
“What an idiot.” Jane made the turn into the auto-body parking lot. “How can he be such a smooth talker and be so terrible at actual communication?”
“Maybe he’s never talked with the girls he dated.”
Jane parked. The unblemished yellow paint on the driver’s side door of my Volkswagen bug gave me hope things in my life were on the upswing. After paying for the repairs, I followed Jane to Goodwill.
Inside the store we flipped through the racks like we were on a mission. And we were. If we couldn’t find a dress to hide my neck, we’d have to go with plan B. Apply massive amounts of cover-up or a fake tattoo and hope for the best.
I pulled a black halter dress from the rack. “Maybe we could use some double-sided tape to hold this in place.”
After fifteen minutes of searching, Jane pointed toward the dressing rooms. “Why don’t you try these on? Then, if we need to, we’ll do a second round.”
I tried the black halter dress on first. It covered about two-thirds of the discoloration on my neck, and it wouldn’t have to be hemmed much. I stripped it off and put it in a possible keeper pile. The next dress I tried on had a weird stand-up collar, which flopped down on one side. Six dresses later, I was tempted to call Bryce and tell him the date was off.
The last dress in the pile looked like a long gray turtleneck made of some super-soft sweater material. Jane must’ve picked it out. When I put it on, it hit below my knees. It didn’t look half bad. I never would’ve picked this boring color, but it was cheap.
I stepped out of the dressing room to model for Jane. “What do you think?”
“It’s baggy. Hold on. Let me grab a belt.”
She returned with a black patent leather belt. I tried to cinch it around my waist, but it slid to my hips and there wasn’t another hole to tighten it. The slant of the belt actually worked for some reason. Still, I wasn’t sure. “Is this country-club appropriate?”
A lady stocking shelves turned to see me. “Honey, that’s cashmere. It doesn’t get any more country club than that.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “What you need is a pair of boots that come up to the hemline. That’s how they wear it.”
“Thanks.”
…
At ten till six the next night, I was dressed, ready, and in the middle of a full-blown inferiority complex. Why had I agreed to go to the country club? I didn’t belong there. The people at the banquet would take one look at my fake patent leather boots and kick me out.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing.” My dad called out from the living room.
“You have nothing to be nervous about. You look great.” My mom shook her head. “I can’t believe you found that dress at Goodwill.”
“Thanks. It’s just… I’m worried I’ll do something inappropriate.”
“Don’t pick your nose and you’ll be fine.” My dad laughed. I didn’t bother to respond.
The rumble of the Mustang’s engine signaled Bryce’s arrival. Should I go out and meet him, or subject him to my parents? Before I could decide, he knocked.
I opened the door and whatever I’d meant to say was lost. Bryce stood there in a black suit with a navy tie. He looked like one of those hot young actors whose pictures end up in all the magazines.
“Ready?” he asked.
“You’re supposed to tell her she looks pretty,” my mom called out.
“Mom.” I so didn’t need her help right now.
He laughed. “You do look pretty.”
I joined him on the porch, slamming the door behind me before either of my parents could offer more helpful advice. “Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.”
Once we were on the road, I relaxed.
“There’s something you should know.” Bryce stopped for a red light.
Oh hell.
“Brittney belongs to the country club, and she’ll be there tonight.”
Double hell.
“It would be best if we ignored her.” He accelerated and switched lanes.
“I’ll try.” From what I’d seen of Brittney, she loved causing a scene. “Anything else I need to know?”
“Smile and nod.”
“What?”
“Whenever someone tells you a boring story or brings up something controversial, smile and nod. It makes the other person think you’re interested in what he has to say.”
“That’s it? You don’t have any other advice?”
“Let me think.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “If someone offers you caviar, tell them you have shellfish allergies. It tastes like dirt covered in salt.”
“Gross. Why do people eat it?”
“Because it’s expensive, they can afford it, and it makes them feel superior.”
Not long ago, I would’ve guessed he’d be the type of guy who’d eat overpriced fish eggs to flaunt his wealth. Goes to show, you never know a person until you spend time with them. Traffic moved at a good pace, and Bryce seemed content to drive in silence. Meanwhile, the scenery out the window went up several socioeconomic levels.
The houses that lined the road were triple the size of my home. I still didn’t understand what people did with all that space. “Is your house around here?”
“The turn off for my subdivision is up here on the right.” Minutes ticked by and the houses became larger. “This is it.”
Bryce pointed at a gated entrance, with a small stone hut outside the gate, which must house the security guard. While the stone hut was impressive, it was nothing compared to the tower outside of Nathan’s subdivision.
“What’s the difference between living on the country club and having a giant house out here?”
Bryce put on his turn signal, and pulled off onto a small two-lane road. “My father has tried to buy a house in the country club for years, but there are only so many, and they go to the highest bidder. My mom grew up in a house inside the country club, and she’s happier to be out in an updated subdivision. She claims there are too many rules about what you can and can’t do to your house.
“I don’t think I’d want to live somewhere where I couldn’t have giant metal chickens in my front yard.”
“Yes. That would be a tragedy.”
“Exactly.” The clubhouse came into view. Made of white stone, it reminded me of the county courthouse I’d visited on a field trip in fourth grade. We drove within a hundred yards of the clubhouse and then stopped in a line of traffic.
“What’s the hold up?”
“It’s customary to valet park at these events.”
To the left of us, sat a half-full parking lot. “Couldn’t we park over there?”
“We could, but then we’d miss making an entrance.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. “What does that mean?”
“Everyone hangs out in the lobby, having wine and hors d’oeuvres, which is an excuse to critique the people coming in.”
Great. “Do they post scores like at
the Olympics?”
He laughed. “No, but if they don’t approve of someone they make it known.”
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go to the banquet with you.”
He hit the automatic car-door locks. “Too bad. You’re trapped.”
As a joke, sort of, I hit my unlock button. Nothing happened.
“Child safety locks,” Bryce informed me with a grin.
I poked him in the ribs. “You’re so funny.”
He grabbed my hand and held it. Sure I was grinning like an idiot, I looked out the window. Jane and Nathan emerged from his BMW in the parking lot. “How come they don’t have to make an entrance?”
“Because his father is the president of the board, and he’s annoyingly secure in his place in the world.”
Did Bryce just admit to feeling insecure?
When we finally reached the valet station, Bryce sat until the valet opened his door, so I did the same. Far be it for me to screw up his entrance.
I practiced my new skill of smiling and nodding as Bryce said hello to all the people who greeted him. It reminded me of the receiving line at my cousin’s wedding. Except these people were better dressed. By the time we made it into the lobby, my jaw hurt.
Inside, I spotted Jane and Nathan. Jane had red spots on her cheeks, which meant she was mad. As we drew closer, I realized why. Nathan was talking to Brittney and her date. Fabulous.
Chapter Twenty
Haley
“Why is Nathan talking to Brittney?”
Bryce pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I’m sure he’s handling the situation.”
“Why are we walking toward them?” I slowed my steps. “Couldn’t we wait over in the corner until Nathan escapes?”
“No. We need to show everyone we’re happy and having a wonderful time.”
“I’d need large amounts of Valium to live your life.”
Brittney stepped away from her date, so Bryce could see her dress, or what little there was of it. The red silk sheath resembled a nightgown and in my opinion made her look a little desperate for attention. The spaghetti straps looked like they were strained to the limit. One good sneeze and Brittney would be sharing her assets with the world.
“Bryce, how nice to see you,” Brittney purred. “You’ve met Andre, haven’t you?”
