Perfectly You (The Perfect Series Book 2)

by Robin Daniels

  “It’s beautiful, Andy, and after meeting your mom, I feel like you captured her perfectly.”

  Andy stared at the picture for a while, and I leafed through the different pieces in his book. Some were drawings and some were paintings. All in different mediums. All amazing. “You’re so talented. I can’t believe you can do all of this with those two hands.” I nodded to where his hands were resting on the table. “It’s a special gift, Andy.”

  “It takes a lot of practice. I’ve had to work hard.”

  “I’m sure it has, but no matter how hard I practice, I could never create something like this. Don’t begrudge the compliment. I know I’ve been throwing them at you a lot in the past few days. I’ve probably been a little overwhelming, even.” Andy gave me a look that said duh, and I smiled. “Ok, so I’ve been a lot overwhelming. But I’ve meant everything I’ve said, and this is no different. I admire your talent. I’m a little jealous. I wish I could be that good at something. At anything.”

  Andy slid a little closer to me and bumped his forearm into mine so that they laid to rest against each other on the table. He didn’t move it after the gesture was made, and when it became clear that he intended to sit with our arms touching, I had a hard time focusing on his words.

  “You’re good at things I could never do, Ivy.”

  “I don’t know about that.” I huffed.

  “You’re good with people. I could never do the stuff you do on student council. You take control like a boss, and people listen to you. They respect you. Even Rob listens, and I bet that drives him nuts. It’s a very admirable quality to possess. And that’s only one of the things I think you’re good at.”

  I looked at Andy and smiled. His face was intense but soft at the same time. I could barely hold his gaze, and for once I broke eye contact first. Maybe this was how Andy felt all the time. I should take it easier on him. But for now, I needed to change the subject.

  “So, do you plan on studying art in college, or making a career out of it?”

  “You know, I’m not sure. I’d love to do something art related for a living, but it’s not very practical. I’ll probably end up getting a real job. Maybe something in law, like my father.”

  “I can’t picture your mom as the type of person to discourage you from doing something you love, just to make more money. Is your dad like that?”

  “She isn’t, and neither is he. Both of my parents would be fine if I studied art. But it’s not a reliable way to make a living. Someday I’d like to have a family, and I need to be able to support them, right?”

  “You could get a sugar mama?” I suggested as I nudged him playfully.

  “Are you volunteering?”

  Wow. Holy loaded question. The lines between teasing and reality were feeling awfully undefined for me lately. I didn’t know what to think. Was Andy playing or flirting? I really couldn’t tell. I wouldn’t be heartbroken if he was playing, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if he was flirting, either. Again, I went the safe route. “Shouldn’t you be asking me what I intend to do for a career before you decide to let me support you financially? Maybe I want to be an artist, too?”

  Andy paused for a beat, then shook with laughter.

  “What? You don’t think I could make money as an artist?” I tried my best to look offended. “Maybe I could be an impressionist. Or, perhaps, modern art. That always seems to look like a five-year-old did it.”

  “Sorry,” Andy quipped when he’d calmed down. “I wasn’t trying to offend you. If you want to be an artist, then you should shoot for the stars.” He started chuckling again, and I pinched him in the side repeatedly. For some reason, I couldn’t quit touching him. He grabbed my hand to stop the attack but held it for a moment longer than necessary. We both got quiet. Again, with the mixed signals. This was killing me.

  “Maybe I should do some work, huh? Not all of us can be Picasso,” I said, staring down at the picture of my house.

  Andy analyzed my artwork for a second. “You know, if you added a couple lopsided boobs to your house, you could be Picasso. Picasso always added crazy-looking boobs and eyes.” He grinned.

  “Andy Walker, did you just say the word boob?” I erupted into a fit of giggles. Andy was a lot of things, but crude he was not.

  “Hey.” He threw up his hands, smiling. “Boob is an artistic term when used discussing Picasso. That’s common knowledge.”

  “Say it again,” I urged.

  “What? Boob?”

  I erupted into laughter again. “It would be totally normal coming from Jake, but it sounds so funny coming out of your mouth.”

  “Boob, boob, boob, boob,” he continued. We were starting to get some stares, and I slapped my hand over his mouth.

  “Shhhh,” I shushed him kind of loudly. “For a guy who doesn’t like attention, you sure are drawing a lot of it right now.”

  He pulled my hand away from his mouth, and I realized that I’d just been touching his lips. His extremely soft lips. Andy quieted his laughter. “Ok, ok, I’ll stop saying boob, if it’s embarrassing you.” His eyes were twinkling with mischief.

  “Oh my gosh, thank you.” I breathed in relief.

  “You know, Ivy, I’m beginning to think you believe me to be a prude. Just because I don’t like to be the center of attention doesn’t mean that I don’t think like an average eighteen-year-old guy. Boobs actually cross my mind fairly often.”

  “Holy crap, Andy. You’re killing me here.”

  He laughed again. “Fine. I’ll stop now. I promise.” True to his word, boob did not escape his lips again. I fussed with my project for a while, and Andy tried to watch discreetly over my shoulder. Eventually he broke the silence.

  “So, I was thinking…” he started, “you said we should take the new me out in public, to advertise my awesomeness. Maybe we should go out somewhere tomorrow night?”

  Was he asking me out on a date, or for the sake of auction prep? “What did you have in mind?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to sway him in either direction.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Maybe Lilly and Jake want to tag along. We could go to the driving range, or the putt-putt place. Then head to Silverman’s afterward. I’ve heard it’s the place to eat on a Friday night.”

  “I’d probably look like an idiot at the driving range, but putt-putt could be fun. Plus, it’s the more obvious choice if the point is to be seen by people. Silverman’s is definitely a good choice for that, too,” I agreed. “I’ll talk to Lilly and you talk to Jake, and we’ll see if they’re up for it. I’ll text you tonight and let you know for sure.”

  “Wait a second.” Andy reached into his pocket and fished out his phone. “You know what? You’ve been in my closet, met my car and my mother, and shared a pedicure with me, but I don’t think I have your phone number.”

  “Hah. I think you’re right. Too funny.” I chuckled. “Well, hand me your phone, and I’ll put my number in.” Andy gave me his phone and I gave him mine. I entered my number, then gave his phone back to him. The dismissal bell rang as he was handing mine back to me.

  “Guess I better go hand this in,” I said, frowning at my lame picture.

  “You totally deserve an A for effort.”

  “I do, don’t I?” I smiled at him. He was giving me too much credit, but I’d take it. “I guess I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Sounds good,” Andy said, waving good-bye as he walked out the door. I handed in my project, then headed to my locker to meet Lilly. As I walked, I tapped on the screen of my phone. I scrolled through the A’s in my contacts list, looking for Andy’s number, but it wasn’t there.

  Huh? Maybe he put it under Walker. I went to the W’s, but it wasn’t there, either. I’d watched him type something into my phone, so it must be here somewhere. Maybe he typoed on accident. I started at the A’s again with the intent to scroll through all the names, but I didn’t make it very far before I found it. Right there in the B’s, under the name Boob, a little winking face n
ext to the word. I snorted loudly.

  That boy was full of surprises. I thought about changing the name back to Andy, but then decided against it. It’d serve him right to be entombed under that name in my phone. As long as my parents didn’t ever see it flash across my screen. I giggled at the thought of trying to explain that one to them. I walked to my locker, completely unaware of the people around me. Tomorrow would be fun. Real date or not.

  It was Friday evening. Andy and Jake were meeting Lilly and me at my house. She looked cute as ever in her ’80s rocker ensemble—tight-fitting jeans and a long sweater dress with a fat belt cinched around her waist. She was sporting fingerless mesh gloves and a giant bow over her side ponytail. I don’t know why it worked for her. I’d look silly in that getup.

  “I have nothing cute to wear,” I complained as I looked through my closet.

  “Just put something on,” Lilly said from my bed where she was lying on her stomach, sucking on a Blow Pop. “Anything will do, unless you’re trying to impress someone?” she asked curiously.

  I tried not to get defensive, but failed. “No, don’t need to impress anyone…”

  “Oh my gosh.” Lilly sat up. “You do want to impress someone. So, which one is it, girl? Andy or Jake?” She stared at me, wide-eyed and grinning, waiting patiently for my answer.

  “Does it matter?” I asked.

  “Of course it matters,” she insisted. “I need to know which boy I can safely flirt with tonight. It’s a double date, but I didn’t think we were going to be paired off necessarily. So, who’s my date, Ivy? They’re both cute. I’m fine with either one.”

  I sighed. I didn’t want to admit feelings that I wasn’t sure of yet, but I didn’t want Lilly hanging on Andy all night. “Maybe Jake should be your date. I think Andy will be more comfortable with me.”

  “I knew it! You like Andy,” she sang.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You don’t have to, Ivy, I’m your best friend. I can just tell.”

  “Ok, so maybe I like him a little,” I admitted. Might as well come clean. She’d find out eventually. “But don’t go making a big deal out of it. I’m not sure if he’s into me at all. I feel like something has shifted between us the last few days. Like maybe he’s flirting. But Andy’s hard to read, and I could totally be making up signals from him that don’t exist.”

  “I guess we need to put you in something super cute and evaluate his actions tonight. I’ll be able to figure out if he likes you by the end of the evening,” Lilly assured me.

  “Don’t go overboard or make it obvious, please,” I begged.

  “Go overboard? Who? Me? Never.” Lilly faked shock, and I threw a shoe at her.

  “Yes, you. Now get your butt up and help me find something to wear.”

  I settled on a cute baby blue ribbed scoop-neck sweater, dark skinny jeans, and flat knee-high brown leather boots. My hair was sleek and straight and my makeup done more for an evening out than a long day at school. There was a knock at the door, and I gave Lilly a glance. “This is it.” I sighed.

  “It’ll be fun. Don’t freak out before the night even starts. You’ll never get any lip-action that way.”

  “I wasn’t planning on getting lip-action.”

  “Why not?” she asked with a suggestive look. “I was.”

  I laughed at Lilly, and we headed down the stairs to answer the door. I tried not to stare at the boy on my front porch, but it was hard not to. Andy had followed my instructions not to dress as he usually does, and he looked so good. His hair had been carefully styled and he’d foregone the glasses, using the contacts he hated so much. He had on a pair of dark brown corduroy pants and a tan sweater that zipped up the front. He looked like the cover of a J Crew catalogue. It was weird to see him look so preppy and put together, but I was totally digging the change.

  “No cargo pants?” I smiled at him.

  “You told me I couldn’t until after the auction next weekend. Remember?”

  “Yeah, but I wasn’t sure you’d listen.” My smile turned into a wide grin.

  “Trust me, I’m counting down the days until the cargos are allowed again. I even made a chain out of construction paper and hung it over my desk.”

  “Liar.” I laughed as I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. “Where’s Jake?”

  “He’s in the car.”

  Lilly headed out the door in front of us and skipped to the car. Jake had driven his BMW. “Shotgun,” she called, looking back at us over her shoulder.

  “Hey, I was sitting in the front,” Andy argued as she opened the passenger side door.

  “Too bad,” she called out with a big smile. “I get to sit next to my date.” Lilly pointed at Jake, then slid in the front seat and shut the door.

  “I didn’t realize we’d been assigned specific dates.” Andy smiled at me. “Does that mean you’re mine?”

  “Do you want me to be?” I asked. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so forward with my question, but I was curious.

  “Do you want me to be?” Andy turned my question back on me. Well, that backfired.

  “Only if you want to be,” I answered. I wasn’t going to be first to define the date status.

  Andy looked at me for a minute. Probably trying to read me the way I was trying to read him. We’d reached the car and were waiting at the door to the backseat. If he didn’t say something soon, I was going to feel stupid, but I was saved from the awkward moment.

  “If you’re going to be my date, I should probably open your door for you,” Andy said with a grin as he opened the back door to the BMW.

  “Thanks,” I said, sliding into the seat. I suddenly felt unsure, though I don’t know why. I’d never been nervous around Andy before, but now that this was an actual date, I wasn’t quite certain how to act. I needed to get it together. It wasn’t any different than any other time we hung out. We spent all afternoon together Wednesday without things getting weird. I should be able to handle one night of putt-putt. I took a deep breath and rolled my head from side to side. This would be just like any other date, as long as I could act normal.

  The whole ride to the mini-golf course, Andy and Jake trash talked about who would win tonight’s match. “What makes you so sure that one of you will win?” Lilly asked. “For all you know, Ivy and I are professional putters. Maybe we come here every weekend to work on our game,” she said matter-of-factly.

  Andy turned to me in surprise. “Do you?” he asked in a whisper.

  “Of course not.” I laughed under my breath. Then I whispered back so that Lilly and Jake, who were arguing in the front seat, couldn’t hear. “Lilly is surprisingly competitive. I give it five minutes before she’s proposing a contest.”

  Thirty seconds later, Lilly piped up. “I think we should have a contest.” I gave Andy my best told-you-so look, and he laughed quietly. Lilly continued, “Boys against girls.”

  “Lilly, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I argued.

  “Nonsense.” She waved me off. “You’re an athlete, for heaven’s sake, Ivy. You can handle a little mini-golf.”

  “Yes, but both of these boys play on the golf team,” I pointed out. Her eyes widened slightly. It appeared this was news to her, but the challenge had been issued so she wouldn’t back down now.

  “Golf team, shmalf team. I still think we can beat them.”

  “I’m game for a little friendly wager,” Jake chimed in, rubbing his chin with one hand. “What do you propose the stakes should be?” He looked at Lilly.

  “Well…” she started, then glanced back at me with a wicked look. Uh-oh. “If the girls win, we want kisses from our dates.” She winked at me, then turned to Jake with a seductive stare. He laughed before answering. “I can accommodate that request. How about you, Andy?”

  Andy looked at me. It was dark, so I couldn’t see them very well, but I imagined his cheeks were getting red right about now. “Sure,” he said, but he didn’t sound sure. “Fine by me.”

&
nbsp; Jake looked at me in the rearview mirror, then over at Lilly. “What about if Andy and I win?”

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “How about, if the boys win, girls have to buy dinner,” Jake suggested.

  Lilly narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll agree to that as long as you have a ten-dollar limit. No buying lobster or something fancy. I’m saving all my money for the auction next weekend.”

  “Lilly, I’m pretty sure Silverman’s doesn’t even serve lobster.” I laughed at her.

  “I agree to those terms,” Jake said with finality. “Does any party object?” He looked at Andy and me in the mirror again, and we both shook our heads. Jake pulled into the parking lot at the Family Fun Zone and continued speaking. “Ok, then it’s official. Girls win, they get a kiss. Boys win, and we get dinner.”

  Lilly raised her finger to clarify. “We mean real kisses, by the way. With tongue.”

  Andy coughed in surprise, but Jake only smiled at Lilly. “I never deliver anything less than a real kiss.”

  Lilly fanned herself with her hand as she opened the door and got out of the car. Walking through the parking lot, I noticed how quiet Andy had been since Lilly proclaimed that the kisses required tongue. I scooted close and linked elbows with him. “I wouldn’t worry about the whole tongue-kissing thing,” I said quietly. “I’m pretty sure Lilly has mini-golfed, like, twice in her life. And I know I suck, so I feel confident that we’ll be buying you guys dinner.”

  Andy leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “Who says I’m worried?” he asked.

  A shiver ran down my spine. Now, I didn’t know what to think. What did that even mean? He wasn’t worried about losing to me? Or he wasn’t worried about having to kiss me, with his tongue? Heat crept up my neck at the thought that Andy might actually want me to win. Too bad I sucked at putt-putt. Maybe he’d throw the game on purpose. Of course, he could also just be glad that he didn’t have to waste his money buying me dinner.