Lilly giggled. “I know, right? I mean, I’d been egging him on all night, just to get a rise out of him. And we were arguing about if I was going to get my kiss or not. I was only messing around. I didn’t think he’d actually do it.”
“Well, he did it, all right. Was it any good?”
“Mmhmm. He had super soft lips, tasted like strawberry Chapstick.”
“So, do you think it means anything?”
“Eh, it was a harmless kiss. I’m not putting too much stock in it. I don’t think I’m Jake’s type. Won’t stop me from teasing him, though. Maybe I can get him to kiss me again.”
I laughed. “You’re shameless.”
“A girl’s gotta have fun, right?”
“Right,” I agreed. “I’m going to try and get Andy to the basketball game tonight. You want to join us?”
“Do you want me to join you?”
“Of course I do, silly.”
“Maybe I should meet you there.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. I’ll come get you.”
“Girl, I’m trying to help you out here. Do you want a goodnight kiss or not? Because he’s not going to do it if he has an audience. You just told me so. I’ll meet you at the game, and you two can go together. More importantly, you can leave together,” Lilly said.
“Fine. We’ll meet there. But I definitely want you to sit with us.”
“Ok, I gotta go. My mom’s calling me down for breakfast. She wants dirt on my date.”
“Your dad must be gone.” I chuckled. Lilly was the oldest of four kids. Since she was the first, and the only girl, her dad was very overprotective.
“Bingo. He went to get the car washed.” Lilly laughed. “The second he walked out the door, my mom poked her head in my room and told me to hurry down because we probably only had thirty minutes to talk.”
“Well then, you better get going. Save seats tonight if you get to the gym before us.”
“Will do. TTYL.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone.
I went back to sleep until ten thirty. When I finally got out of bed, I threw on my swimsuit and grabbed a muffin, then headed out to my back patio with a book. It was late January, but I lived in Florida, a suburb outside of Orlando. The weather was crazy nice today, right around seventy-five degrees. We had a pool and hot tub, but the pool wasn’t heated, so it was still too cold to swim and a little too warm for the hot tub. I figured I should at least take advantage of the sun and revive the glow on my skin. I didn’t have anything better to do.
Saturday mornings were lonely at my house. Most mornings were. My parents owned a local bakery and coffee shop, which they’d named Cafe Ivy, after me. They were always gone well before I woke up, and if I stayed out late, they were usually in bed before I got back, too. But they were there every day when I got home from school, and they always made sure we had dinner together. The bakery was closed on Sundays, so that was our family day, and it was usually off limits to my friends. My parents were pretty cool, so I didn’t mind spending the time with them. Plus, Nate and Candice lived over an hour away, so I didn’t see them very often. They almost always came to hang out on Sundays.
I wanted to call Andy and make plans for tonight, but I didn’t know if he was an early riser, and I didn’t want to seem too eager. I waited almost until noon before I picked up the phone and fished through my contacts. I thought it might go to voice mail, but he picked up on the fourth ring.
“Good morning, Ivy,” he greeted.
“Morning, Boobs.”
“I think I’m starting to regret that little joke. Feel free to change my name any time.”
“No way.” I laughed. “So, what are you up to on this beautiful day? Did I interrupt something?”
“No, I was working out.”
“You go to the gym?” I asked.
“Would that surprise you? It seems like you’re surprised by a lot of things I do and don’t do. It’s like you expect me to be strange because I’m not into the typical high school scene.”
“Yes. I mean no. I mean, I don’t expect you to be strange. But I am surprised you go to the gym. It’s not like you have a bad body, though I guess I don’t know if you have a good body since I’ve never seen it. You don’t really strike me as the gym rat type.”
He laughed. “You’re right about that, I’m definitely not a gym rat. We have a home gym in the pool house. I use it fairly often, so my body is fine, thank you very much.”
“I’m jealous. I wish we had something like that. I hate going to the gym. It always smells like sweaty boys. And then there are the meatheads who only spend 20 percent of their time working out, and the other 80 percent hitting on people.”
“Exactly why I don’t go.” Andy snickered. “I hate it when the meatheads hit on me.”
“Wow. Your body must be better than fine if the dudes at the gym are hitting on you,” I joked.
“I don’t like to brag or anything,” Andy replied conceitedly, but quickly added, “J/k. I’m kind of skinny. That’s why I need a home gym.”
“Maybe I’ll add a swimsuit competition to the auction…”
“Oh, please don’t.” He groaned. “I’m trying to help you out here, but as nice as I am, even I have my limits.”
“Fine.” I pouted. “No swimsuit competition.”
Andy paused. “If you really want to see me shirtless, you could always come over and go swimming. Our pool is heated, a balmy eighty-five degrees.”
That comment threw me off. His boldness surprised me, though at this point it probably shouldn’t have. Right when I expected him to say or do one thing, he said or did exactly the opposite.
“I’ll have to take you up on that offer sometime. Now I’m curious about what you look like shirtless. Until then, let’s make a plan for tonight.”
Andy sighed. “You still want to go to the game, huh? I was hoping you’d change your mind. Or at least forget.”
“What do you have against going to the basketball game? You should show more school spirit. You are a student athlete, after all.”
“Yeah. I play the one sport that doesn’t draw a crowd.”
“I’m still not sure what your hang-up is. You don’t seem like you’d be anxious in social situations. You were fine last night.”
“I’m not. I told you, I don’t enjoy them. Take the basketball game, for example. I don’t know anyone on the team, I don’t really care about school spirit, and I don’t particularly like the sport itself. Plus, the gym is so loud you can’t have a decent conversation with anyone. Most people don’t even watch the game. They only go to socialize. It would be different if Jake was on the team or I had another friend, or a girlfriend who played. Until you or Jake join the basketball team, I don’t really have a reason to go.”
Wait, did I fall into the another friend category or the girlfriend category? Crap, all this uncertainty was driving me nuts. How was I supposed to play it cool? My curiosity was killing me. “Would you have come to one of my volleyball games?”
“If you’d asked me to.”
“But you wouldn’t want to?”
“Honestly, I probably wouldn’t love watching the game itself, but I’ve never been to a volleyball game so I can’t be sure. What I am sure of is that I’d probably enjoy seeing your legs in your volleyball spandex,” he teased.
Oh my gosh. Andy was saying he liked my legs. This had to mean I was more in the girlfriend category, right? He held my hand and was now openly flirting. Instead of acting on it, though, all I could do was fumble for a witty response. It was as if I’d lost all my brain cells. I tried to sound indifferent as I grasped for something to change the subject from my spandex-clad legs. “Sounds like I’ve finally found something we don’t have in common. I actually like going to the games, specifically to socialize.”
“Then you keep liking games, and I’ll keep hating them. I won’t even hold it against you,” Andy teased. “It’s good for a relationship when people have differences.�
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I took note of the fact that he called what we had a relationship rather than a friendship. I didn’t call him out on it, though, because I wasn’t sure if he was hinting at something or if I was reading into his comment, reading into all his comments. I mean, he could have kissed me last night. I’d wanted him to, and he didn’t. Either way, Andy’s words made my stomach flutter, like it had when he held my hand.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll turn you to the dark side eventually, and I won’t stop until I succeed.”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he replied warily. There was a lull in the conversation, and I wondered briefly if I’d said something to bother him. I mentally rewound my words but couldn’t find a glaringly problematic comment. I was being paranoid. I didn’t want to screw the night up before it even began.
“The game starts at six. Do you want me to come get you around five forty-five?” I asked.
“Are you picking up Lilly, too?”
“Nope. She’s busy this afternoon,” I lied. “But she’s going to meet us there. Do you know if Jake is coming?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t asked him. I bet he’s going, though. I think he usually does.”
“Didn’t you tell him you were going to be there?”
“No. Until recently, I was still clinging to the hope that I’d get out of it.” I could tell he was smiling while he spoke. He must not have been too upset with me. “If you don’t need to get Lilly, why don’t I pick you up?” he asked.
“Sounds like a plan. I better go. I’m getting kind of pink. I need to get some clothes on.”
Andy snorted. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, that probably sounded bad, huh?” I laughed. “I’m in my backyard sunbathing, not naked. Well, not totally naked.”
“Clothes are good.” Andy’s voice was squeaky. “You should definitely put on some clothes.”
I smiled at the thought of Andy being nervous…or excited, to see me in my swimsuit. It made me want to take him up on his offer to go swimming, sooner than later. “Yes, sir, I’ll go put them on right now. Speaking of clothes, what are you going to wear tonight?”
“Is there a dress code?” he asked sarcastically. “I won’t wear cargo pants or a button-down, if that’s what you’re hinting at. Wait…you aren’t going to make me wear a T-shirt with the high school logo on it, are you?”
I chuckled. “Well, I’m not now.”
“Oh, thank the heavens, there is a God.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. If you won’t wear a school shirt, then you should dress nice.”
“For a basketball game? Won’t I look weird?”
“You won’t look weird, you’ll stand out. There’s a difference. And we want you to stand out. Advertising, remember?”
“No, you want me to stand out,” Andy corrected. “I want to blend in…and sit in the hall.”
“Stop being a baby,” I instructed. “Did you notice what Rob was wearing last night? He looked nice. Khakis and a polo or something along those lines would be fine, too.”
“How about you call Rob and go with him?” Andy offered. I don’t think he was angry, but he did seem annoyed.
“Because I’d rather go with you,” I replied.
“Sounds to me like you’d rather go with him. Or at least someone more like him.”
I could tell I’d hit a sore spot, so I backed off. “How about you wear whatever you want. Surprise me. I trust you.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Promise.”
“Ok, then. I’ll surprise you.” He sounded dangerous.
Maybe I shouldn’t trust him, but I couldn’t change my mind now. “I can’t wait.”
“I better go,” Andy said. “Gotta start planning my outfit. Might take a while.”
This didn’t sound good. “You’re scaring me.”
Andy let out a grunt. “Good. See you later, Ivy.” Then he hung up.
By the time five thirty rolled around, I was nervous. I’d thought back on my conversation with Andy that morning and realized that I might have upset him. I tried not to hurt people’s feelings or offend them, but despite my best efforts, I still managed to do it sometimes. Unfortunately, I never realized what I’d done or said until way after the fact, and that made apologizing awkward. The worst part about today was that I’m not sure which of my comments had bothered Andy. It could have been more than one.
The doorbell rang, and I rushed downstairs, stopping in the hallway to scan myself in the mirror. Unlike Andy, I was full of school spirit, so I was sporting a Franklin High School T-shirt and skinny jeans with tall black boots. I opened the door, nervous about what I’d find. But when I saw Andy, I grinned. Turns out I didn’t need to be worried at all. He was in a pair of light colored, low-rise, boot cut jeans, a short-sleeve white polo, and black Pumas. He’d styled his hair but skipped the contacts. His glasses were very stylish, and I studied his face.
“What’s wrong?” He frowned.
“Nothing. You didn’t wear the contacts.”
“You never said the glasses were off limits,” he reminded me.
“You’re right. I wasn’t complaining. I think they complement your eyes. You look very sophisticated tonight.”
He smiled back at me. “Then you approve?” he asked, waving his hand over his body. “I even wore school colors, just for you.”
My eyebrows bunched together. “You wore a white polo,” I said flatly.
He defended himself. “And the school colors are red and white, are they not?”
“Fine. You win,” I conceded, shaking my head. Why was he so difficult? And cute? “Andy, I’m sorry if I was rude earlier on the phone. I wasn’t trying to be annoying.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not upset.” Andy held out his elbow. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” I grinned and linked arms with him. I wasn’t sure I believed that he was fine, but, if he was going to dismiss it, there was no reason to press the issue.
Andy had the top off his Jeep, and we blasted the stereo the whole way to the school. We’d settled on Chicago’s greatest hits, like a couple of middle-aged dorks, and sang along loudly. At some point, I reached for his hand. I’m pretty sure I surprised him, but he looked pleased at my gesture and didn’t let go until we arrived. Andy paid for my game ticket, but sadly, once we walked into the gym, the hand-holding stopped. He didn’t withdraw completely, but he wasn’t as relaxed and comfortable, either. I scanned the gym for Lilly, but didn’t see her. Andy was looking around, too, then waved at someone. I figured he was looking for Jake, but when I looked to where he was waving, it wasn’t Jake. It was a girl.
“Come on,” he said to me as he headed up the bleachers away from the crowd and toward the girl. She was a cute, curvy blonde…with a gigantic chest. I didn’t recognize her, and I wondered how Andy knew her. For a moment, I was jealous. I had no right to be, but I was. The girl was sitting alone, and when we reached her she stood.
“Hey, Andy. I’m surprised to see you here,” the girl said as she leaned over and gave him a quick hug. The fact that Andy returned it without looking at all uncomfortable made me even more jealous. “Who’s this?” she asked, inclining her head toward me.
“Summer, this is Ivy. Ivy, this is my friend Summer.” He introduced us. I noticed that he referred to Summer as his friend but didn’t designate me with a label. Is that because he didn’t want this girl to think I was more than a friend? Maybe he didn’t know what he thought of me. I needed to get out of my head. I’m sure it didn’t mean anything.
“Nice to meet you, Summer.” I smiled, trying to look casual. “Are you a senior? I thought I knew most of the seniors.”
“I wish.” She laughed. “I’m a sophomore.”
“Oh. How do you two know each other, then?” I hoped I didn’t sound too nosy, but I was dying to know if I had competition. Had they dated? Did she like him? Were they close?
“I’ve known Sums forever.” Andy smiled at her. Sums? He had a
pet name for her? This wasn’t good. Andy continued, “Her dad has been our gardener for almost ten years. She helps him frequently. That’s how we met.”
Good, that explanation sounded innocent enough. I didn’t want to seem insecure, so I complimented her, like I didn’t find her threatening. Even though I totally did. “You guys do good work. I’ve seen Andy’s yard, and it’s really beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Summer blushed. “I’ll tell my dad you said so. He loves compliments about his work.” She giggled and looked at Andy, who smirked back, eyes crinkling in silent laughter. Crap. Was that some sort of an inside joke? It was definitely something…and I didn’t like it. “So where are you guys sitting?” Summer asked. “You can sit with me if you want.”
Andy looked at me. “It’s up to you,” he offered. I could tell he’d like to say yes, but there was no way I’d sit here all night and listen to their inside jokes. Plus, we came with a purpose tonight. Andy wouldn’t get noticed all the way up here. Of course, the more time I spent with him, the more I didn’t want other girls to notice him.
“Thanks.” I tried to sound sincere. “That’s really nice of you, but my friend Lilly saved us some seats down there.” I thought for a minute before adding, “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.” I held my breath as I waited for her answer. I wouldn’t have offered, but she was sitting alone and I felt bad.
“Oh, it’s ok. I’m waiting for my friends Becca and Jayden. They should be here any second. We like sitting at the top. Makes for good people watching.” She winked at Andy, and he smiled again. Was this another inside joke? I needed to get him out of here, like pronto.
“Ok then, have fun. It was nice to meet you.” I gently tugged on Andy’s sleeve, guiding him toward the crowded section of the stands.
“See ya, Summer,” he called over his shoulder as he followed behind me.
“She seems sweet,” I said casually.
“She’s a good kid,” was all Andy offered. At least his comment sounded like he felt more brotherly about her than romantically. I found Lilly down in the center of the bleachers, sitting next to Jake. She waved at me, and we had to crawl over a bunch of people to get to her. When Jake noticed Andy, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Perfectly You (The Perfect Series Book 2) Page 10
