Chapter Nine

Kate

With the help of my friends Advil and IcyHot, I was able to push past the soreness in my muscles and curl my hair. In a few more weeks, my arms better be super toned from all the rowing.

I also watched a tutorial on eyeliner, and after several failed experiments at “wings” I went for more of a smoky eye. After so many smudged layers of black eyeliner, it was really my only choice. But I decided it worked.

The red dress I took from Mom’s closet was too over-the-top. There was bold and flashy, and then there was trying way too hard. It wasn’t me, either. I wanted to be me, but like me 2.0. The blue sleeveless top with the beaded sheer overlay fit my goal, especially when paired with my tightest jeans with the cute zippers on the front. On the way out the door, I added another spritz of perfume and slipped my new, strawberry-flavored-yet-still-shimmery lip-gloss into my pocket.

Mom whistled as I walked through the living room. After being dressed up last night, she was doing the super chill thing, wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt, and about to dig into ice cream while she did some binge watching of her own. “You going out with Cooper again?”

“We never went out, so I can’t do it again, now can I?”

Mom stuck a bite of Chunky Monkey in her mouth. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with him this week.”

“Because we’re friends.”

“Because you still have a crush on that cute football player?”

I wobbled my head back and forth, unsure whether to answer that. “I’m just taking it a day at a time.” And those days were going to add up quick, so I needed tonight to make a difference. I had maybe two more weeks before he lined up another date, if it wasn’t too late already.

Oh no, what if he has a date already? This will all be for nothing. I sucked in a breath and let it out, telling myself I would’ve heard about it. Whisperings about prom were starting, but going by last year’s timeline, things got real in the next few weeks. I still had a chance.

“Well, that Cooper boy is super cute if you ask me.”

“He’s super cute if you ask most anyone. His cuteness does not negate the fact that we’re just friends. He’s not interested in being more.”

Mom leaned forward as if she were about to glean some big gossip. “But if he was, you would be?”

The doorbell rang. “Saved by the bell. We’ll talk crushes later.”

“I’m holding you to that.” She extended a scoop of ice cream toward me. “For the road?”

I ate it off the spoon, not quite prepared for the size or the cold. Then I hugged Mom good-bye and went to answer the door.

Cooper stood on the other side, and the cute descriptor entered my head again, because dang, the guy was nice on the eyes. His curls were more tamed than usual, and he had on a dark blue button down. The sleeves were rolled up so that his forearms were exposed, and suddenly I found myself unable to look away from that strong line, wondering if it’d always been there, and kicking myself for not taking time to appreciate it before.

“Damn,” he said, then his gaze moved over my shoulder to Mom and a slightly panicked look hit his eye.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure she didn’t hear you swear,” I whispered.

“Actually, I did,” she called out. “But since it’s because he’s simply admiring your beauty, I’ll damn well let it slide.”

“Bye, Mom!” I pulled the door closed behind me and hoped the cool night air would help calm the heat in my face.

“You look nice,” he said.

“Am I bold and flashy enough, though?”

He looked me up and down, and my stomach followed along, rising and dipping. “You’re all the things,” he said, and his voice came out low and slightly gruffer than usual, which made my stomach dip all over again.

I grinned at him. “Thanks. You look nice as well.”

The dimple in his cheek flashed. “Am I tall and ripped enough, though?”

“So, so much regret,” I joked as I hooked an arm through his. After all, we were about to pretend to be closer than we were. Might as well get a little bit used to it.

He opened the passenger door of his truck, and before stepping out of the way, he leaned in close and inhaled. “You smell nice, too.”

Goose bumps scattered across my skin. Luckily he was already rounding the hood, so hopefully he didn’t notice. I needed to stop noticing. This night was about the cute football player. The cute rower acted like touching my knee and pretending we’d been making out would be appalling just last night.

The more I thought about it, the surer I became that my nerve wires were just getting crossed because I related hanging out with Cooper with landing Mick, who I’d liked for-freakin’-ever. Of course I got tingly surges.

Extra bright side? The things Cooper noticed about me would be the things Mick would also notice. Hopefully. Boys all pretty much work the same, right?

Resolve filled me and I straightened so I wouldn’t smash my hair. Mick Pecker, here I come. I hope you’re ready for me.