Determined to really clear my head, I spent Saturday with my friends, avoiding both Shane and Jenks so I could have the day to just think without the distraction of kissing.
Because kissing completely ruins my ability to make smart decisions. And since I was already the queen of making bad decisions, I hardly needed to make things worse by letting things like hormones, cute guys and their sweet words enter the picture.
Not that I could get away from the subject of boys. Because of course, hanging with my friends meant I was forced to hear their thoughts on the subject. Not just about my own guy problems, either, but their almost constant chatter about their own boyfriends. Not that any of them had actual problems; it was more like them filling the time between being with their guys with talking about them.
It was obvious, my friends were all completely stupid in love.
It was cute, and a little easier to take now that I had options, if I’m honest. Except poor Brooklyn who was still on the outside, watching all of us with guys while hers was still not even talking to her. Somehow, he was still pissed after he found out she’d kept her identity from him since the day she met him.
He didn’t seem to understand or care that she had no choice. She said she understood his anger and that he had some family issues that made him freak out over even her necessary lies. I wasn’t as understanding, but being a friend meant not making things worse for her. She put up a brave face, but sometimes when she didn’t know I was watching, I could see that she was really hurting about it. We’d talked about writing our book together and I knew that would help distract her, but I wanted to do more. I wanted to help her fix things with Brady because it was so obvious they needed to be together. If I had learned anything from my romance novels, it was that two people who were that connected needed to be together.
Now, on Sunday morning after Saturday spent hanging out in our dorm rooms, shopping for spring clothes and planning what we were going to wear to the dance, and the evening spent in the lounge, watching movies, I was ready to get serious about choosing my guy.
Choosing a guy. Did I ever, for a second, think I’d get my choice of two really hot guys? I mean, yeah I was fit with a good body, and sure—around here at least—I was considered ‘exotic-looking,’ but I was also shy and kind of dumb and was addicted to romance novels. Not exactly on the top ten list of traits guys love. Okay, so I could talk to guys about sports, but that was about the only thing. I’d learned early on not to tell people who my uncle is, too. And if I’d ever been tempted to do some Hollywood name-dropping, I just had to think about Kaylee and that giant douche Phillip Carson and how he’d tried to use her to get to her parents.
So after breakfast, while Kaylee was in the bathroom taking a shower, I sat at my desk with a pen and paper and drew a table for each guy and labeled the sides Pros and Cons.
I got as far as good kisser, which I put on both of the pro lists before Kaylee came out of the bathroom (fully dressed—she’d never make that mistake again) and looked over my shoulder. I didn’t bother trying to hide what I was doing; if anything, I could use her help since she knew me better than anyone.
“You really have no idea?” she asked.
I swiveled my chair so I was facing her and shook my head.
She dropped onto her bed. “I don’t really know Shane so I can’t say I don’t like him, but I do really like Jenks. He’s a good guy.”
I pointed over my shoulder. “That was going on the list next.”
She smiled. “Right after your top priority?”
I didn’t protest that kissing was high up on my list.
“Do you have plans with either of them today?”
“No,” I said, but as soon as I did, my phone sounded.
We looked at each other and laughed. “Well that’s got to be some sort of sign.”
I grabbed my phone off my bed and looked at the screen. “Jenks,” I said.
“Quick!” Kaylee exclaimed, making me look up at her. “When you saw it was him, were you happy or disappointed that it wasn’t Shane?”
I searched inside myself for the answer. “You know what?” I said. “Both. I was glad to hear from him but wanted to scroll through to see if I’d missed one from Shane.”
“You’re hopeless,” she said, rolling her eyes. “What is he saying?”
I glanced down at the screen. “He’s training today but he wants to see me before the dance.” My heart fluttered at that.
“That’s sweet. See?” Kaylee said. “He’s nice and he obviously likes you.”
“Shane likes me, too,” I said as I typed a message. Would like to see you, too. When?
How about Wednesday? I can come over after class and we can hang out in the lounge. Maybe go for a walk.
Sounds great, I returned.
It’s a date, he sent.
I smiled at that.
I’d better go. Training is soon.
I really liked the idea of going to watch him train, not just because it meant I’d get to see him in his swimsuit again, either. If he was as good off the diving platform as he was swimming down the lanes, he would be great to watch. But he hadn’t invited me and I didn’t want to interfere with his training, so I just typed out, Good luck. See you Wednesday.
He sent back a smilie face.
So that’s how I got date number one.
~ ♥ ~
Date number two came later when Shane texted me that afternoon. He wanted to see me Monday evening once he was done in the kitchen. I had kind of hoped he would have wanted to see me that afternoon, and I had been going to text him, but at lunch when I’d mentioned it, Chelly had said I should wait for him to come to me so I wouldn’t look needy and because guys liked being the ones doing the pursuing. I didn’t know if that was true, but if any one of my friends knew about guys, it was Chelly.
I wish I could come help, I typed back to Shane. I miss being in the kitchen.
Because of me? He sent.
I laughed. That too. I miss cooking, tho.
There was a long pause before he sent. Haywood said you have to get better marks.
Like I didn’t know that? I’m working on it.
Anyway, I miss seeing those stunning eyes of yours. Will I see you tomorrow?
Yes.
That meant I had Monday and Wednesday set up to figure out which guy I really wanted. That gave me Thursday to sort it all out and decide who I wanted at the dance with me.
It was a perfect plan. Except deep down, I was worried; I’d read enough books where the heroine comes up with the perfect plan, just to have it not work out anything like what she’d hoped.
Yeah, that was pretty much what happened.