The phone looked innocent. We were on pretty good terms as far as inanimate objects went. It couldn’t hurt me.
There were other choices of course. I could text Levi. Reaching him that way would be easy too but would also leave physical evidence. I didn’t want my words intercepted by someone else. At least, that was my story, and I was sticking with it.
I took a deep breath and picked up the phone, noticing fingerprints on the screen. I contemplated searching for Windex as my stomach fluttered with nerves, excitement, and dread.
Hello, I mouthed to myself. This is Grace. Grace Black. Arrgh. As if Levi knew a million Grace Blacks in Tadita. I took a deep breath, tapped my contact list, and scrolled to L. I tapped on his number. Waited.
He picked up on the third ring.
“Levi? Hi. It’s Grace. Uh. Grace Black.” Ugh. I rocked back and forth on my sit bones and called myself names in my head.
“Hey, Grace.” His voice rumbled out, low and sexy, over the line. Sexy invited lusty.
I managed to make small talk for exactly two full sentences. Then there was an uncomfortable pause.
“I’m glad you called,” he said into the uncomfortable lull, his voice sending shivers up my arms.
“You are?” Do you like me? Do you want to kiss me? God. I want to kiss you. “I mean, I’m glad. I, uh, wanted to call and talk to you to make sure, you know, that what we talked about last night…uh, stays private.” My cheeks flushed from my efforts and I prayed he couldn’t tell what I’d really been thinking.
“No worries, Grace. I got it. Like I said, you can trust me.”
The warmth in his voice made me want to dance around the room. This wasn’t supposed to be about me crushing hard on Levi. Or imagining us hooking up. This was a serious matter about my best girlfriend.
“Thanks. I just want to make sure. Kya was really out of it and not herself, and that’s kind of why I said something. It’s super private.”
“It’s okay.”
“Good.” I paused and then plunged on before it got awkward again. “She came to see me this morning. Straight from James’s. She’s okay. You know, hungover and stuff, but she’ll live.” I closed my eyes, wishing I’d stayed quiet.
“Good,” he said. “Not the hangover. But that she’ll live.” I heard a smile in his voice.
“Yup,” I said. And then my mind blanked. It turned off and there it was, another awkward pause. I wasn’t used to calling boys. Kya said I was too picky, as if she didn’t realize most of the boys wanted her, not me.
Why hadn’t I texted? Dork. I was a dork.
“Hey, Grace?” Levi said.
“Yeah?” I managed.
“Do you want to go out sometime? With me? Like to a movie or something?”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. Even his Canadian accent—“oot”—was adorable.
“I love movies,” I said solemnly.
“Me too.” The smile in his voice unfroze my facial muscles. “Do you work tonight?” he asked.
“No.” I had to work hard not to let the happy dance going on in my head show in my voice.
“Would it be weird if I asked you out tonight?” he asked.
“No. It wouldn’t be.” A giggle escaped. “Tonight would be great.”
“Cool. What’s playing that you want to see?” he asked.
We chatted about movies and then he arranged to pick me up. I hung up and threw my phone on the bed. Totally uncool and not sophisticated, I squealed like a four-year-old and then covered my mouth with both hands.
I was going to a movie with Levi?
My phone rang again. I looked at caller display and picked it up, grinning from ear to ear. “Skanklet Black’s Hangover Cures,” I said to Kya.
“Grace.” Kya’s voice was heavy and hoarse with emotion. “Can you come over? I need to see you.” She sniffled. “Now.”