you could possibly be turning down an opportunity to lose it to the hottest guy in this townâ¦â She glanced appreciatively at him. ââ¦Possibly, in this country.â
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. âOkay â Abby? Donât be absurd. Even if I do go â I donât even know him.
âHa! So you are going.â
âI didnât say that.â
âYou didnât have to. I know you, remember? Now all we have to figure out is what you should wear.â
Adrius sauntered past us on his way to the door and deliberately slowed his pace.
Abby grinned and called over her shoulder, âIâm outta here. Sheâs all yours,â as she disappeared out the door.
I looked up at him but wasnât sure what to say. âThanks for the save. Again.â
âNo problem.â He gathered his leather bag, slinging it over his back with a disarming grin. âSo, Iâll see you tonight.â
âYou mean⦠you were serious? You donât have toâ¦â My palms were sweating as I fumbled with the straps of my bag.
âI want to. Six p.m., right?â
âRight. But Iâll be at my great auntâs place⦠I can give you the address.â
âI know where it is.â
âOf course you do,â I muttered shaking my head, not sure whether to be flattered or terrified.
Chapter Five
The idea of us being together made no sense. This was the thought that plagued me as I dressed for what was going to be the worst event of my life. Not only was utter humiliation a sure thing, I now had an audience to witness my spectacular failure⦠A really gorgeous audience. I had to stop at home since nothing at Camillaâs place was suitable, so I arranged to meet Adrius at the hall. Who would have guessed Iâd need something to wear on a date . Iâd packed for boring, which was usually what life offered.
The house seemed quiet⦠more so than usual, despite being accustomed to an empty house with mom gone as often as she was. But this was the first time sheâd been gone on my birthday. I peeked in her room and then quickly shut the door. This was silly; why was I suddenly missing her so much? Itâs not like I was three. Sheâd be home in a few weeks, and I would no doubt get a happy-birthday-call tonight, after sheâd given me the third degree about â ugh â the performance.
Fresh waves of nausea washed over me as I rummaged through my closet for something date-worthy. What exactly is the appropriate attire for falling on your face in front of the most gorgeous guy in school and half the town? Wonder if Teen Magazine has an advice column for that one.
Giving up, I slipped into a black sundress Mom had sent from Milan last summer, a sheer crochet scarf, denim jacket, and high-heeled boots. Keeping it simple, right ? My hair had seen better days, but since the waves were more or less in control I left it loose. Jewelry wasnât really my thing, so I added plain, silver hoops earrings and Granâs charm bracelet. And after a quick call to Camilla to let her know where Iâd be, I swallowed my nerves and headed to the auditorium.
Damp night air crept over my skin, as I huddled under the shelter of the canopy erected specifically for this event. Vehicles jammed the parking lot, a sight that did nothing to soothe my anxiety. When he drove up at exactly 6:00 p.m. sharp, I couldnât help exhaling a sigh of relief that he actually showed. In the back of my mind, I pictured the whole thing as some cruel joke⦠that maybe someone had put him up to asking me out⦠payback for dropping hot foam and cherry sauce on the cheerleader.
But the smile that greeted me when he opened the door melted all of my fears.
âRight on time.â I smiled as he crossed the parking lot in long strides. The amber lights made the sparkles dance in his eyes. He met my gaze, creating a déjà vu moment of the
Christine Warner
Abby Green
Amber Page
Melissa Nathan
Cynthia Luhrs
Vaughn Heppner
Belinda Murrell
Sheila Connolly
Agatha Christie
Jennie Jones