lifted the sunglasses so Elise could see her eyes.
“Oh. My. God. I thought you were studying last night,” Elise said.
Just then, a voice on the loudspeaker outside the restaurant called out, “Elise, party of three.”
“Let’s sit down, and then I’ll explain,” Whitney said. “I need some coffee, stat.”
The three girls settled into a booth in a back corner of the restaurant, and Whitney practically inhaled the mug of coffee the server poured for her.
“So?” Jamie asked, looking quizzically at Whitney.
“Don’t be mad, but I did go out last night.”
“Well, that’s obvious,” Elise said. “You look like you drank whatever bar you went to dry.”
“I didn’t go to a bar. I went to a restaurant. With Ben.”
Jamie slapped the table excitedly. “I knew you were into him!”
Elise’s eyes widened. “You like Ben? Also, not cool blowing off your girls for a guy! What’s up with that?”
“It wasn’t planned. I swear. I was studying at the library and Ben came by. We studied a little while and he insisted that we grab some dinner. It was just a friends’ thing. Nothing romantic. We ate at this Italian restaurant near school. Francesca’s, I think?”
“I love that place! I went there for dinner last Wednesday!” Jamie said.
“Yeah, it’s good. We ate a ton of food. And shared three bottles of wine.”
“Holy shit!” Elise said. “No wonder you’re looking a little rough this morning.”
“Yeah. I know. Red wine hangovers are brutal.”
“So,” Jamie said, “What happened? Did you have a good time? Do you think you guys will go out again?”
“I mean, it wasn’t like that. It was just dinner as friends.”
“But you do like him?” Elise asked.
“Yes, I do like him,” Whitney said, feeling self-conscious. Ben felt so far out of her league, and confessing that she liked him made her feel like a silly schoolgirl. Yet, she was dying to talk to someone about it, and Rachel did not seem interested in the details of her life right now.
Elise squealed and clapped her hands. She had to be one of the most enthusiastic people Whitney had ever met. “He is so cute! You two make such a cute couple!”
“We’re not a couple, Elise!” Whitney said, exasperated. “We just had dinner. As friends.”
“Was there any chemistry? How did he say good night?” Jamie asked.
“Well, there was definitely chemistry. But, um, I don’t know how he said good night.”
Jamie looked horrified. “You blacked out?”
Whitney shrugged. “Three bottles of wine, guys. What do you expect? Things got a little fuzzy toward the end. He probably doesn’t remember, either.”
“At least you woke up at your own apartment. You did wake up at your own apartment, right?” Jamie asked.
“Yes! I’m sure I just grabbed a cab home or something. You guys are blowing this way out of proportion. I mean, I have a little bit of a crush on him, but I’m telling you nothing even remotely romantic happened. We’re just friends. It was just two friends having a friendly dinner.” Even as Whitney said this, she knew it was not entirely the truth. What had Ben meant when he said he was glad her old boyfriend had dumped her? Was he just being friendly? Or was he hinting that he was interested in something more?
“Listen,” Elise said, suddenly sounding all business. “If you’re interested in him, you need to make it clear to him. Don’t dilly-dally around in the friend zone and pretend you don’t care. He’s a catch, and I guarantee you he won’t be single long. If you don’t snatch him up, someone else will.”
Whitney knew Elise was probably right, and the thought of Ben dating someone else made her stomach tighten up in knots. But, she did not want to chase after Ben. First, she had told herself she was not in Chicago to meet boys. Of course, if something naturally developed with Ben, she was not going to complain. But she also was not about to go throwing herself at him because
“Oh. My. God. I thought you were studying last night,” Elise said.
Just then, a voice on the loudspeaker outside the restaurant called out, “Elise, party of three.”
“Let’s sit down, and then I’ll explain,” Whitney said. “I need some coffee, stat.”
The three girls settled into a booth in a back corner of the restaurant, and Whitney practically inhaled the mug of coffee the server poured for her.
“So?” Jamie asked, looking quizzically at Whitney.
“Don’t be mad, but I did go out last night.”
“Well, that’s obvious,” Elise said. “You look like you drank whatever bar you went to dry.”
“I didn’t go to a bar. I went to a restaurant. With Ben.”
Jamie slapped the table excitedly. “I knew you were into him!”
Elise’s eyes widened. “You like Ben? Also, not cool blowing off your girls for a guy! What’s up with that?”
“It wasn’t planned. I swear. I was studying at the library and Ben came by. We studied a little while and he insisted that we grab some dinner. It was just a friends’ thing. Nothing romantic. We ate at this Italian restaurant near school. Francesca’s, I think?”
“I love that place! I went there for dinner last Wednesday!” Jamie said.
“Yeah, it’s good. We ate a ton of food. And shared three bottles of wine.”
“Holy shit!” Elise said. “No wonder you’re looking a little rough this morning.”
“Yeah. I know. Red wine hangovers are brutal.”
“So,” Jamie said, “What happened? Did you have a good time? Do you think you guys will go out again?”
“I mean, it wasn’t like that. It was just dinner as friends.”
“But you do like him?” Elise asked.
“Yes, I do like him,” Whitney said, feeling self-conscious. Ben felt so far out of her league, and confessing that she liked him made her feel like a silly schoolgirl. Yet, she was dying to talk to someone about it, and Rachel did not seem interested in the details of her life right now.
Elise squealed and clapped her hands. She had to be one of the most enthusiastic people Whitney had ever met. “He is so cute! You two make such a cute couple!”
“We’re not a couple, Elise!” Whitney said, exasperated. “We just had dinner. As friends.”
“Was there any chemistry? How did he say good night?” Jamie asked.
“Well, there was definitely chemistry. But, um, I don’t know how he said good night.”
Jamie looked horrified. “You blacked out?”
Whitney shrugged. “Three bottles of wine, guys. What do you expect? Things got a little fuzzy toward the end. He probably doesn’t remember, either.”
“At least you woke up at your own apartment. You did wake up at your own apartment, right?” Jamie asked.
“Yes! I’m sure I just grabbed a cab home or something. You guys are blowing this way out of proportion. I mean, I have a little bit of a crush on him, but I’m telling you nothing even remotely romantic happened. We’re just friends. It was just two friends having a friendly dinner.” Even as Whitney said this, she knew it was not entirely the truth. What had Ben meant when he said he was glad her old boyfriend had dumped her? Was he just being friendly? Or was he hinting that he was interested in something more?
“Listen,” Elise said, suddenly sounding all business. “If you’re interested in him, you need to make it clear to him. Don’t dilly-dally around in the friend zone and pretend you don’t care. He’s a catch, and I guarantee you he won’t be single long. If you don’t snatch him up, someone else will.”
Whitney knew Elise was probably right, and the thought of Ben dating someone else made her stomach tighten up in knots. But, she did not want to chase after Ben. First, she had told herself she was not in Chicago to meet boys. Of course, if something naturally developed with Ben, she was not going to complain. But she also was not about to go throwing herself at him because
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