Alyssa was able
to forget that this was a fake reputation-saving-date and she just started
having fun. Tommy, as it turns out, was a big hockey fan. And even though he
was a Penguins fan Alyssa still enjoyed his company. Before she’d gotten
closer to Beth she hadn’t noticed Tommy very much.
“Are you guys gonna talk hockey all night?”
Beth was laughing, but Alyssa could tell she was also bored.
“Sorry. I guess I got carried away. I can’t
believe you’ve never been to a game before. We should go sometime.”
Beth beamed. “Yay, a double date! That does
sound fun.”
Alyssa worked very hard not to look at Brent.
She hadn’t meant to set up another date where he would be obligated to play
prince charming again. It just slipped out.
“It does.” Tommy was saying. “I guess my
reputation can handle sitting next to a couple of Flyers fans.”
“Come on, Chere. I like this song.” Brent
stood up and led Alyssa to the dance floor.
Crap. She was in trouble again. And she’d been
having such a good time too. It was her own fault really. She knew where
Brent stood on the whole fake boyfriend thing. “I’m so sorry Brent.” She said
when he’d settled her against him.
“Hmm?” He looked down at her.
“About the game thing. I’ll get out of it
later.”
“We can go to a game, Lyssa. We go to games
together all the time. And Beth and Tommy are cool, it’ll be fun.”
Alyssa was confused. “Why are we dancing then?
I mean, if you didn’t drag me out on the dance floor to yell at me?”
Brent sighed. Alyssa barely noticed the sighing
anymore. “We’re at a dance. I like this song. So I asked you to dance with
me. Not everything has five lines of subtext attached to it. And I hardly
dragged you—what am I, Captain Caveman?”
Alyssa stepped a little closer. It was so easy
to pretend this was a real date. Thinking about pretending her pretend date
wasn’t pretending gave her a head ache. So for a moment she let herself stop
thinking. Brent wasn’t that much taller than her when she wore heels. She was
able to tilt her head upward and bring her face very close to his.
“Can I cut in?” Pete appeared beside them. He
was slurring his words together.
“No.” Brent spun Alyssa around turning his back
to him.
“I was asking her.” Pete reached out to grab
Alyssa’s wrist, but he was obviously drunk, and he stumbled forward missing her
completely. Turning, he glared at her “You never danced with me that way.” He
was thankfully speaking at a normal volume, but Alyssa was still mortified. When
he started to reach for her again Brent’s hand closed around his bicep.
“Let’s take a walk Edser.” He turned to
Alyssa. “I’ll be right back, Lyssa.” She hesitated. “I’m just gonna call him
a cab, go sit with Tommy and Beth.” Turning, he walked Pete towards the exit.
Alyssa was too shocked to do anything else, so
she sat down with Beth as he’d instructed. Out of the corner of one eye she
saw Lisa Thompson hurrying to follow them.
“What’s that all about?” Beth asked.
“Oh, I guess Pete’s been drinking. Brent is
going to call him a cab.”
Jennifer was stretching her neck trying to see
out the exit doors. This wasn’t possible because the lights were dimmed for
the dance, but it was clear Jenn was sorry that she might be missing a news
worthy scene. “I do hope he gets out of here
to forget that this was a fake reputation-saving-date and she just started
having fun. Tommy, as it turns out, was a big hockey fan. And even though he
was a Penguins fan Alyssa still enjoyed his company. Before she’d gotten
closer to Beth she hadn’t noticed Tommy very much.
“Are you guys gonna talk hockey all night?”
Beth was laughing, but Alyssa could tell she was also bored.
“Sorry. I guess I got carried away. I can’t
believe you’ve never been to a game before. We should go sometime.”
Beth beamed. “Yay, a double date! That does
sound fun.”
Alyssa worked very hard not to look at Brent.
She hadn’t meant to set up another date where he would be obligated to play
prince charming again. It just slipped out.
“It does.” Tommy was saying. “I guess my
reputation can handle sitting next to a couple of Flyers fans.”
“Come on, Chere. I like this song.” Brent
stood up and led Alyssa to the dance floor.
Crap. She was in trouble again. And she’d been
having such a good time too. It was her own fault really. She knew where
Brent stood on the whole fake boyfriend thing. “I’m so sorry Brent.” She said
when he’d settled her against him.
“Hmm?” He looked down at her.
“About the game thing. I’ll get out of it
later.”
“We can go to a game, Lyssa. We go to games
together all the time. And Beth and Tommy are cool, it’ll be fun.”
Alyssa was confused. “Why are we dancing then?
I mean, if you didn’t drag me out on the dance floor to yell at me?”
Brent sighed. Alyssa barely noticed the sighing
anymore. “We’re at a dance. I like this song. So I asked you to dance with
me. Not everything has five lines of subtext attached to it. And I hardly
dragged you—what am I, Captain Caveman?”
Alyssa stepped a little closer. It was so easy
to pretend this was a real date. Thinking about pretending her pretend date
wasn’t pretending gave her a head ache. So for a moment she let herself stop
thinking. Brent wasn’t that much taller than her when she wore heels. She was
able to tilt her head upward and bring her face very close to his.
“Can I cut in?” Pete appeared beside them. He
was slurring his words together.
“No.” Brent spun Alyssa around turning his back
to him.
“I was asking her.” Pete reached out to grab
Alyssa’s wrist, but he was obviously drunk, and he stumbled forward missing her
completely. Turning, he glared at her “You never danced with me that way.” He
was thankfully speaking at a normal volume, but Alyssa was still mortified. When
he started to reach for her again Brent’s hand closed around his bicep.
“Let’s take a walk Edser.” He turned to
Alyssa. “I’ll be right back, Lyssa.” She hesitated. “I’m just gonna call him
a cab, go sit with Tommy and Beth.” Turning, he walked Pete towards the exit.
Alyssa was too shocked to do anything else, so
she sat down with Beth as he’d instructed. Out of the corner of one eye she
saw Lisa Thompson hurrying to follow them.
“What’s that all about?” Beth asked.
“Oh, I guess Pete’s been drinking. Brent is
going to call him a cab.”
Jennifer was stretching her neck trying to see
out the exit doors. This wasn’t possible because the lights were dimmed for
the dance, but it was clear Jenn was sorry that she might be missing a news
worthy scene. “I do hope he gets out of here
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