weight?”
“Of course he is. He’s doing more than me, actually. I think he drew the short straw partner-wise.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Kayleigh said. “He’s brilliant, though, so be glad you’re with him.”
Josh actually blushed, which amused Bernie. “Definitely not,” he said. “Especially at anything math- or science-related.”
“Hey, Bernie.” Tony spoke up from across the table. “You coming to the game this Friday night?”
“What game?” She had no idea what he was talking about.
“The football game! It’s homecoming.” His face was comical with disbelief. “You should come.”
“Oh, I work ’til seven. Sorry.” She wasn’t sorry at all. She had never been to a high school football game and didn’t feel like she was missing anything.
“The game doesn’t start until seven thirty,” Kayleigh piped in. “You could go with Josh! That would be great! He’d have someone to sit with since I’ll be cheering and Tony will be playing.” She seemed totally oblivious to the expressions of utter panic on both Josh and Bernie’s faces.
“Oh, I don’t—” Bernie began.
“I’m sure Bernie doesn’t—” Josh objected at the same time.
“Please?” Kayleigh flashed her huge, baby-blue eyes at both Josh and Bernie. “We can all go out for pizza afterward. It’ll be so much fun!”
What was it with this girl? Was she trying to set Bernie up with her boyfriend? Or did she simply not see Bernie as any kind of romantic threat to their relationship? That was demoralizing.
“How about it, Bernie?” Josh asked reluctantly. “I could pick you up from work and drop you back there after the game.”
“Sure. Sounds great.” She would simply get out of it later, when she could talk to Josh alone. He couldn’t possibly want to be responsible for squiring her around when he could be spending time with his girlfriend. And she didn’t think it was good for her to spend more time with him than necessary. He was too good-looking and nice for her peace of mind.
“Yay!” Kayleigh actually squealed. “We’re going to be such good friends. I can tell.”
Bernie was flattered but confused. Nobody, much less the queen of the in-crowd, had ever sought her friendship. Was this girl for real? People just weren’t that nice in real life, were they?
She pondered the conundrum as she settled at her desk in economics. “Is your girlfriend for real?” She turned and confronted Josh as soon as he reached his desk.
He blew out a huge breath. “Yeah, she is.”
“Because if this is a joke, and she’s setting me up for some sort of Carrie scene, I’m gonna be pissed!”
“She’s not, I swear! She is just literally the kindest person I’ve ever known and she loves making new friends.”
“God, a football game? I’ve never been to one in my life. What do you do?”
Josh raised his eyebrows, surprised. “Never? Wow, okay. Well, you just watch, I guess. And eat junk food.”
“I don’t know anything about football. I won’t have the slightest clue what’s going on,” Bernie groused.
He gave a half-smile. “I’ll teach you. Kayleigh’s right, it will be fun. Don’t be so cranky. You sound like an old woman. It’ll be good for you to get out and have some fun for a change. It sounds like all you do is work and go to school.”
“Oh, and you do so much better, huh?”
“Touché.” He ducked his head, seeming embarrassed. “Hey, I did go on a date Friday.”
“With Kayleigh?”
“Of course with Kayleigh!”
“And? How was it?” Were they really discussing his love life? She hadn’t talked with anyone like this since Gabby. It was strange, but it worked somehow.
“Well, it was okay, I guess. It’s been a while, but…” He ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. It sucked, actually. We had nothing to talk about, and then I fell asleep during the lame-ass movie she picked.”
“Sorry.” She bit her lip and shrugged. “What did you used to talk
“Of course he is. He’s doing more than me, actually. I think he drew the short straw partner-wise.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Kayleigh said. “He’s brilliant, though, so be glad you’re with him.”
Josh actually blushed, which amused Bernie. “Definitely not,” he said. “Especially at anything math- or science-related.”
“Hey, Bernie.” Tony spoke up from across the table. “You coming to the game this Friday night?”
“What game?” She had no idea what he was talking about.
“The football game! It’s homecoming.” His face was comical with disbelief. “You should come.”
“Oh, I work ’til seven. Sorry.” She wasn’t sorry at all. She had never been to a high school football game and didn’t feel like she was missing anything.
“The game doesn’t start until seven thirty,” Kayleigh piped in. “You could go with Josh! That would be great! He’d have someone to sit with since I’ll be cheering and Tony will be playing.” She seemed totally oblivious to the expressions of utter panic on both Josh and Bernie’s faces.
“Oh, I don’t—” Bernie began.
“I’m sure Bernie doesn’t—” Josh objected at the same time.
“Please?” Kayleigh flashed her huge, baby-blue eyes at both Josh and Bernie. “We can all go out for pizza afterward. It’ll be so much fun!”
What was it with this girl? Was she trying to set Bernie up with her boyfriend? Or did she simply not see Bernie as any kind of romantic threat to their relationship? That was demoralizing.
“How about it, Bernie?” Josh asked reluctantly. “I could pick you up from work and drop you back there after the game.”
“Sure. Sounds great.” She would simply get out of it later, when she could talk to Josh alone. He couldn’t possibly want to be responsible for squiring her around when he could be spending time with his girlfriend. And she didn’t think it was good for her to spend more time with him than necessary. He was too good-looking and nice for her peace of mind.
“Yay!” Kayleigh actually squealed. “We’re going to be such good friends. I can tell.”
Bernie was flattered but confused. Nobody, much less the queen of the in-crowd, had ever sought her friendship. Was this girl for real? People just weren’t that nice in real life, were they?
She pondered the conundrum as she settled at her desk in economics. “Is your girlfriend for real?” She turned and confronted Josh as soon as he reached his desk.
He blew out a huge breath. “Yeah, she is.”
“Because if this is a joke, and she’s setting me up for some sort of Carrie scene, I’m gonna be pissed!”
“She’s not, I swear! She is just literally the kindest person I’ve ever known and she loves making new friends.”
“God, a football game? I’ve never been to one in my life. What do you do?”
Josh raised his eyebrows, surprised. “Never? Wow, okay. Well, you just watch, I guess. And eat junk food.”
“I don’t know anything about football. I won’t have the slightest clue what’s going on,” Bernie groused.
He gave a half-smile. “I’ll teach you. Kayleigh’s right, it will be fun. Don’t be so cranky. You sound like an old woman. It’ll be good for you to get out and have some fun for a change. It sounds like all you do is work and go to school.”
“Oh, and you do so much better, huh?”
“Touché.” He ducked his head, seeming embarrassed. “Hey, I did go on a date Friday.”
“With Kayleigh?”
“Of course with Kayleigh!”
“And? How was it?” Were they really discussing his love life? She hadn’t talked with anyone like this since Gabby. It was strange, but it worked somehow.
“Well, it was okay, I guess. It’s been a while, but…” He ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. It sucked, actually. We had nothing to talk about, and then I fell asleep during the lame-ass movie she picked.”
“Sorry.” She bit her lip and shrugged. “What did you used to talk
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