Page 43 of That Boy (That Boy 1)
Ha!
Actually, I don't think he's waiting. I think he's hiding from me.
But back to Lori.
"You know, Lori, other than helping with the setting, all I did was tell him about the ceremony. Well that, and make the candle. Phillip got some pledge to deliver it."
"I knew I was right about you," she laughs, then takes a bite of her toast.
"Honestly," I say over my coffee cup, "I was a bit worried about him getting the football players to do the serenading. Afraid it might be terribly pathetic or totally cheesy. I have to say, I was floored to see the whole fricking marching band there. So, what do you think?" I grin, "Was it worth the wait?"
"Yeah." She smiles to herself, dreamily remembering last night. "It was definitely worth the wait. Could you believe all that?"
"Not really. Oh God, what kind of wedding are you gonna have? How in the world will you top last night?"
"Actually, there is something we wanted to talk to you and Phillip about. Danny and I decided last night that with him having to report to training camp soon, we're just going to get married on a beach somewhere in Mexico. Probably Cancun."
I interrupt her, "What are your parents going to say? Aren't they going to freak out about that? Will they go too?"
"Well sure, they will definitely be there, but the wedding will be very small. Like probably only our immediate families and you and Phillip. We'll have a big party when we get home. I'm going to book the trip today. Danny and I are hoping you and Phillip will come and stand up for us at the wedding. You ready to be my maid of honor? Gosh, I can't believe it! It's only a few weeks away!" She's chattering away and practically bursting with excitement. "We'll leave right after graduation. So, will you do it? Will you come?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I say.
And I mean it.
"On another note," she says, as she gets up, pours herself another cup of coffee and rinses her plate in the sink. "I saw you dancing with Phillip last night. You know, I think you two belong together." She sits back down and stares at me. "So, have you guys ever dated or anything?"
"No, to dating. Yes, to anything," I say with no expression, just to tease her.
She gets a big smile on her face.
"But don't get too excited, the last anything was in eighth grade when Phillip attacked me during a game of spin the bottle. Oh and well, I sorta kissed him last night."
Her eyes get huge. "You WHAT? Tell me about it!!!!"
"Uh, well, it was just a peck, well, two pecks, but we were just excited for you and Danny."
"Have you thought about kissing him again? He is so handsome, Jade. You two would be adorable together, and you get along so well. Don't you see the way he looks at you, with those puppy dog eyes? I really think he's like in love with you."
Not very subtle is she? I suppose since she's all happy and engaged, it'll now become her mission in life to marry off the rest of us.
"Uh, I don't know about the puppy dog eyes. And sure he loves me, we're best friends. And as far as the kissing goes, no. I haven't."
Really, I haven't.
Fine. So last night I might have thought about it for a second, but only a second.
Well, okay, maybe I have thought about it more than a second, because she's right, he is very handsome. And I have to admit, I really enjoyed having his strong arms wrapped around me while we were dancing, and I even enjoyed our two little kisses, but I try to change the subject by saying with a smile and a wink, "But I can tell you about the time I slept with Danny."
She's heard the prom story before, so she rolls her eyes at me and will not be distracted. "Well Jadyn," she says with a wicked grin, as she walks out the door to head to class, "I think maybe it's time you play spin the bottle again."
Around nine-thirty, Danny strolls out of his room, looking bleary eyed. It takes him a while to get going in the morning. His dark blonde hair is sticking up all over, there are pillow marks on the side of his face, and he's wearing nothing but a pair of baggy sweat shorts.
He looks adorable.
And happy.
"So what do you think? We pulled it off," he grins, while sliding onto the couch next to me.
"We? How 'bout you and half the school? It was really amazing, Danny. I was thoroughly impressed."
"So I'm actually getting married," he says, as his stomach growls. "I don't suppose you'd make me a celebratory omelet, huh?"
I smile and close the textbook I'm reading. It really doesn't take much persuasion to get me to stop studying.
"Oh, I suppose," I say like it's a big inconvenience.
He moves to a barstool and watches, while I get the ingredients out of the frig.
I crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk them and stir in some milk. I put a little butter in a pan and saute some mushrooms. Then I pour in the omelet mixture.
It's amazing how good of a cook you become living with two hungry boys.
"Think she's the right girl?" he asks me, still rubbing his eyes.
"Don't you think it's a little late to be asking that question?"
"Nah, I could always call it off."
"Yeah," I say, as I am cooking the omelet. "And you would be a fool. Lori is perfect for you. It's weird because you are so different from her. You know, you and I really are a lot alike. I mean we both love to have fun, are wild, larger than life, always ready for the next challenge, the next adventure, the next dare. But on the down side, Danny, sometimes I think you and I could float around aimlessly. We're like kites. We just go wherever the wind blows us, even if it's not the best place to be. Lori is like a great kite flyer. She understands that you need enough string to go on your adventures. She even encourages it and helps you soar." I smile at him, add some cheese to the top of the omelet and flip it onto a plate. Setting it in front of him, I add, "She also knows when you need to be brought back to earth. She grounds you, Danny. In a very good way."
I need someone like that, I think.
He smiles and shoves a big bite of omelet into his mouth.
"Plus," I remind him, "she's booking travel arrangements as we speak."
"This is really good. Thanks," he says and takes another bite.
In between chews he asks, "So are you and Phillip in?"
"I know I am. I haven't seen Phillip this morning, but I think we both know what his answer will be."
"Jay," he says, pausing to put another forkful in his mouth and chew. Then he waves his empty fork at me, "Why don't you just sleep with Phillip and get it over with?"
"What?"
"I saw you dancing together last night." And he just shakes his head at me.
Phillip is at his last fraternity meeting, and Danny is out with Lori. I'm sitting home alone, lying on the couch in my PJs. I've been absent-mindedly spinning an empty beer bottle on the coffee table, while channel flipping between 16 and Pregnant and Gossip Girl, and drinking a couple of beers.
Well
, maybe more like four or five.
I think I may be slightly depressed and well, maybe getting slightly drunk too.
Phillip opens the front door. I take a good look at him. Lori is right. He is so handsome.
My heart literally flutters every time I see him.
He walks into the living room and scans my row of empties. I watch the sexy backside of him, as he walks to the kitchen, grabs a beer from the frig and then plops down on the couch beside me. He opens the bottle with Danny's bottle opener that plays the NU fight song. My mind swirls back to dancing with him last night.
Maybe.
"What's up with all the beer? Lose another boyfriend?"
I ignore his smart ass comment.
"Wanna play spin the bottle?" I surprise myself by asking.
"You know it's been awhile since I've played, but aren't there usually more than two players?" he squints his eyes at me, wondering what joke I'm trying to play.
"Yeah, stupid idea," I sigh a little bigger than I should have.
What the hell was I thinking?
"Hey," Phillip says, as he leans forward and holds both hands up in the air in front of his chest. "I said nothing about it being a stupid idea." He gestures toward the bottle on the table, "Spin away. Hell, you don't even have to spin. I'll kiss you anyway. Do you want me to kiss you?"
"What about Moaning Monica?" I roll my eyes when I say her name. In case you can't tell, I don't particularly care for her.
That girl is always moaning about something.
Usually me.
"Uh, well." I get the feeling he would like to ignore the question. "It seems she broke up with me today."
"Why?"
He laughs. "Well, it might've had something to do with our wild dancing last night."
"I didn't realize it was wild."
"Yeah. Well, what's worse is that I didn't even realize she was there. She never crossed my mind. I was having too much fun with you."
"What did she say?" I'm trying hard not to smile and show my happiness about his unfortunate break up.
Sorry, but, YAY! That girl was not nearly good enough for Phillip.
"I don't know." He runs his hand back through his hair, leans back into the couch and takes a pull off his beer. "It was something like, when she saw you and I dancing, she just knew what she has always suspected, and I have always denied, was true."
"And what's that?"
"That you and I have, and I quote," he says, while making quote marks in the air, "a thing going on."
