“Okay,” he says. “I can’t wait.”
#
After school, I’m a bundle of excited nerves. I didn’t tell Abigail about my clandestine meeting with Max because if it turns out that he’s just a big liar, then I don’t want her to know. Also, part of me is worried that even if he really doesn’t have a girlfriend, he won’t like me. I can’t handle the embarrassment that would bring, so I keep it all to myself.
But I do text my mom and tell her I’m going to Starbucks after school. You know, just in case heisa murderer.
I grab the pepper spray key chain my dad got me and attach it to my house keys, and then I start walking toward the Starbucks which is only a few blocks away. Fifth street is right between his town and mine, so even though we went to different school districts our whole lives, we’ve always lived close to each other. I wonder if we’ve ever been at the same place at the same time.
As I approach the Starbucks, I know that we’re about to be in theexactsame place at the same time.
My nerves are on fire with how anxious I am, but somehow I manage to open the door and let myself into the packed coffee shop. This Starbucks is pretty big, with three different sitting areas, all filled with people and laptops and coffee. I’m glad it’s so busy, because the only thing scarier than meeting a guy you’ve never seen before would be if I walked in here and he was the only person inside.
I do my best to seem casual and normal as I stroll up to the front counter. I don’t look around as if I’m searching for someone. If Max is already here, he’s probably watching each person that comes inside, which means he’s probably seen me before I’ve seen him. The very thought makes me nervous.
What if he doesn’t like me? What if he’s staring at me right now, hoping I’m not the girl he’s supposed to meet because he doesn’t like the way I look?
Oh God. I take a deep breath and pretend to check the time on my phone. Then I take out some cash from my back pocket and pretend to scan the menu board even though I already know what I want to order.
I’m third in line, so while I wait, I glance to the right, at the shelf of coffee mugs for sale. Very casually, I glance around. I don’t see any blue beanies on this side of the store.
I take a deep breath and look to the left.
That’s when I see him.
Sitting at a narrow table that’s made for just two people, is a boy in a blue beanie. He has dark hair poking out of the bottom of it, tanned skin, and broad shoulders. He’s staring down at his phone, which is sitting on the table next to his coffee. He’s not even bothering to look around at the people coming inside, so I allow myself to watch him for a few minutes.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. He’s totally hot.
Like, drop dead gorgeous.
He picks up his coffee and tips it to his lips, and I watch like some kind of stalker as his bicep flexes before he sets the coffee back on the table.
“Miss?” the barista says.
“Sorry,” I say, quickly stepping forward in line. It’s my turn now and I hadn’t even noticed. I order my iced coffee and then step to the left to wait by the pick-up counter.
Max still hasn’t looked over, and I wonder if he’s as nervous as I am, although he doesn’t seem like it. He seems relaxed, totally at home in this coffee shop.
When my coffee is ready, I briefly consider taking it and leaving, letting Max forever wonder what happened to me. But even though I’m scared that he won’t like me as much as I want to like him, I’m still too curious about this fake girlfriend thing. He swears he’s not a liar, and I guess I want to find out for sure if he’s telling the truth.
So although I’m so nervous I think I might drop dead out of fear, I force myself to walk over to his table.
Max slowly looks over as I approach, his eyes locking on mine. They’re the perfect shade of blue—so much better than Mr. Hawkins’.
“Hi,” I say. “I’m Jess.”
His lips twist into a grin that reaches all the way to his eyes. “Hi,” he says. “You’re even prettier than I imagined.”
Chapter 10
A feel a deep blush rising from my neck to my cheeks. “You’re pretty, too,” I say in an attempt to be funny. Max gives me this lopsided smile, but he doesn’t blush, and I’m immediately jealous of how calm and collected he is.
“Want to sit down?” he asks, gesturing to the chair in front of him.
I set my coffee on the table and then sit down, and then the next thing I know, I’m face-to-face with the guy I’ve been texting. “What kind of coffee did you get?” he asks.
“Iced vanilla sweet cream.” I bite on my bottom lip. “But we’re not here to talk about coffee.”
