“Normal stuff. The weather. What they’re serving in federal prison. School. Whether or not I’m seeing someone.”
“Are you?”
“Am I what?” I say innocently.
“Seeing anyone.”
“No.”
“Surprising.”
“How so?” I make a rose and drop it in the middle of the table.
“You’re funny, confident, princess gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” I beam. “Except I have a shadow, remember?”
“He won’t let you date?”
“My brother won’t,” I clarify. “Not until after graduation. I’ll be the first in my family to graduate with a college degree, and he doesn’t want any cocky dude fucking with my brain just to wet his dick. Again, his words. The only way he will is if the guy meets him, his boyfriend, and their friend group, and there’s a unanimous vote.”
“How many are we speaking of?”
“Fifteen.”
“Fuck.”
“Yep. It’s the reason I’ll never have a boyfriend.” Sighing, I unravel the rose. “You?”
“No girlfriend.”
“Commitment issues?”
“Nah. Workaholic.”
“So, you dance and flirt with random women at nightclubs during your free time? Order whatever she wants? Offer her a place to stay so she doesn’t have to drive two hours home?”
“You’re the first, Ever.”
“I find that difficult to believe.”
“And I find your bluntness refreshing.” He palms my face and skates his thumb over my eyebrow. “How come next week will be your last at school?”
Not mine, but Gwen’s. God, she’s going to kill me if she ever finds out. Which means, don’t tell. Or I can fess up and tell Bobby it’s one of my friends who will get kicked out if she doesn’t pay up.
Except Gwen would say it’s a Gwen problem and not mine or Bobby’s. I turn from Bobby’s touch. My shoulders droop. I take deep breaths in and out. This world isn’t fair.
7
EVER
While I war with myself on whether to tell Bobby the truth or give him a fictional version of it—oh God, I’m rationalizing a lie with the excuse that Gwen’s problem is fictional—Bobby waves the server over and asks for more water, cheese sticks, and a glass of sparkling cider.
“Cider?” Bubbly. Non-alcoholic. Good man.
“To celebrate more nights to come.”
“More nights?” I’m like a parrot, repeating his every word.
