"I always wear boots…” he mumbles as I slip into the bathroom to get ready.
Chapter Twenty
Hadley
AlanJackson’s“CheckYesor No” floats from the building, and the smell of chicken wings infiltrates my senses. Lights hang across the outdoor porch where people are playing pool, dancing, eating, or all of the above at once.Oh yes,I think.My kind of place.I check my phone again, one last time, to make sure it has enough juice to get me through the night.
Because tonight is the night I kiss my best friend.
Of course, I’ll be recording it in the name of the video challenge in case I’ve read him all wrong this entire time and need a cop-out as to why I assaulted his face with my cherry-red lips.
Yes, I chose cherry red lipstick to kiss my best friend.
Oh my gosh, I AM FIXING TO KISS MY BEST FRIEND!
My heart beats wildly out of my chest and my breathing becomes labored. I can’t chicken out of this. It’s time. I know I’m not good enough for him, but maybe…just maybe…that will be okay with him. I’m tired of waiting, of pining, of wishing and hoping. If he isn’t going to make a move, I am more than happy to woman up and do it for him. Because I swear he’s been flirting with me. There’s no way I’m imagining it.
“You know I don’t dance, Hadley.” Braxton groans, walking up beside me. I didn’t realize I had left him behind. Well, that’s not a good start to the evening. “Besides, aren’t you tired from walking around town all afternoon?”
Yes. “Nope, not at all,” I say instead. I have plans, buddy. Big plans. “Let’s go!” I take his hand and drag him into the country dance club.
We pay to enter, get our legal-to-drink wristbands though I don’t plan on doing that, order wings, and seat ourselves at a table in the corner of the building. It’s small inside and everyone is low-key and chill. The real party is happening outdoors on the large porch. I slide into the booth next to Braxton instead of sitting across from him. He gives me a funny look, but I shrug it off. Everything istotallynormal. I glance around, wondering where I could sneakily hide my phone. Or maybe I could just be upfront and tell him I’m recording a social media video for my boutique’s page and need his assistance for a part of it. My mind continues to contemplate the best course of action as the wings are delivered to the table.
Goodness, that was fast. I need to execute this before we eat because… Gross. I don’t want to kiss him for the first time with honey barbecue breath.
“Hold up,” I say as he pulls a basket of wings in front of him. I push the basket back, and his face falls like I took his favorite toy away. If he was a child, that is, which he absolutely is not. “I’ve got to record a little video for the boutique, documenting the journey and such,” I lie.
“Need me to hold the phone?” What a trooper.
“Not this time. You need to be in it.”
“Why?” he asks, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
“It’s a trend. Takes two people.”
“Oh-kay,” he drawls. “What do I need to do?” My heart is exploding. Right out of my chest. I’m pretty sure all that’s left is the chest cavity where it once pumped.
“Just sit here until I look at you. When I look at you, turn your head toward me.” Really? That’s all I could come up with?
“Alright,” he says with a skeptical lilt. But hey, at least he agreed.
This is it.
My hands shake as I set my phone up on the top of the booth opposing us. I almost drop my phone from the mounting nerves, but thankfully, it stays right where I placed it.
My mind goes numb. Or is it so hyper aware that it’s forgetting to process anything?
I press play, and the challenge tune “Electric Love” by BØRNS begins to play from the phone’s speakers.
My hands are sweaty, so I quickly wipe them on my jeans. I can’t breathe. My heart is beating way too fast, my vision clouds. I need to do this now…
Without another thought, I reach my uninjured hand to his chin and grab, pulling his face smack into mine.
The first mistake is grabbing his chin like I’m dangling off a cliff and holding on to the edge for my life.
The second mistake is kissing Braxton’s very shocked, very open mouth while mine mirrored his.
Why is mine open in shock? I know about this attempted kiss!
