When my phone starts dinging, I’m not surprised. I swipe it open and see his latest text.
GRIFFIN:I don’t know what’s going on but I have to talk to you. I have to see you.
My finger hovers over the keyboard, but I have no idea what to say to him. Would he be texting me like this if I was sitting at home, crying over him? That’s the part I can’t get past.
So instead of texting him back, I throw the phone in the small chair by the window.
“I bet Nonna has a necklace or bracelet that would go perfectly with that dress,” Olivia says, then heads to the door.
Addie bounds off the bed, following her out. “Oh, I want to come see.”
For the first time all day, I’m alone. I glance at the phone and realize I haven’t heard from Margot since this morning.
I sit down in the chair and pull up our conversation.
ME:What’s up? You’ve been ridiculously quiet today
She doesn’t respond immediately, which worries me. Leaning back in the chair, careful not to mess up my hair, I stare at the phone until a constant thumping from outside gets my attention. I peek through the blinds and look down on the driveway that runs in between Nonna’s house and Wes’s.
And there he is, dribbling a basketball. He looks like he’s been at it awhile, because his shirt is off and his hair looks damp with sweat. Wes bounces the ball a few times, then shoots. It swishes through the net. Rinse, repeat. He’s got a pretty good average going, only missing one out of every four or five shots. Every time he shoots, I can’t help but stare at the muscles in his back.
What is happening to me? I’m just now feeling like I’m part of the Fab Four again. I can’t screw it up by thinking about Wes like that.
Our group went down that road before, and it ended disastrously. Olivia and I both decided at the beginning of freshman year that we had a crush on Wes, but since she swore hers was stronger, I backed off. They tried to date for a few weeks, but it just didn’t work. Then they didn’t speak to each other for months, which was horrible for all of us.
Charlie brought us all together and told them to get over it. We all agreed our friendship was too important to risk it, and we decided that we would all only be friends. And that’s all we’ve been ever since.
But the thoughts floating through my head while I watch him arenotthe way you think about a friend. Seriously, when did he get all of those muscles?
Sara pops in the room and lets out a squeal. “Sophie! You look perfect!”
I almost fall out of the chair. I close the blinds so she won’t know I’ve been practically drooling over a half-naked and sweaty Wes. Grabbing the small beaded bag, I check my phone once more to see if Margot has texted me back before dropping it inside. “Thanks, Sara. I’m trying not to be freaked out about this party. Or the college guy you set me up with.”
She’s so excited she’s practically shaking. “Well, he’s here! Are you ready?”
I want to sink down to the bed. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so nervous for a date, especially since I have Judd’s list scrolling through my brain.
Then Olivia and Addie are back, armed with necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Once they think I’m finally dressed and ready, Addie says, “Okay, let’s go check this guy out.”
The house is packed, like I knew it would be. Everyone wants to be a part of this date thing. I don’t know the guy I’m going out with, but I feel sorry for him already. I can’t imagine what it’s like to pick up a girl for a date and have twenty people staring at you.
At the top of the stairs, I take a deep breath. The foyer is crowded, but I didn’t expect to see the betting sheet taped to the wall next to an old family portrait. Graham’s standing next to it holding a couple of pens, and he’s acting like that guy at the fair trying to entice anyone who passes by to stop and play.
How embarrassing.
I get to the bottom of the stairs, and a guy in a tux takes a couple of steps toward me.
Pleasantly surpriseddoesn’t even cover it. Sara was right. He’shot.
“Hey, I’m Paolo Reis.” He holds a hand out to me and I take it. He’s tall with big brown eyes, and his black hair has a slight wave to it, just enough to give it a little body. “You look gorgeous.”
Okay, Sara won. And from the looks Charlie and Judd are throwing from across the room, they know it, too.
“Thank you. You look really nice, too.”
Sara is beaming. And so are Olivia and Addie. Of course, Olivia is capturing all of this with her camera, so I’d better prepare myself for the posts to come.
Paolo turns toward Papa and shakes his hand. “I won’t have her out too late.”
