“Pal?” he asked, tilting his head. She had never called him that before.
“Pal. Buddy. Temporary fake boyfriend. Heavy on thefriend,” she said, feigning nonchalance.
“Ari.”
“Drew.”
“We’re not just friends,” he said, shaking his head.
“Yes, we are,” she said firmly. “We are friends in a contractual relationship that ends in a couple days.”
“That’s in a couple days, though. What does that make us until then?” he asked. She looked around and thought about it.
“Friends.” She shrugged, then paused. “Okay,friendswho are occasionally more than friends but are committed to only doing what’s right.”
“What’s right or whatfeelsright?”
She shook her head, but the air between them had just gotten incredibly thick.
“Do you regularly kiss your friends?” he asked, tilting his head.
“I’ve been known to kiss a forehead when we win,” she said, nodding.
“And yousleepwith your friends?” he asked.
“The dorm room has four bunk beds, so technically, yes.”
“But do your friends know the way you taste?” he asked, and her eyes widened. “Do you let your friends go down on you until—” he began, but she threw her hand over his mouth and clamped it shut. He laughed, but he could see how startled she was. She was looking at something behind him with an alarmed expression that quickly turned into embarrassment and then a practiced smile.
“Mr. and Mrs. Dlamini?” Ari said, widening her eyes at Drewas she took her hand off his mouth. Drew’s stomach dropped.Mr. and Mrs. Dlamini?
He turned around, and to his horror, there stood his grandparents. His grandpa was shaking his head and his grandma’s face was a mixture of horror and amusement. His grandparents were obviously in the Village to watch Thandie’s games, and he’d already met up with them a couple of times that week. But he hadn’t factored in the possibility that he might bump into them when he wasn’t expecting it. Never mind that he might spot them while he was with Ari. Drew ran through his options and decided the best option was to stick to the story Ari had been telling her friends.
“Grandma, Grandpa, this is Ari, my… girlfriend,” he said, immediately questioning whether he’d made the right decision.
“It’s so nice to meet you, sweetheart. I thought Drew might be seeing someone, but he’s always been so secretive,” said his grandma, reaching out to hug her. Ari hugged her back, looking over at Drew with wide eyes as if trying to figure out his plan.
“It’s nice to meet you too. I’ve heard so much about you,” Ari said, quickly composing herself when they pulled apart. Drew did his best to send her aplease, let’s go with itlook. She gave him a gentle nod, letting him know she was going to play along.
“And these flowers are beautiful, honey. Valentine’s Day? I didn’t think you were a romantic, Drew,” his grandma said, raising her eyebrow. He scrambled to come up with an explanation.
“I’m a romantic when I’m with the right person,” he said, reaching for the first thing that came into his head, but when he glanced over at Ari, he realized it was true. “And yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, but therealcelebration is that Ari and her team just won a big game. She’s incredible.”
He looked over and caught her eye. She smiled, and for a moment, they were back in their own little world.
“Arikoishe Shumba, right?” his grandpa asked, his face flashing with recognition. His grandpa was a Team USA women’s ice hockey fan to his very core. His blood bled red, white, and blue. But he wasn’t just a supportive grandpa, he was a genuine fan of the sport. Of course he knew who she was.
“Yes, but all my friends call me Ari,” she said, extending her hand to shake his.
“Congratulations on your win,” his grandpa said. From the tone of his voice, Drew knew it was a genuine compliment. The four of them stood in silence for a moment before Ari tried to find a quick escape.
“Well, it’s almost six, so I’ve got to leave and grab dinner now,” Ari said, looking down at her watch.
“Yeah, I’ll walk you there,” Drew said, nodding along. He wanted to escape this conversation just as much as she did.
“Wait,we’regoing for dinner too. Why don’t you join us? It would be lovely to get to know you,” his grandma said eagerly. Drew couldn’t possibly think of a worse idea.
“I’m sure Ari has other plans,” Drew began. But before he could get out of the invitation, his grandma was locking arms with Ari and asking her questions about her life. Ari glanced over for second, as if looking for a way out, but his grandma was a charmer, and soon enough, Ari was smiling and laughing along, the two of them lost in their own conversation.
