I held up my half-eaten cookie. “We got our cookie. That was fun.”
He went on as though he hadn’t even heard me. “From what I gathered, you got roped into your date with Jason, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You seem like the type who has to schedule in your fun. What if tonight we did that? No worrying about being out late. No worrying about tests, or bills, or whatever else. Tonight, we’ll be one hundred percent spontaneous and live in the moment.”
I stared at him long enough to make sure he was serious. He was. A part of me wanted to tell him that spontaneity was what landed my mom with a baby in her belly three separate times. Thosefunnights had given her children three deadbeat dads who had quickly found that their idea of a good time didn’t include diaper duty or child support. Thefun, spontaneous actions of others are what drove me to a life made up of barriers and lines and boundaries.
No. Fun had never been something that I particularly sought out.
“Why do you want to do this with me? This can’t go anywhere.”
“That’s the beauty of it. A night as friends. Nothing more. One wild night.” He must have seen my eyes turn terrified and quickly added, “Platonically wild night. Friend stuff. Crossing off some bucket-list items. Life can’t just be studying for a test you don’t need to retake.”
I gave him a look that tugged his lips upward. “I didn’t mean that as bad,” he began.
“Yes, you did.”
“Don’t you want to make a few memories? Throw the schedule out and live up the night. Give yourself something to remember while you’re freezing in Fargo.”
I didn’t do things like this. My wild nights consisted of movies on the couch with Mira or my sisters. So why was I contemplating saying yes to his crazy scheme? It wasn’t his smile or the way his body filled out his jeans. It wasn’t. A handsome face, while admired, did less to impress me than you might possibly imagine. There was a challenge in his eyes when he spoke, and the urge to prove him wrong hit me strong.
“You don’t even know what’s on my bucket list. What if it’s singing Disney showtunes at the top of my lungs down Main Street?”
“Just tell me what part to sing.” There was a grin on his face now, and he regarded me for a long moment. “So are we doing this? Want to check a few things off your list tonight?”
I stared at him before answering. “I have rules.”
He folded his arms, amusement lining his expression. “I can’t wait.”
Ticking the first one off with my finger, I got comfortable. “Number one: No flirting. Number two—“
He leaned forward, catching my gaze with his. “We can’t fall in love with each other.”
Though I appreciated his nod to the romantic-comedy genre, I kicked his leg.
“That was it, wasn’t it?” He laughed.
“I’m not that cheesy.” I raised my chin. “Number two is no getting attached. No strings.”
“Same thing,” Duke declared. “But I agree. You’re leaving. I don’t want to get attached either. That’s why this is so brilliant. No pressure. No strings. We both know how tonight ends.”
Rules were kind of my thing, and my body immediately relaxed once they were in place. I checked the time and mentally cringed. Eleven-thirty.
PM.
“What do you say?” he asked. “You in?”
The idea began to be appealing. Even in the late hour. A night free of worry sounded so luxurious and foreign that I couldn’t help myself. Maybe it was the sweet excitement in Duke’s eyes or some sort of adrenaline side effect from escaping my date with Jason. Either way, I had been effectively swayed.
“I’m in.”
His eyebrows rose slightly. “Really? Great.”
“I have one more stipulation. I have time for two things and two things only. One from your list and one from mine. Nothing crazy. And I have to be home by two at the latest—non-negotiable.” At the light that leapt in his eyes, I quickly added. “Two in the morning. AM.”
He folded his arms, looking suspicious. “What time’s your test?”
