“I might cry. Hold on.” She ran out of the bathroom and came back two minutes later with her phone. “Mom, he has a date. He’s dressed up.”
“Fucking hell, you didn’t call Mom? Really, Zar?” I sighed in the way younger brothers did. The wrath of older sisters plagued everyone. “God, let’s get it over with. I need to leave soon.”
Zaria held up the FaceTime call with our mom, who held her hand up to her mouth and fake cried, “This is a dream.”
“The women in my life are loons.” I walked out to the dining room holding the phone.
“Is she the same girl you were all torn up about?”
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“Her name?”
“I am not telling either of you. Next thing I’ll know you’ll show up at her place with a photo album or something. I literally got her to agree to a date this morning.”
“How did you see her this morning? I swear if you say she spent the night—”
“At the damn library, Mom.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. “I ran into her at the library. But I also told you we run together almost every day, right?”
“She’s smart? Oh, wow. She studies. Zar! You hear that!” my mom yelled into the phone, her action pointless. Zaria was behind me, hanging on to every word.
“I heard it. Our little Zadey is in love.”
“I’m out. You two carry on without me. SinceThe Bachelordoesn’t start for another month, don’t use me to entertain yourselves!”
“I knew you watched it!” Zaria yelled at me. “How else would you know that?”
“Bye!” I ran like a cat out of water. In the safety of my car, I let out a laugh of relief. I loved the hell out of them, but damn, they annoyed me. But as Zaria said, it was her mission and she did a hell of a good job of it.
With sweaty palms and a racing heart, I drove back to campus. Two things bothered me about the date. The first—I didn’t really know if it was a date. I assumed the rest of the guys and Greta might be there, but Jeff had told me they were all going to the driving range. He’d said Greta had suggested it.
I didn’t speak girl code, but I translated that as her leaving me and Callie alone for the night. The second thing…was that I hadn’t been on a date, if this was one, in years.Fuck.I wiped my palms on my pants and pulled into their guest parking lot. I’d bought her a White Sox running bottle instead of flowers. That was stupid. I regretted it as I held it in my hand while I walked up to their door. I knocked with my free hand and tried not to freak the hell out until she answered. I failed.
“Wow.” She eyed me up and down, a red tint appearing on her cheeks. “You look nice.”
“I feel stupid now.” She wore jeans and a vintage Nirvana shirt. She made anything look good and my nerves went into double time.
“Why? I think it’s sweet.” She smirked and her dimples popped out. That was a real smile. “Come on in. It’s us tonight.”
That answered that question. Didn’t help my nerves but…the two of us being alone in the apartment left a lot of things open for possibility. “I brought you this.” I held it out to her to take.Fuck.I sounded like a caveman. I spoke in short words, my voice monotone. She had to think I was a fucking loser.
“Is that a hydro bottle? No way!” She took it from my hands and grinned like a kid at Christmas. “These are the coolest things ever. I cannot believe you bought me something. You rock!” She threw her arms around me in a hug and I caught her just in time. Her toned body pressed against mine and I suddenly came back to the present.
“You bet. I saw it and figured it would be a way to repay you for dinner. Despite the fact it had the wrong team on it.” I let my hands fall, keeping them on her lower back when we split apart. “I have to admit something.”
“Okay.”
“I’m nervous as fuck.” I said it. I waited. She bit her bottom lip and smiled. God damn, her smile would kill me.
“You seemed a little off when I opened the door, but there’s nothing to be nervous about. You know we get along fine.” She broke apart from my grasp and led me into the kitchen. “Why are you nervous?”
“I haven’t been on a date where it mattered before.” I knew I’d said the right thing when her face softened and she walked back up to me. She took my face in her small hands. I held my breath, jaw tense, waiting for her to make a move.
“Damn you, Zade Willows. You say the perfect things sometimes and I can’t compete with that.” She stood on her tiptoes and I prayed she connected our mouths, but she didn’t. She pressed a light kiss on my cheek and sashayed away. I calmed my heart rate down and followed her into the kitchen. I’d told her she ran the show and I would abide by that as long as I could.
She went to the fridge and pulled out two beers, handing me one. “I need one with all the sexual tension in here.”
I snorted and agreed. “True that.”
