“Then it’s settled,” she muttered. She shoved her phone back into her clutch. “I’ll send you the list, commit it to memory before we go to dinner with your family.”
“I will.” Logan forced himself to smile.
His insides twisted. He needed to change the tide, push them back into the realm of fun like their text message exchanges over the last few weeks.
The server dropped off their cheese and meat plate.
“Enough about the list of rules.” He speared a piece of bruschetta and cut off a bit of the gouda. “I propose we play the game of twenty questions in preparation.”
Brooke used the fork to spear cheese and meat for herself. “Good idea.” She placed it on her plate. “You go first since it was your idea.”
“What’s your most embarrassing high school moment?”
Her eyes widened and cheeks flushed. “Wow, you’re jumping in feet first.” She patted the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “I’m trying to decide if I should tell you the truth or make something up, because technically you would probably not be able to know the difference?—”
“Ahh, come on.” He ate a bite of his meat and cheese. “Please don’t hold out on me. I want to know everything about you and keeping everything else real will be much easier to track.”
A long pause.
“I’m waiting,” he prodded.
“Fine.” She scrunched up her nose. “In high school, on a rainy day, I slipped and ripped the entire back of my jeans. Like sliced them open right along the seam. Not only had I fallen, but I also managed to moon everyone who saw me get up. It was horrifying.”
Logan winced. “Ugh.”
“The guy who I nicknamed the Teen Dream saw it and then proceeded to call me Split Pants for the next two years. I called my mom to bring me another pair of pants, but she never picked up her phone. I’m sure she was probably passed out drunk or high on her latest concoction of drugs. She never even knew what happened. I didn’t have a lot of clothes. I had to babysit the neighbor’s kids for four Saturday nights to earn enough money to buy new ones to replace them.” Brooke bit her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t have told you that.” She glanced away and out at the crowded restaurant. She shook her head and tapped her bottom lip with her pointer finger. “I try my best not to talk about my mom or my childhood. It’s better that way.” She blinked then shifted to face him again. “Forget I mentioned it.”
“Hey,” he placed a hand over hers. Logan wished he could wrap his arms around her, drawing her close to his chest and help her feel safe. “I won’t tell anyone about the pants or your less-than-ideal childhood. It’s not my information to share.”
“I—” She paused then finally said, “Thank you.”
“You can tell me anything.” And he meant it. He hoped to bring lightness back to the conversation. “I’m a lock box.” He made a zipping motion across his lips. “Now, I need to tell you my most embarrassing moment. Are you ready?” Logan cocked an eyebrow.
She smiled and leaned in closer. “I’m listening.”
“Junior year, I was homecoming king?—”
“Of course you were,” she rolled her eyes, “I’ve only been around you a handful of times, and I pegged you as one who had his way with the ladies.”
Logan grinned. “I know, I’m awesome.” He winked. “But enough about my greatness, I’m about to tell you the most humiliating moment of my life.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I’m on the edge of my seat.”
“While I was crowned homecoming king my fly was all the way down. Like gaping open with the little zipper hanging sideways type of open. I wondered why people were pointing. It wasn’t until I started dancing with the crowned queen that she politely let me know it was open for everyone to see.”
“Was the queen the woman your sister wants you to see again?”
“Hey,” he stilled. “How did you know?”
Brooke took a long sip of her drink then said, “Because she was the queen. The queen always has her king waiting in the wings.”
His jaw hardened. “She dumped me on graduation night.”
The memory of that night still stung years later. A night full of celebration became his darkest low. Shelby revealed after the graduation party, she wanted to end things. According to her, she had wanted to dump him midyear but knew she needed a date to prom and breaking up earlier would’ve ruined her senior year. Now it seemed to only have ruined him forever.
“I’m sure that was hard but remember you were practically children. People change, grow. They become better versions of who they were back in high school.” Brooke tilted her head to the side, “Doesn’t the king in you want to see if you and the queen could give it another go?”
“No.” Tension tightened his neck.
