“I hope so,” she said and then laughed at her own words. “I mean, I hope not. It would be bad if he didn’t speak. What would we do all night? Well, besides dancing and eating.” She let out a nervous laugh. “I’m babbling. I never babble.”
“You’re just excited. You’ll be fine.”
She smiled and relaxed. “As soon as you and TC get to the school, let me know so we can hang out together.”
“I will.”
I was especially glad things were working out for Selena and Boden because it meant that every time she asked me how I felt about TC, I could pretty easily dodge the question and turn the conversation back to Boden.
The truth was I didn’t know how I felt about TC. I was too busy trying to figure out how I felt about Cooper. Well, thatwasn’t quite accurate. I knew how I felt about Cooper, I was just trying to talk myself out of it.
I went home and changed into my dress, a pink satin gown that shimmered when I moved and had an intricately beaded top. I shouldn’t have been nervous about looking my best. Cooper wouldn’t be paying any attention to me.
The doorbell rang, and I heard voices downstairs, Cooper and his mother talking with my father. Ms. Nash and my dad were going out to dinner and to the symphony after they took our pictures.
I cast a final look in the mirror and glided into the hallway. When I reached the top of the stairs that led into the entryway, none of them were looking at me. That was fine. It gave me time to stare unabashedly at Cooper. I’d thought the boy looked good in a football uniform, but he was striking in his dark suit—older, more sophisticated, and broodingly handsome.
I started down the stairs and he gazed up at me. I wanted so badly for his eyes to widen in approval, for him to throw me one of his teasing smiles.
His head jerked back, startled at my appearance. For one brief moment, I thought I saw approval in his eyes, but the next moment, I was just as sure I hadn’t. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth thinned. What was that emotion? Frustration? Disapproval? He probably thought blowing money at a beauty salonfor a dance that I was only grudgingly going to was a waste of money. Maybe it was.
Our parents at least smiled at my transformation. Ms. Nash put her hand to her chest and cooed, “You look so beautiful.”
My father shook his head and sighed. “When did you grow up?”
They herded Cooper and me together and commenced the photo shoot.
Cooper slipped a corsage over my wrist, and I fiddled with his boutonniere, trying not to stab him with the pin.
Once that was finished, he put his arm around me and we posed for more photos. After the first few, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You’re looking a little stiff, Mads.”
I’d just been thinking about him taking pictures with Dahlia and draping his arm around her.
“Relax,” he murmured into my ear.
I couldn’t. It was getting harder to pretend that I wasn’t going to hate every minute of tonight. I’d have to watch him dance and flirt with her and act like it didn’t bother me.
His teasing smile was finally back. He pulled me to him and kissed my cheek. I laughed nervously amidst more pictures.
Well, Mr. “I don’t do PDAs” had come a long way.
My heart was beating too fast, and I could feel myself blushing. Blushing wasn’t a good response because it wasn’t something that could be faked through acting. When Cooper saw these pictures, saw my flustered, hopeful expression, he might figure out that my feelings for him were real. “You guys have enough pictures, don’t you?” I asked. “We should be going. Our reservation is at six.”
Our parents let us leave, and we strolled out the front door to Cooper’s car. His eyes slid over me and he made a gruff,unhappy sound in the back of his throat. “You put in a lot of work to look good for TC.”
Perhaps that’s where his disapproval of my appearance had come from. He was still angry TC had tackled him so many times last night.
“Sometimes it’s fun to dress up,” I said.
We climbed into Cooper’s car, and he drove away from my house. “What restaurant am I taking you to?”
“The Fire Grill.”
Cooper’s head snapped to me. “You’re going toourrestaurant with TC?”
“I don’t see how it’sourrestaurant if we never actually went, pretend or otherwise.”
Cooper stared at the road, grim-faced, and tapped his thumb on the steering wheel in irritation. “TC is dropping some serious cash for a first date.”
