One-sidedwould be a better description. “Yes,” I said. “I mean, he asked another girl to the dance. He wouldn’t have done that if he’d been interested in me.”
TC relaxed a little. “Good.” He shot me a smile. “Nash never was all that bright.”
I laughed politely and wondered if TC meant it or was just using empty flattery. That was the problem with Cooper telling me things about TC. Now I was second-guessing his motives.
The hostess showed us to a corner table near the fireplace. A waiter was already there, setting a bread basket on the table. He told us about the specials as he filled our water glasses.
We spent a couple of minutes deliberating on the menu. Toget a conversation going, I asked TC what colleges he wanted to apply to.
“My mom thinks I should get an MBA. My dad thinks it’s ridiculous to go into that much debt to learn how to run a business and says I should become an auto mechanic like him.” TC picked up a roll and ripped it in half. “He thinks the two of us could open our own repair shop. You’re lucky you only have one parent around to please.”
Luckywas one word for it. I thought about all of the empty spaces my mother had left when she’d gone. After every play I’d performed in, I watched the other cast members’ mothers give them hugs and tell them what a great job they did. My mother had never been to one of my high school plays.
Tonight as I’d gotten dressed, I’d texted back and forth with Selena. Her mother was fussing over her, helping her get ready. My mother didn’t even know I was going to the dance. I’d pretty much stopped calling her to give her updates on my life.
She thought high school wasn’t all that important. It was just a dress rehearsal for college, and college wasn’t real life either—just a preamble to it.
Besides, there was only so much a person should have to hear about changes in krill populations, and I’d long since reached my limit.
“What career option are you leaning towards?” I asked.
“I’ll probably go the auto mechanic route. No chance that AI will be fixing cars anytime soon. What about you? Are you going to try your luck in Hollywood?”
People asked me that a lot. The closer I got to graduation, the more realistic I got about my chances of breaking into the business. “Probably not. Not everything you love ends up being good for you. Some things would only break your heart.” Likepursuing Cooper. He was one big heartbreak waiting to happen. I fiddled with the edge of my menu. “Fortunately I don’t have to choose a major tonight. There are other things I could love as well as ... um, drama. I can give different options a try and see how things turn out. I shouldn’t just wait around in case the first option changes its mind ...” Somewhere in that, I’d stopped talking about acting and started talking about guys. Sheesh. Even when I wasn’t talking about Cooper, I still was.
“See if the first option changes its mind?” TC repeated in confusion.
“I mean, see if the first option is possible. It’s hard to make a living in Hollywood. There’s too much competition.” I wondered what Cooper and Dahlia were doing right now. “Too much talented, beautiful, self-confident competition. And even though people say gentlemen prefer blondes, they really don’t.”
“I think I might,” TC said.
“You’re sweet.”
He wagged his eyebrows. “I suddenly want to become a Hollywood producer so I can hire you for some films.”
That would’ve been a really touching sentiment if TC hadn’t gone on to tell me all of the questionable roles he would like to cast me in. Hearing that I would make a great Jabba the Hutt slave girl sort of ruined the gesture.
The waiter came, took our orders, and the two of us made small talk through dinner. I did my best to keep the conversation going. The whole time, I felt like I was in a play, onstage improvising lines because I wasn’t quite sure of my part.
I ought to be giving TC a chance. He was here and actually interested in me. Maybe there was more to him than just brawn and swagger. After all, I’d thought Cooper wasn’t my type and had changed my mind.
After we finished eating and were waiting for the server to return with my credit card, TC said, “You never told me what you thought of the football game.”
“I thought you played really well, except for that time you tackled Cooper after he’d already thrown the ball.” Our team received an automatic first down for that.
TC smiled, slow and wide. “I figured you were worth the penalty.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that.Thanksseemed wrong. “I bet the rest of your team didn’t think I was worth it.”
TC shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “The coach lectured me about it, but by that time, I figured the game was a lost cause anyway. Besides, Cooper is too cocky. He deserved to go down.”
I felt a flash of anger on Cooper’s behalf. He wasn’t cocky about football. He worked hard at it, just like I worked hard at drama. For the first time, the thought of the fumbling football reel I’d made of Cooper last year sent guilt flooding over me. I shouldn’t have done it. I was going to have to send him the new one I’d put together of his successes, even though the season was far from finished. It was an apology I needed to give him.
I pretended that I had to find the tickets for the dance on my phone and sent Cooper the link to the file. I knew he wouldn’t see it until I returned his phone, but I was afraid if I waited, I would chicken out ... or be so ticked off at the way he was fawning over Dahlia at the dance that I wouldn’t send it at all.
The server returned, and we got up to leave. TC held my hand as we walked to his car.
Should we be on hand-holding terms? I couldn’t decide. My feelings for Cooper were muddling everything. Was I mentally objecting to holding TC’s hand because I stupidly had a crushon a guy who had zero interest in me or was this actually premature? And was I only allowing this because I wanted Cooper to see that another guy thought I was worth some attention? Hand-holding had never caused such deep soul-searching before.
