Rome and I wouldn’t want to risk hurting Zack like that. The idea is too much to bear. I can imagine the look on his face if he found out and we didn’t tell him, can hear his reaction if I talked to him about my feelings for his best friend. Neither scenario plays in my favor.
“Who do you like?” I mutter, and he only stares at me in response, answering my question without words.
I clear my throat and continue. “How do you know you don’t like her when you don’t know her?”
He shrugs.
“Go on one date. Have fun, and just forget your responsibilities for the night. What can go wrong?”
Rome groans. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on. One date. Think of it as an assignment from your mentor.”
Rome observes me again, like he’s waiting for me to catch him making the wrong decision.
I offer him a kind smile while holding up one finger. “Remember what I said? One date might turn into two, and that might turn into three, and so on. Take the chance.”
His expression softens, and his lips turn into almost a sad smirk. “Fine. For you, I’ll go ononedate.”
He returns his attention to his phone to text the girl.
We stroll outside, where a blast of hot air hits us, but his eyes remain on his screen. It’s not until we leave campus grounds that he puts his phone back in his pocket and looks at me.
“So?” I ask with a teasing tone, even though my nerves are protesting with envy.
“We’re going to get dinner Friday evening around seven.”
“Where?”
“Rosamarie’s Pizzeria?—”
“The one with outdoor seating?” I fire back a tad too quickly.
“Yeah, you know the place?”
I smirk as an idea pops into my head. “I do know the place. You’ll have a great time.”
If I could laugh maniacally without raising concern, I totally would. Sometimes, my brain is on its best behavior, but most of the time, it’s up to no good.
And right now, it’s ready for trouble.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chrissy
“This is a bad idea,” Gwen repeats like a broken record player.
“Code ‘Spy on Carter’ is not a bad idea. It’s genius,” I retort as we get ready in her and Ash’s room.
“But why are we doing this?”
“I want to make sure everything goes well. It’s part of the mentorship program,” I lie.
In truth, I want to keep my eyes on him because I’m a jealous jerk. It was my idea for him to go on a date in the first place, and here I am, dressing up to spy on him with my best friend.
Selfishly, I want to ensure nothing romantic happens between them, but I don’t know what I’ll do if it does progress to that level. I’m a decent planner, so I’m sure I’ll figure something out.
“And the disguises?” Gwen asks.
