“I’m just so much more comfortable when you’re around, you know? Like, I’m relaxed, now that we know each other. Can’t I just bring you along on all my dates?”
“Somehow, I think that would get a little awkward,” I say, and we laugh as our server drops off our check. We agreed ahead of time to pay our own share, so we each dig out our cards and head to the register to pay. “You know, that is a good idea, though. When you do find someone, you want to hang out with, you should double date with one of the other guys. That way you won’t be so nervous.”
“Not too many of the guys are in relationships, but Rosco’s got a girlfriend. So does Kaden, our backup goalie.”
“See?” I say as we walk to our cars. “It’ll all work out.” I unlock my door and turn, not realizing just how close I’m standing to Will. If I stand on my tiptoes, I could reach up and give him a kiss. No, no I couldn’t. I mean, I could…but I won’t.
“So, um, what happens at the end of a date?” Will asks. “Like if you’re walking your date to her car, and you want to kiss her, what do you do?”
You kiss her, I think, practically willing him to take me into his arms. But no. That would be bad. That’s not why we’re here—not really.
“If it were arealdate,” I tell him, “then you’d kiss her. But…I think we should save that for our final lesson, don’t you?”
“Yeah, absolutely,” he says a little too eagerly. “And, um…when is this third and final date?”
“Saturday,” I say. “There’s a party at the Sig house. It’s perfect, right? Parties are the most common place to socialize and meet people, so it makes sense to have our final lesson there.”
Will looks unconvinced. “I don’t have the best track record with the opposite sex at frat parties.”
I wave his fears off. “This really works then. You can replace those old memories with new, better ones.”
Will still looks unsure. “But is it smart to go to a party on campus? I mean, we’re trying to keep this quiet, right? What if the guys show up and see us together?”
I shake my head. He’s worried, but I’ve thought of all the details. “That’s not gonna happen. The hockey guys don’t party at Sig. There’s no official beef that I know of, it just kind of works out that way. A couple of the Sig brothers are basketball players, so that’s where they party. And the hockey guys always congregate at Kappa. That’s just how it is, trust me.”
Will nods. “If you say so, that’s good enough for me. I guess I’ll see you Saturday.”
He gives me a quick hug before walking to his car. I get in mine, get settled, and pull out. When I get to the stoplight at the end of the road, I can see Will in my rearview mirror. Touching my finger to my lips, I think I really should have kissed him when I had the chance…and that’s how I know it’s time to wrap up our little charade. There’s no room in my life for Will Franconetti, and I need to remember that.
Text Thread between Mel Cohen and Will Franconetti
Will: Just finished practice. I’m gonna shower and change and grab something to eat at the house. We still meeting at the Sig house?
Mel: Meet me outside Drip. We can walk over together. It’s not far.
Will:Cool. And I think we’re in the clear. The guys are all talking about staying in tonight. Van and Santos are in an NHL Ice showdown, so I’m pretty sure half the team is gonna hang at the house, eat pizza, and watch those two duke it out. Which means they won’t be partying at Sig and we will go undetected.
Mel: My guy, why are you worried about this? Even if they were going out, they never party at Sig. They’re Kappa guys. Trust me.
Will: Ok. See you in an hour?
Mel: See you then. And stop worrying. It’ll be fine. After tonight, you’ll be an expert kisser and great boyfriend material. I promise.
21
Will
The music is loud and the place is packed, just like the last time I was at a party. But one thing is different this time: Mel’s by my side.
She looks incredible tonight, but that’s nothing new. Her long brown hair is down in loose curls, and she’s got on a tight white tank that hits right at her waist. Her jeans ride low on her hips, the tears and rips accentuating her lean legs. She’s got a flannel on, but it’s so damn hot in here that it’s tied around her waist.
We’ve been here for twenty minutes or so, and got drinks from a guy Mel said is a regular at Drip. So far, I haven’t seen anyone I recognize, which is good. The point of tonight is to let loose, relax, learn how to move on a dance floor and how to flirt without being ten kinds of awkward. And most importantly, learn how to kiss. I most definitely don’t need my teammates as an audience.
“Should we go outside?” I ask, nearly shouting so she can hear me over the thumping of the music. “It’s pretty crowded in here.”
Mel shakes her head. “Crowded is good,” she calls back. “It means we’ll blend in. Besides, we want to hear the music so we can dance. I need to see your moves, Franconetti.”
I’m pretty sure I could hear this music from two blocks away, but I just nod, happy to go along with whatever Mel wants to do. She’s the expert, after all. Plus, I just like being with her. When this is all over at the end of the night and we go back to being virtual strangers, it’s gonna suck. I have fun with Mel, whether we’re texting, eating fries at a diner, or just hanging out. I’ve started stopping at Drip every morning for coffee. I could get the jolt of caffeine at home, but then I wouldn’t get to see Mel, even if we only wave or talk for a minute or two. I’ll probably keep up my morning coffee routine, though. Who knows the last time somebody cleaned the coffee pot at the hockey house.
