“Huge.Andin that moment,Ireally did believe the waiter.Butat other times,I’mnot so sure.”
“Well, how doyoufeel about him?” my sister asks.
“That’sa very good question!”Wereach the end of a road andIlead us left, on my normal path, asImull the question around a bit.Myplan was to not think about him again after this date.Tonot let him convince me to like him.Butthe truth is,IknowIlike him a lot.Otherwise,Iwouldn’t care whether he was into me or not.
Maybeit’s the fact that we want the same things in life.Maybeit’s becauseI’veseen him treat a bunch of different people, no matter their station in life, with the same respect.Maybeit’s because he makes me smile and laugh and that he is restoring my faith in men.Maybeit’s that my heart does a fluttering jumping-jacks thing wheneverIsee him.Maybeit’s a lot of things. “Iam starting to wonder if maybeIwould like datingJace.”
Theyboth react loudly for a split second before remembering that it’s late and the people in these homes are likely sleeping, so they quiet their enthusiasm.And, honestly,Ican’t believe that sentence came out of my mouth, either.Idon’t go on multiple dates with the same guy.Itnever ends well.
ThenMaggiesays, “IknowRowanisn’t here, but we would both like to formally take credit forJace.”
“You… what?”
Maggielifts a shoulder. “Younever would’ve metJaceif we hadn’t set you up on that blind date withSpencer.”
“Youmean that disastrous blind date?”
“She’sgot a point,”Livisays. “Ifyou hadn’t been on a date with a creeper, you wouldn’t even knowJaceexists.”
Myhead is still spinning from that logic whenMaggiesays, “Oh, speaking of creepers,Isaw the same car hanging around outside that’s been there for the last couple of nights, with the same guy in it, always reading a magazine.Icalled the cops on him and they made him leave.Sokeep an eye out for him if he comes back.”
Inod, and then turn my attention toLiviwhen she asks, “Sowhen are you going to seeJaceagain?”
Theanswer is supposed to be “Never.”Butsomehow, it isn’t. “I’mthinking of asking him to come to theOutsidetheBubbleevent onFriday.”Whichis a huge step for me and somethingInever thoughtIwould do.Thatevent is where practically everyoneIknow in this town will be.Sothey’ll all seeI’minterested inJace, and then it’ll take about four seconds before the entire town knows.That’skind of a lot of pressure.Yet, somehow waiting the three days until the event seems like a very long time to go without seeing him.
Iturn toLivi. “So, if he says yes, we’ll both have dates this weekend.Whenwas the last time that happened?”
Sheis quiet for a moment before saying, “I’mnot going to the opera anymore.FelipeandIbroke up.”
“When?”
“Earliertonight.”
“Andyou didn’t say anything?Whydid you let me go on and on about my date?”
“No, it’s okay because there was cheesecake.”Shegrins, but it’s not nearly as happy of a smile as it was when she wasn’t thinking about it.
“Whathappened?”Maggieasks.
“Well, we went to his parents’ house soIcould meet them for the first time.Andthey arerich.AndI’mnot talking the ‘Oh, sureI’lldonate lots of money to your charity’ kind of rich, or the ‘I’mgoing to leave a one hundred dollar tip on a forty dollar bill’ kind.They’re‘We’rebetter than everyone and everything’ rich.
“Youguys should’ve seen their mansion!It’sthe kind where the ceilings and doors are so tall that it makes you feel tiny.Anyway,Iwas stress-drinkingDr.Peppersbefore the date, and by the time we got to their house,Ireally had to pee.Butthey were so proper that it felt weird to ask for a restroom, so instead,Isummoned my inner hoity-toity-ness and asked to be directed to the ‘powder room.’
“Didyou know that a legit powder room doesn’t actually have a toilet?Itonly has a sink and a mirror.Ithink they knew whatIwas really asking for, by the way, and were just trying to make me uncomfortable by sending me to a room that wasn’t actually a restroom.
“ButIdecidedIwasn’t going to let them win by asking for a bathroom.”
Ishoot her a look.
“Okay,Iwas intimidated.Samething.Well, that andIhad to go so badly thatIdidn’t thinkIcould traipse across the gigantic house to get to an actual restroom.SoIdecidedIwas just going sit on the sink and go there, then just wash it out with hand soap after.”
Iput a hand on my mouth. “Youdid not.”
“Listen.Iwas desperate.Ididn’t have another choice at that point.Anyway, it was a pedestal sink, and whenIhoisted myself up on it, it… kind of broke.”
MaggieandIboth gasp, and we all stop walking.
“AndIkind of fell and hit my head and knocked myself unconscious.Apparently,Felipeand his parents heard the crash, so they came running and opened the door— since a powder room doesn’t have a lock!— to find me passed out on the floor with my fancy slacks around my knees.Igained consciousness just in time to see their shocked faces.”
