“Great,” he said.
And just like I’d expected, when he sat on the other side of Addison, we were squished in there like sardines.
“Where’s your date?” I asked, looking around at everyone who was still standing outside.
Cambrielle and Mack were just climbing into the front. Ava, Elyse, Carter, and Asher were walking over to Carter’s truck, which was parked in the row of cars in front of us.
The only person still outside was Scarlett, who was on her phone like she might be calling Xander for his ETA.
"Oh…” Evan waved his hand. "She texted me a few minutes ago to say that she was running late. But she'll probably be here in a couple of minutes."
“And all of her cheerleading buddies weren't doing a day-date activity?" I asked, still thinking it was a little weird that they'd decided to join us for our date.
“No, we're just doing dinner and the dance with them,” he said.
Cambrielle and Mack closed the front doors, and just as the engine was roaring to life, a Bugatti Chiron in dark blue drove into the parking lot and parked a few spaces away from us.
“Nowthatis a beautiful car,” Evan said, his jaw dropping as he seemed to take in its sleek lines and expensive rims.
A moment later, the door opened and out stepped a tall guy with brown hair whom I hadn't seen since last spring when he’d stopped by Scarlett’s house looking for her dad.
Xander wore sunglasses and a black parka lined with fox fur. And even though beneath the sunglasses and coat therecouldbe a completely unthreatening, homely-looking dude, I knew that there was actually a smooth-talking alpha male with the type of athletic body and blue eyes that most of the girls at my school would die over.
That was, if they didn't die over the fact that he was the only heir to his father’s billions of dollars first.
My parents may be wealthy socialites with eight-figure bank accounts… but that was small potatoes next to the Pierce’s fortune.
I watched as Xander strode toward Scarlett on the lightly snow-dusted parking lot, looking like he could be a model for Gorski’s winter line. And even though Scarlett had told me their date was set up by her dad, it didn't stop the pit of jealousy from forming in my stomach when Xander took off his sunglasses and greeted Scarlett with his charming smile followed by a hug.
“Is that Scarlett's date?” Addison gasped, like she hadn't been expecting good-girl Scarlett Caldwell to be set up with someone so magnetically attractive by her overprotective pastor father.
“Yeah, that’s Xander,” I said, feeling even more uptight now that Addison had basically confirmed that Xander was hot.
“And he’s from her church?” Her eyebrow arched when she glanced at me, as if she’d thought only homely-looking people liked to feast on the Good Word.
“He goes to Yale right now, but yeah, Scarlett’s family met Xander’s family through their church.”
“Well, good for her,” Addison said. “No wonder she was okay with me asking you.”
Which meant what? That I was chopped liver when compared to Xander?
Evan cleared his throat loudly, which must have made Addison realize how her words were coming across because she got a bashful look on her face and said, “Sorry, that didn’t come out very well. I’m not trying to compare you guys at all. I mean, you’re great. I asked you for a reason…” She stopped, shook her head, and then added, “I just pictured Scarlett’s date differently when she described him.”
“It’s fine.” I was hoping to sound unbothered since being offended that she found Xander attractive when I myself was having a hard time not staring at Scarlett, who looked particularly cute in her pink ski suit with her hair pulled up in a high ponytail, would be super hypocritical. “I’m secure enough with myself that I can admit Xander is a good-looking guy.”
“Well, that’s good,” Addison said, relief showing in her eyes. “Because I really don’t want to screw up today before we even get started.”
I was about to tell her that she hadn’t screwed up anything when the door in front of me opened and Scarlett peeked her head inside. After glancing at me with an expression I couldn’t read, she looked toward Mack and Cambrielle in the front and said, “Hey, I just wanted to let you know that Xander and I decided to take his car up the mountain. So we’ll just meet you guys up there.”
“Does he have an extra seat in his car?” Mack asked in a light-hearted tone. “Because that car is amazing.”
“I think you might need to drive still.” Scarlett chuckled. “You know, since you have a carload of people in your own vehicle.”
Mack nodded at Cambrielle. “You can drive them, right, babe?”
“Sorry, but I don’t really feel like having my boyfriend ditch me for a car.” She smacked his arm playfully. “You dork.”
“Fine.” He sighed dramatically and turned back to Scarlett. “I guess I’ll stay with these commoners.”
