They’d stayed after school to decorate the gym, so Amanda knew what it would look like. But when they walked in, she still gasped a little. With the florescent bulbs off and the disco ball sending beams of light onto all the spiders they’d hung from the ceiling, it looked cooler than she’d thought. Paper streamers hung out from the middle of the room, and the stage was lit up with black lights. The DJ wore a skeleton outfit that glowed in the dark.
“Want some punch?” Cole asked, rubbing his hands together. He seemed jumpier than normal.
“Sure.” She followed him over to the table and took a cup. The punch bowl must have had dry ice in it because a fog of mist rose up and out of the bowl, looking freakishly cool. It tasted good. It had Sprite or something, so it bubbled.
Cole drained his cup and tossed it in the recycle bin. A slow song came on. “Want to dance?”
Those words sent a shiver through her and she became nervous. “We just got here.”
“So?”
Amanda wasn’t sure why, but the thought of slow dancing with Cole sent a weird wobbly feeling into her belly. It was disconcerting. They’d been friends of Destiny’s for so long, it felt kind of odd to be at a dance with him…alone.
Not that she didn’t like Cole. She liked him just fine. They just weren’t usually alone together. She’d met him through Destiny, and so he’d always been her friend’s friend. Lately, though, he was around much more than usual. She clutched her half-empty cup. “Let’s find Destiny and Eli. I want to show them my costume.”
Cole nodded and they weaved their way through the throngs of students in various costumes. Destiny had told her she was going as Cat Woman, so she looked for leather pants and black pointy ears.
Cole pointed at a long, black cape. “There’s Eli.”
Of course, he was Batman. Amanda approached them. “Hey, guys. Looks good in here, huh?”
Destiny turned around, her eyes sparkling. Her costume was perfect for her. She looked flawless, as usual. “Mr. B. was right. That disco ball makes everything look cool.”
“I thought so, too.” Amanda glanced around. “And we’ve got a good turnout.”
Destiny nodded, then grabbed Eli’s hand. “Come on. I love this song. Let’s dance.”
And once again Amanda found herself standing in front of Cole, an awkwardness growing between them. “I guess we should dance as well.” She set her plastic cup down on a nearby table.
“Yeah.” He smiled and that wobbly feeling came back ten-fold. “Sure.” He took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.
He tried to put his arms around her, but the bottles and cans she’d glued to the net got in the way. It took him a few tries before he was able to pull her closer. A plastic sack crinkled between them. She tried not to laugh, but it became so humorous, she couldn’t help it.
“Great costume idea there, Mandy,” he said, using her nickname. Cole was the only one who ever called her that. She used to yell at him for it, but she’d kind of grown used to it. Dare she admit she even liked it?
She laughed. “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“So, how about that test tomorrow in weights class? What’s that about?”
Amanda laughed harder. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard. What is Ms. Lennard thinking?”
“I think she’s just tired of people taking the class to get an easy A. Whoever heard of a test in P.E?”
She nodded and looked up at him. Cole shifted, his hand resting on her lower back. The warmth of his touch sent a trail of goosebumps over her skin, which didn’t make any sense. She didn’t want to think about what it might mean.
“You going to the game tomorrow?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to slap herself. Cole didn’t care about football. And neither did she. What was wrong with her?
“No.”
“Do you have to work?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“I thought you worked on the weekends.”
“I don’t have steady hours. Just when I’m needed.”
“Interesting.” Amanda had a vague notion that Cole had a job, but she had either forgotten where or had never asked. “You work where again?”
He stiffened and evaded her gaze. “I work for my father.”
“Oh. Where’s that?”
“His office is on 54th Street.”
She wasn’t sure if he was being evasive on purpose or not. “What company?”
“It’s a corporate company. You wouldn’t know it.”
“Wait.” Amanda held up her hand. “Wouldn’t a corporate company be closed on the weekends?”
“Yeah, but my father puts in extra hours. I help him out when he needs data entry or errands to be run. Things like that.” Cole pulled her closer, and the plastic bag crinkled again. He chuckled. “Maybe you can take your net off for the next dance?”
She was finding it hard to move around with it on. “All right.” As the slow song ended and a new one started up, Amanda slipped her net off and tossed it on a chair. Then she walked back to Cole.
“Better?”
He grinned and pulled her close. Her body pressed up against him, and her heartbeat sped up. “Much,” he said in her ear.
Her glasses slipped down her nose, and she let go of him to push them back up in place. She was having a hard time concentrating. What had they been talking about again? Oh, right. Where he worked. “What’s the company name? I’ll look them up tonight.”
Cole ignored her question. “You smell good.”
She frowned. What was the big deal? Why wouldn’t he tell her where he worked? “Just tell me.”
“I don’t want to.”
She huffed and pulled away from him. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to ruin the evening.”
She stared up at him, confused. “Telling me where you work will ruin the evening? Why?”
His face looked pained. He leaned down close to her. “Do you trust me?”
“You’re using cheesy Disney movie lines on me now?”
“Just let it go, all right?”
She held in a laugh. “You do realize that’s another cheesy Disney movie line?”
Cole didn’t think it was funny, apparently, because he groaned. “Let’s talk about anything else. Okay?”
He seemed really bothered by it, so she shrugged. “Will you tell me after?”
“Yes. After.”
“Promise?”
Cole winced, but finally nodded. “I promise.”
Chapter 2
Cole ignored the dread pooling in his stomach. Why did Amanda have to ask about his job? There were a zillion other things they could have talked about. What rotten luck he had. He should have guided the conversation. He could have stepped up to the plate and steered them onto safe topics. Why had he gotten all tongue-tied?
He took in the smell of her hair and knew why. Because he liked her. A lot. And he wanted her to like him back. But as soon as she found out he was working for Asher Industries, he knew she would be crushed.
He’d tried to ignore the crush he had on her. But every time he was near her, his skin would tingle and he would forget how to breathe properly. Crazy, right?
He was hoping tonight might change things between them. He wanted to show her how he felt about her. But as he swayed to the music with her in his arms, his courage failed him. Even if he did tell her he liked her, she would hate him once the evening was over.
Amanda shifted and looked up at him. “I didn’t know you could dance.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone else is just doing this little back-and-forth thing. You’re actually doing some dance steps.”
Embarrassment heated his neck. “My mom made me take ballroom dance lessons when I was growing up. Guess I slipped into doing the Foxtrot by accident. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s nice.” She smiled at him. “Teach me.”
Her words sent a thrill throu
gh him. She wanted to learn? “Sure,” he said, pulling her closer.
He showed her the steps, then led her into the dance. As they moved to the music, she stepped on his foot. A laugh burst from her. He was starting to love that sound. “Oops, sorry,” she said.
“That’s okay. You’re picking it up.”
He spent the next fifteen minutes teaching her how to do the dance steps. She seemed to get really into it, laughing when he did a fancy step. As they danced, the gym grew quite warm. Maybe it was all the bodies pressing in on them, or the exercise. Whatever it was, his palms started to get sweaty. He hoped Amanda didn’t notice.
When a fast song came on, she seemed disappointed. They walked to the table and she grabbed her punch cup. “That was fun. I had no idea you knew all that stuff. What else is there about you that will surprise me?”
Her question seemed a little flirty, and his heart skipped a beat. He wanted to say something flirty back, but his mind went completely blank. “I don’t know.”
“Besides your mysterious and probably illegal employment,” she shot him a mysterious look, “what else do I not know about you?”
He racked his brain for something intelligent to say. He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “I play a mean game of poker.”
Amanda laughed at that. “My sister and I used to play poker with her friends. I’d win every time.”
He raised one eyebrow. “That sounds like a challenge.”
“Maybe it is.” She draped her net over her once again and gave him a smile. She looked cute, even with trash all over her.
“We’ll have to play sometime.”
“You’re on.” She tugged on her net. “Is it hot in here?”
Thank goodness it wasn’t just him. He was dying. “Yes.”
“Let’s go outside.” She started toward the doors. “I need to catch my breath.”
Cole walked with her into the hallway, where the music wasn’t nearly as loud. “You’re right. Getting out of there was a good idea.”
She pushed on the door and the cool night air enveloped them as they walked outside. “I kind of felt claustrophobic in there. Too many people.” She fanned her face.
“Do you get that way around a lot of people?” He didn’t know that about Amanda.
Her face turned red. Was she embarrassed? “Yeah, kind of. I mean, it’s not bad or anything, but sometimes I just have to get away. Is that weird?”
Cole had never seen Amanda act self-conscious before, but as they walked, she twisted her fingers together. He liked to see this side of her. It was vulnerable. He touched her shoulder. “It’s not weird.”
She turned the corner and walked along the sidewalk that ran adjacent to the street. It was a quiet, residential neighborhood. “Do you have anything like that? A secret fear, or odd thing about you?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I guess. I mean, I hate flying. I’ve only been on an airplane once, but it freaked me out. Is that what you mean?”
“Yeah.” She looked up at him. “I can handle flying, but if I see a spider, I’m done.”
He chuckled. “A spider? I thought you loved all animals.”
“I don’t kill them. Ever. I just have to get someone to take them outside. That’s all. They give me the creeps.” She shivered to show her point.
“Snakes and spiders don’t bother me, but when I was a kid, I was scared of dogs.”
Amanda wrinkled her nose. “Why? Did one attack you?”
“No, they were just so full of energy. And they were loud. I didn’t like the barking. I still don’t love them.”
“Interesting.” They were silent for a moment while they walked. A few cars passed them by, and a group of kids in costume ran to houses on the other side of the street, collecting candy.
“Are you ever worried about the future?” She was back to twisting her fingers together.
“No.” He knew exactly what his future was going to look like. He would attend college, get a degree in business, then come back here to work for his father until he took over the company. It was all planned out for him. He didn’t have much say in it. “Why, are you?”
She worried her lower lip. “I sometimes wonder if I’ll totally screw up my future.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know. Like, I want to make a difference in the world. Do something really important, you know? But what if I waste my life? What if I do all these things, but never make a difference?” She kicked at a rock on the sidewalk. “I just don’t want to fail.”
Cole had never seen Amanda like this. She was always headstrong. Moving forward with a purpose. He had never seen her hesitant before. He stopped and turned toward her. “You won’t fail.”
“How do you know? What makes you so sure?”
He took her hands in his. Her skin was warm. Soft. He swallowed. “You have a purpose. I know you do.”
“What if what I do never matters?” She stared up at him, her brown eyes reflecting the light from the streetlamp.
“It will matter. To me.” Cole cringed at the cheesy line, sure that Amanda would call him out on it, but she didn’t. She just smiled.
“That’s sweet. But I want to make more of a difference. Like the opera house. I want to save it so future generations can enjoy the history within its walls.”
Cole frowned. Why was she bringing up the opera house? Disappointment sank in his heart. He let go of her hands and shoved his fists in his pockets.
If he agreed with her that the opera house should be saved, she would be livid when she found out the truth, that he was helping his father with the demolition. He couldn’t take her side, no matter what. But maybe he could get her to see his side of things. “That building is falling down.”
She stared at him. “You’ve never understood, have you?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“No, I don’t.” He turned from her, his skin turning cold. “The building has been vacant for more than two decades. It’s overrun with mice and the wiring is faulty. It would take a lot of money to restore it. And it’s sitting on a prime piece of real estate that could be used for something else.”
Amanda bristled. “Do you know what they are going to put there, Cole?”
Of course, he knew. He saw the plans. His father had been talking about it for the last six months. “Yeah,” he said, his voice low.
“A parking garage.” Amanda froze. “Wait, what? You knew that? How?”
Their evening was ruined already. No sense in delaying the inevitable. “I work for Asher Industries. My father is Leonardo Asher.”
Amanda sucked in a breath. “Your father is the one behind this? He’s the one destroying history?”
“It’s just a building.”
“Did you know Lily Foster sang in that opera house?”
No, he did not. He didn’t even know who Lily Foster was. He sighed. “No, but that building is falling apart, Mandy. The roof leaks. There’s mold in the walls. It’s a health hazard.”
She shoved his chest. “It could be restored.”
“And who is going to restore it?”
She blinked and he suddenly realized she was crying. Guilt swept through him. Dear heavens. Had he made her cry? Why was she so upset over an old building that was falling apart?
She wiped at her cheeks. “Definitely not Asher Industries,” she spat out.
Cole felt like a jerk. He reached out to her, but she backed away from him. “Amanda…”
“I think it’s best if you take me home.”
He swallowed down the disappointment for a wasted evening. What had he been thinking, anyway? He knew she’d hate him once she found out who his father was. Who he was. “All right.”
He followed Amanda as she strode down the sidewalk to the parking lot, her arms wrapped around her. When they neared his car, three figures stepped out of the shadows. Nikki and her gang. They were dressed as sexy cats, with short skirts and drawn-on whiskers.
Cole had heard they wer
e now banned from the mall. Served them right for what they did. At least Destiny had recovered from what they’d tried to do to her. He and Amanda walked to the side, to let them pass, but Nikki approached Amanda. “What a loser costume.” Nikki looked her up and down. “Fitting.”
Cole grit his teeth and stepped between Amanda and the catty girls. If they were going to start something, he was going to be the one who ended it. “Leave her alone,” he said, his words coming out more like a growl.
Nikki sneered. “Hang out with trash and you’ll eventually start smelling like it.”
“Better than what you smell like,” he said. “Desperation.”
Nikki and her clan scoffed and walked off toward the school. Whatever they were up to was not any good. He watched until they disappeared into the building. When he turned back to open the car door for Amanda, he realized she was already in the car.
He climbed in the driver’s seat. Amanda wiped at her cheeks. She was crying again. He felt terrible. “Amanda—”
She blew out a breath. “Thank you. For what you did back there.”
He swallowed. “You’re welcome.” He didn’t know what else to say to her. He felt like a hole had been drilled through his chest. He sighed and cranked the ignition.
They were both silent as he drove to her house, a small two-story with a detached garage. He pulled into her driveway. He wanted to make it all better. Wanted to tell her he understood why she wanted to save the opera house. But he didn’t. And if he said anything else, it would just sound like platitudes. All he could think of was to apologize. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. Me, too,” she said. She got out of the car and walked into her house. He watched her retreating back.
He’d totally messed up everything. And the worst part was he had to go back to the dance and sit there until it ended. He was on the cleanup committee.
The committee he’d joined so he could spend more time with Amanda.
Chapter 3
Amanda wiped at her eyes as she tossed her Halloween costume into the corner of her room. The glass bottles clinked against each other. She plopped down on her bed and let out a groan.
A Young Adult Romance Collection Page 37