Dating: For the Assist

by Stephanie Street

  Maybe those weren’t lofty goals. Probably I should have some burning desire to change the world by becoming an activist or lawyer. Or I should want to go to school, study business, and become a CEO. But I didn’t want any of those things.

  I could still influence the world, though, right? One child at a time? My one child at a time. That’s what I really wanted.

  It was probably stupid.

  Luke was quiet on the drive home and I was glad. Most of my visions of the future included Luke. Sometimes it was a conscious daydream, a fantasy. Others, it was just there like it was destined to be. I was really beginning to wish I hadn’t agreed to this date. I couldn’t even explain why I’d done it in the first place. We’d just kissed. I probably wasn’t thinking straight. By the time it occurred to me to back out everyone had already heard about us going together. Now it was just too late.

  Luke parked in the Hines’s driveway and turned off the engine. We sat there for maybe two seconds before either of us moved. I was just about to reach for the handle on the door to open it when Luke’s hand on my arm stopped me.

  “Are we fighting?” he asked.

  I turned to him with a frown. “What kind of question is that? Have we been fighting?” Sometimes Luke was such a weirdo.

  His eyes searched mine. “No, but I feel like you’re mad at me or something.”

  “Since when do you care if I’m mad at you?” Super weird!

  He made a face. “Since I have to spend an entire evening with you, that’s when.”

  “Is this about the kiss?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

  Luke’s gaze flicked to my lips and his tongue darted out to lick his top lip. “No. Of course not.” His eyes settled on mine again. “Unless you’re mad about it.”

  “Why would I be mad about it? It was just a kiss, Luke. Don’t be weird.”

  He sat back. “I’m not being weird. You’re being weird. And I know it was just a kiss.”

  Huh. I half expected him to admit it was more than a kiss. I mean, it was just a kiss, but it wasn’t a simple kiss. It was a long kiss. A couple of minutes, at least, where we’d become intimately familiar with each other’s mouths.

  I wish I hadn’t told him it couldn’t happen again. It had taken serious effort to pry my thoughts away from those moments in the closet with Luke.

  He probably hadn’t thought about it at all. The jerk.

  “Good. We agree, then. And I’m not mad about anything.” Just completely and utterly annoyed with the boy I’d been in love with for most of my life. How could he still want Abby after kissing me like that?

  “Good,” he repeated, still staring at me.

  I rolled my eyes. “Good.” Great. We’d reverted to acting like ten year olds. I opened my door with a huff and retrieved my backpack from the back seat.

  I didn’t even say goodbye to him. Just gave him an obnoxious smile and a small wave that could have been interpreted as flipping him the bird, then marched to my side of the street. Suddenly, I was in desperate need of some chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

  10

  Luke

  This was such a bad idea. That was all I could think while I got ready for prom on Saturday afternoon. Piper and Dannika had been locked up in Piper’s room for most of the day after they’d gone to the hair and nail salon earlier in the morning.

  In fact, I wasn’t even sure why I was doing this. Somehow I’d talked myself into needing just one more chance with Abby. She still texted me everyday. She’d even sent me a picture a few minutes ago of her in her prom dress. She looked gorgeous. And it wasn’t even like she was trying to rub it in that she wasn’t my date tonight, at least, that wasn’t what it felt like.

  I stopped myself just in time from running my fingers through my hair. I was already dressed and ready to go. Drew was in my room as well, playing a video game while we waited for the girls. Apparently, Piper was going to send him a text when it was time for us to go downstairs to wait for them to make their grand entrance.

  Girls were so weird.

  “Dude, you know Piper will make me kill you if you do something stupid tonight, right?” Drew asked, his focus still on the television screen.

  I bristled at his tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Drew paused his game to look at me. “It means don’t do anything stupid. Despite all logic, I halfway like you. I don’t want to have to bring mortal harm to your person if I can avoid it. But I will. For her. If you do something to hurt her best friend.”

  “I’m not going to hurt Danni. I doubt I even have that kind of power.” She didn’t care about me like she used to. I was sure of it. If she did, she would never have agreed to go to prom with me to make my ex-girlfriend jealous. Would she?

  Drew stared at me for a second before sighing. “It’s inevitable. Sometime in this lifetime, Piper is going to ask me to kill you. You’re just too stupid for it not to happen.”

  “Shut up.” If it had been Jared, or just about anyone else, I might have started a fight right then and there. But Drew was a little scary. I wasn’t a chicken. I wasn’t passive. But contrary to what Drew believed, I wasn’t actually stupid. Picking a fight with him would have ended in me with a black eye in my prom pictures. And likely a broken nose.

  Drew set his controller aside with a sigh. “Alright. Let me break it down for you. I get it that you’re some kind of genius or something, but that pretty much only relates to music, right?”

  He was really pushing it. Black eye be damned. “Seriously, man?”

  “I know. It boggles my mind, too. But you, my friend, are completely clueless.”

  Under all the insults, I knew there was a point he was making. In spite of myself, I wanted to hear it. Piper told Drew everything. And Dannika told Piper everything. Chances were Drew might actually have some helpful insight into the mind of my prom date.

  “Get to the point, Thompson,” I muttered through clenched teeth.

  Drew sat forward, his elbows braced on his knees and hands loosely laced together in front of him. “It’s like this. And I was once as stupid as you.” He stared me right in the eye. “It was Piper who showed me the error of my ways. But, man, girls aren’t wired like us. If a girl kisses you, she means it.” He waited a second for that to sink in and I began to understand where he was going. “And if a kiss didn’t mean anything at first, once she goes home and has time to think about it? Dude, you’re done. Unless she thinks you’re a troll, she’ll start to fall in love with you just a little.”

  I thought about what he was saying and my heart started to speed up its pace. Was that true?

  Drew slapped a hand down on my shoulder. “You doubt me. I can see it in your eyes. But I’m telling you, man, don’t be stupid. Because unless you are a complete idiot, you already know how Danni feels about you-”

  Wait. Did he say feels? As in currently how she feels? Not how she used to feel?

  “And that kiss the other night? It meant something. And that means you definitely have the power to hurt her.” Drew pinned me with a look that bore a promise of pain and suffering as only one man can portray to another. “You feelin’ me, bro?”

  Oh, I was feeling him alright. It would be impossible not to considering the death grip he had on my shoulder with his massive hands that could easily double as dinner plates.

  “Yes. Yes. I hear you.” Loud and clear. But was he right? Of course, I would never want to hurt Danni. I mean, sure, joking around and crap like that, but not hurt her for real. I would never forgive myself for that. But what if I’d already hurt her? Was Dannika that good of an actress? Was it possible I’d read things wrong last weekend?

  I had no idea. But apparently, I would need to tread carefully.

  Drew slapped his hand on my shoulder again. “Good.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” I shrugged his hand off me.

  Drew grinned. He was about to say something when his phone chimed beside him on my bed. Picking it up, he read a message on the scr
een. His face split into a grin and he glanced over at me. “Alright, man. It’s go time. Get your game face on.”

  Game face?

  After taking a glance in the mirror over my dresser, I had no idea if I had a good game face for a date with my sister’s best friend, a girl I’d known for years and kissed for the first and only time last weekend, but at least my hair wasn’t sticking up and my shirt was still tucked in.

  Of course, Drew wasn’t at all worried about his appearance. Somehow, he managed to appear confident and in control even with his tie loose and top button undone. He led the way downstairs with his hands in his pockets and a cocky grin tipping his mouth.

  I wanted to throw up.

  Which was weird. I never got nervous for dates, especially a date that wasn’t supposed to mean anything. Just friends. If I could just keep reminding myself of that and the fact that I wanted to get my girlfriend back, tonight would go just fine. It might even be fun.

  My mom and Dannika’s waited at the bottom of the stairs. Ms. Harper standing beside my mom presented a dramatic contrast. Where my mom was blonde and pale and reminded me of vanilla ice cream, Dannika’s mom was anything but plain. From her perfectly styled dark hair, expertly applied makeup, and flawless business suit complete with pointy heeled shoes, Gloria Harper was the exact opposite of Lilly Hines. Even at the end of the day, she looked like she just stepped out of an ad featuring successful business women.

  Both moms smile when we stepped into the room. This wasn’t my first formal dance, but this was the first time my mom had been so excited about my date. I never realized it, but both of our moms, Dannika’s and mine, had been hoping for us to get together for a long, long time. If there had been any doubt, it was extinguished the moment they laid eyes on me and began squealing like a couple of teenage girls.

  “Oh, my goodness. You both look so handsome,” my mom gushed. Beside her, Gloria nodded her head vigorously.

  “Yes, they do.”

  And then, as one, they came at us. Clucking and brushing at us with their hands. Gloria tightened Drew’s tie while my mom smoothed my hair after licking her fingertips.

  Eww!

  I batted her hands away. “Knock it off. What are you doing?”

  She stepped back, appraising me, not at all affected by my irritation. “You had a flyaway.”

  A flyaway.

  I shook my head. “You could have just told me and let me go fix it with gel like a normal person.”

  Mom grinned. “What’s the fun in that?”

  What was the use? Mom’s were impossible creatures. I glanced over to see Drew not fairing any better with Gloria. But she wasn’t his mom so he had to be more polite when it came to discouraging her.

  Thankfully, we were saved from any further ministrations by the arrival of our dates. Piper and Dannika walked down the stairs arm in arm, but I barely even noticed my sister. My gaze was riveted on the dark haired girl at her side.

  Dannika was stunning.

  She said her dress was red, but it was darker than red. It was more like ruby. The rhinestone necklace laying elegantly beneath her collar bones stood out in glittering contrast. Her hair, which I’d already seen when they came back from the salon earlier, no longer looked out of place since she’d changed from a tee and sweats into her dress. Her long tresses were curled into large waves swept up on the back of her head where they fell again down her back. Dannika usually wore makeup, but tonight her look was definitely more dramatic. Smokey eyes drew me in and her ruby red lips, the exact shade of her dress, called me to kiss them.

  Someone elbowed my side. Glancing over, I scowled at Drew who just smirked. Like he was in any better shape.

  I took a second to give Piper a once over. My sister was a pretty girl. Tall. Athletic. Even I could tell her hair was her crowning glory. But it wasn’t her hair, her makeup, or her dress that made her beautiful. It was her smile. Piper had never been prettier since she met Drew and it had nothing to do with her looks, just everything to with being happy.

  He was just as bad. The guy only had eyes for my sister. I should be irked by that, but I wasn’t. I wouldn’t be until the day she didn’t gaze at him with bliss shining in her eyes. Until then, I’d just be happy for her.

  “Wow, you all look so amazing,” Mom broke the spell and suddenly everyone was talking at once.

  I wanted to rush to Dannika’s side, but Gloria beat me to it. At first I was annoyed, but then it occurred to me maybe Gloria had saved me from making a fool of myself, because all I wanted to do in that moment was worship at Dannika’s feet and forget all about Abby.

  “Oh, darling, you’re so beautiful,” she gushed.

  Dannika blushed and it only made her appear more lovely. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Gloria fussed over Dannika for another few seconds before turning to me with a smile. “I can’t wait to get a picture of the two of you together.”

  I knew that was the plan, but suddenly the idea of standing beside Danni with my arm around her waist in front of everyone seemed like a bad idea. Given the overwhelming desire to kiss her I was experiencing, I was probably right.

  But then, Dannika’s eyes met mine and I couldn’t stop myself. Stepping directly to her side, I slipped my arm around her waist.

  “You look amazing.” It was a lame compliment, but I couldn’t think of a word that would describe exactly how beautiful she looked.

  Danni didn’t seem to mind. Her eyes sparkled and her red lips curled into a smile. Reaching up, her fingers tugged at the bow tie around my neck.

  “You look pretty great yourself.”

  I wondered if it was noticeable, the way my chest swelled at her words. Which was silly. I shouldn’t care what Dannika thought about how I looked. Should I?

  “Thanks,” I said anyway.

  “Here, Luke. Help her with her corsage.” Mom thrust a clear plastic container filled with flowers on an elastic band laying in a bed of what looked like shredded paper into my hands.

  Trying not to fumble too obviously, I opened the box and held out the elastic band. Dannika glanced at the flowers than at me. Our eyes met and I swear, time stood still. Suddenly, we were back in that closet, my lips begging to touch hers.

  Dannika cleared her throat reminding me were not in the closet and kissing her right now would invite a lot of questions I wouldn’t know how to answer.

  She glanced at the corsage. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

  It was my turn to clear my throat. “Thank Piper. I guess she ordered hers and yours at the same time.” Although, I had paid Drew back for them. How cheap did a guy have to be to let some other dude pay for his date’s corsage? I’d also paid him for half the limo.

  “Okay, Dannika. Put on Luke’s boutonniere,” Gloria demanded, her phone poised to capture the moment for posterity.

  Danni’s fingers trembled almost as badly as mine had. It wouldn’t have mattered except she was coming at me with a pearl tipped straight pin.

  “Are you sure you don’t need help with that?” I asked, pulling my chin back to get a better look at what she was doing.

  11

  Dannika

  My fingers trembled. Luke was so handsome and he smelled so good even though his cologne carried with it a hint of dry cleaning. I pulled the pearl tipped pin from the green tape holding his boutonniere together and brought it to the lapel of his jacket. He asked me if I needed help, a worried expression on his face as he watched with crossed eyes as the pin got closer and closer to his body.

  “Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.” Although, it was tempting. How dare he look so good on a date that didn’t mean anything to him. Just friends. If we were just friends, he should have just worn his dress slacks and a button up. Why go to all the trouble of renting a tux?

  To make me crazy. That’s why.

  I should know, it was the same reason I picked this dress.

  The rapid thrum of his heart against my knuckles told me I’d hit the mark. Maybe this nig
ht wouldn’t suck after all. Maybe, just maybe, I had a shot with Luke Hines in spite of everything he’d said about wanting to make Abby jealous.

  Finally, I got the pin through the fabric of his jacket and the tape covered base of his flowers and back through the fabric.

  “There,” I pronounced, absently running my hands over his jacket, smoothing invisible creases over his shoulders and chest before I could stop myself.

  Wow.

  He caught my eye. His glowed with a hint of danger. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t my heart at risk.

  “That’s wonderful.” Luke’s mom clapped her hands, drawing my attention away from him for a blessed minute. Piper and Drew also had their flowers firmly affixed to their formalwear and it was time for posed pictures.

  “Lilly, why don’t we go out into your garden,” my mom suggested.

  Everyone agreed and followed Lilly out a set of sliding glass doors to the back patio. Lilly had a green thumb and two unwilling, yet capable, assistants. Her garden was fantastic, the perfect place for photos.

  Piper and Drew were lost in quiet whispers to each other while the two moms talked about hydrangeas and sprinklers on timers, leaving Luke and I to bring up the rear with no one else to talk to but each other.

  “I wonder how long this is going to take. Between the two of them they’ll make us miss our dinner reservation,” Luke murmured, leaning low so he could speak into my ear.

  Trying to ignore the shivers his breath on my neck provoked, I smiled, working to infuse as much confidence into my posture as possible. “Don’t worry. Piper set a timer on her phone to go off when it was time to go.”

  Luke shook his head. “Of course she did.”