by Brooke Moss
Grinning, he tugged the keys from the ignition. “I was hoping you’d ask.”
I opened my door, and climbed out, anxiety wriggling around in my gut like a puppy. My apartment was humble. Sure, it was decorated cute, thanks to my mother’s fondness for ceramic chickens and all things quilted, but it was barely nine hundred square feet, and I couldn’t sneeze in my bedroom without my next-door neighbor shouting God bless you through the wall.
Emerging from the car, Preston’s eyes met mine across the hood. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Inside the car, Liza rolled onto her back and laughed in her sleep. “I just… I didn’t expect company tonight.”
He crossed around the car, and took my hand. “I’m just here to help. Not judge.”
I quickly glanced over my shoulder to make sure my best friend couldn’t see. What the hell was I going to tell her tomorrow morning? How exactly did I break the news that her date spent the whole night flirting with me? And harder yet, how did I break the news I’d actually enjoyed it?
“You can’t do that,” I warned him softly.
“Do what?” When my eyes flicked to our intertwined fingers, he sighed. “Do you want me to stop?”
I swallowed thickly. His touch had created a trail of heat that was quickly dancing up toward my shoulder. “No. Yes. I… I don’t know.”
He cupped my chin. “I just want to hang out a while longer. I’m not looking to hook up. I’m not going to judge you. I don’t want to put you in a weird situation. I—”
“It’s not okay.” I tilted my head away from his touch. “It breaks Girl Code. Isn’t there something like that with guys? Bro Code, or something like that?”
“Yeah. I guess.” He stepped closer. Our chests were only an inch apart now, and I swear on Beyoncé’s weave, I could hear his heart pounding. “What about tomorrow? Can I call you tomorrow? I’ll even wait until the next day, if you tell me to.”
Memories flashed through my brain like a movie being played on fast forward. There was the time when we were in eighth grade when the boy Liza was crushing on asked me to dance at the Valentine’s Day mixer, and she’d refused to speak to me for a week. Then there was the time during our junior year of high school where she’d locked herself in a bathroom stall at the mall, because I’d laughed too hard at the joke her boyfriend made in the food court. If there was a guy in the room, she wanted all his attention, and over the years, I’d grown accustomed to letting her have it.
His deep eyes searched mine for approval. “Snow White?”
I felt an unexpected giggle tickle its way up the back of my throat then swallowed it back. How had Preston—over the course of about three hours—gone from the most irritating human being I’d ever met, to the endearing and enticing man who stood only an inch away from me? “I told you, I have a name.”
Preston’s other hand went to my waist. Goosebumps rose all over my skin. “Will you go out with me, alone, tomorrow night?”
Instinctually, I brought my face closer to his. Good Lord, I wanted to kiss Preston again so badly, I was buzzing like a beehive. “It’s not right.”
“Aubrey…” Preston’s voice was painfully quiet. My eyes drifted shut.
Please, just do it. Just a little one…
“Gonna be sick!”
Once again, we jumped apart at the gurgled sound of Liza’s voice. Brushing my fingers across my lips, I tried to wipe away any hint of my betrayal before I faced her. I tugged the backdoor open just as Liza slid across the seat and flopped onto her hands and knees on the patch of dry grass outside the complex.
“Crap!” I jumped aside in time to save my sandaled feet from the stream of barf. I bent down and lifted her sweaty hair off of the back of her neck. “Oh, man… it’s okay. Let it all out. Better here than on my mom’s couch again.”
She moaned. “I think I’m okay now. Can we go to bed?”
I helped Liza back up to her feet then smoothed down the front of her sundress. “You’ve been sleeping since we left the party.”
“I have?” She looked up at me, bleary eyed. “Sorry.”
Preston approached her other side, taking Liza’s arm. “Let’s get you inside.”
Liza blinked up at him, then tried to fix her tangled hair. “H-hey, Pres… how are you? What’s up?” She stumbled, ramming into his side. “Whoopsie.”
“Oof,” he grunted. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
“Mmkay.” She turned to face me, her sweaty hair whipping Preston across the face. “Isn’t he hot? There was a guy in the boathouse who was hotter, though. Don’t tell Preston.”
I grabbed her arm. “You need to work on your quiet voice.”
“Shhh…” She tripped over her own feet as we approached the stairs. “I’m on a date. I look good?” When I nodded, she gawked up at Preston with a crooked grin. “Do you think I’m hot?”
His eyes widened. “Sure. Puking twice. Crazy hot.”
If Liza heard his insult, she didn’t react. Instead she began counting the steps as we climbed them. Preston’s gaze met mine over the top of her tilted head, and he mouthed the words, I’m so sorry.
I believed him. Three hours ago, I would’ve told him to go to hell, but now? Not so much. Now I knew that he didn’t want to be hit on by my sloppy bestie and her barf-breath, any more than I wanted to watch it happen.
We climbed the stairs in silence, and I unlocked the door while chewing my lower lip anxiously. Thankfully, mom had enough time between jobs to clear her dinner dishes and put away the pile of clean laundry that’d been sitting on the couch, so the apartment was fairly neat. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about the dining room table with the duct taped leg, and the rows and rows of cracked picture frames hanging on the hallway wall, that contained every school picture I’d ever had taken. There was no way to hide that monstrosity from Preston as he guided Liza in.
“Um, where should we put her?” he asked, moving a couple of patchwork throw pillows on the couch as Liza teetered.
I busied myself at the table, placing my purse and house keys down with more care than necessary as I begged my stomach to stop churning. Sweat piqued at my hairline. Mom and I never left the air conditioner running when we weren’t home. It was too expensive. “I’ll probably put her in my bed.”
“Oh, I can take her in there, if you want—”
“No, that’s okay!” I blurted, interrupting him. I couldn’t stomach the thought of Preston seeing my bedroom in its current state. I still had a bed covered in stuffed animals, and my work clothes from the last three days were strewn all over the floor. Not to mention the Zac Efron poster that still hung on the back of my closet door that I just couldn’t seem to part ways with. “I’ll get her settled. You can just go—”
“Or, I can wait,” he offered with a smile. “Just to make sure everyone is okay.”
No. Definitely say no, my brain reminded me in a firm tone.
Yes! Holy Moses, say yes, my heart seemed to yelp in time with my heartbeats.
I sucked in a long, deep pull of muggy air. “Why don’t I get Liza into bed before you go?” I reached for my best friend’s hand. “Come on, Li. Say goodnight to your date, and I’ll even let you take the bed tonight.”
She went to tuck her long blonde hair behind her ears, but missed, poking herself in the eye. “You can help me into bed if you want, Pres.”
My cheeks scalded and I looked away.
“Oh, I, uh… no. You’d better let Aubrey help you with that.” Preston held her at arm’s length away. “Thanks for coming to the party.”
“Thanksh for ashking me,” she slurred, nodding her head in my direction. “And for finding Aubrey a date.”
I closed my eyes to count to five. I’d forgotten about Jeremy. “Yeah. Thanks for that.”
Preston grimaced. “You’re welcome.”
“You see!?” she cried happily. “I told you we’d all get along! He’s a good guy, ishn’t he, Aubrey!?”
“Yes, definitely.” I avoided Preston’
s gaze over the top of her head. “Top notch.”
“We should do it again!” She sang, tugging on the front of his t-shirt. “Next party. We’re in. It’s a date.” I was pretty sure she tried to wink at him, but wound up squeezing both eyes shut instead. “Aubrey, too. She doesn’t get asked out on enough dates. She needs our help.”
“Okay, that’s enough for now.” I took Liza’s hand. “You’re sloshed. You need to go to sleep now, or you’re going to wake my neighbors.”
“Oh, sorry.” She held a finger in front of her lips before standing on her tiptoes and leaning close to Preston with pursed lips. “Goodnight.”
Again he took her shoulders, keeping her away. “’Night.”
I guided Liza out of the living room and into the bathroom. I wasn’t sure what I was more mortified about. The fact she’d told Preston that I never got asked out on dates, or the fact she believed she was still on one. And now her so-called date was sitting out in my living room, waiting for me amongst my childhood pictures and my mother’s collection of chicken figurines.
Just kill me.
I handed Liza a spare toothbrush I kept under the sink for just such occasions, and pulled her hair into a ponytail as she scrubbed. I sat on the toilet lid as she washed her face and wondered what in the actual hell I was going to do with Preston once I got Liza into bed. Maybe I just needed to tell him to go home. To go back to the party and pretend we hadn’t spent the last two hours driving around and talking like actual friends. That would’ve been keeping in line with Girl Code.
“Don’t worry,” Liza said loudly enough that Preston surely heard in the next room. She threw the soiled washcloth across the bathroom, missing the hamper. I handed her a cup of water wordlessly. “When you finally get a guy, Aubrey, I’ll give you all the pointers you want. ‘Kay?”
I held my breath, not wanting to say all the things that popped into my mind. Instead I watched as she drank the water, then dropped the plastic cup into the sink basin with a sharp thud.
She peered at me through narrowed eyes. “Why are you all wet?”
“Oh, I, uh…” Gulping, I smoothed down the front of my still damp shirt. “Took a dip in the lake.”
She blinked at me slowly, then blurted, “Getting into the party, huh?”
“Uh huh.”
I loved Liza. Sure, she was sort of selfish and self-centered. And sometimes—okay, most times—we went out, I wound up playing babysitter because she drank too much. I always forgave her because she was my oldest friend.
She moved to lean against the counter, but slid into the wall. “Don’t worry. I’ll just bet one of Preston’s friends will ashk me for your number.”
“Let’s get you to bed.” I opened the bathroom door and led her into my bedroom. “Do you want to borrow some shorts?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Too tired. I’ll shleep in my dress.” Flopping face first onto the mattress, she asked in a muffled voice, “You going to bed now?”
“I will soon.” I opened the window next to my bed, so the night breeze would cool her. “I’m just going to send your date home.”
Liza mumbled something that resembled a thank you, but quickly evolved into snores. I went to leave my bedroom, but jumped with a gasp when I found Preston standing at the doorway.
“Holy hell!” I hissed, thumping him in the shoulder. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” he whispered, holding out a glass of water. “Got this from the kitchen. She should stay hydrated.”
Sighing, I took it from him. “Thank you.”
We moved back to the living room. As we passed the row of portraits, Preston chuckled. “You’re wearing a Jonas Brothers t-shirt in one. Classic.”
“Don’t judge me.” I tried to fight the smile that twitched on my face. “As if all of your school portraits were Top Model quality.”
“I didn’t take school portraits.” He stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room. “My mom said they were passé. We had professional pictures taken every year, instead.”
“I should’ve guessed.”
“By the way, was that Zac Efron on your closet?”
“That’s why I didn’t want you coming in there!” I threw up my arms dramatically. “Hey, I’m sorry. It’s crazy hot in here. I… I’ll turn on the AC.” I stepped around him to the wall unit and started fiddling with the buttons, but stopped when I felt Preston’s hand touch my back.
“Let’s go outside, instead,” he suggested, gesturing to the sliding glass door that led to our miniscule balcony. “We should be soaking up nights like these.”
“Fair enough.” I unlocked the door, and pushed the curtain to the side. “After you.”
Preston paused. “Actually, I have an idea.”
“What’s that?” My stomach growled. I hoped it was more frozen hot chocolate.
His face split into a grin. “Can I use Liza’s car just one more time?”
“I… I guess so.” I tilted my head. “What’s going on?”
“It’s a surprise. Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be back.”
I held my breath. I didn’t want this night to end. It was only eleven. We had hours before my mom would be home from her shift. Hours before Liza would wake up with a wicked hangover to nurse. Hours before I had to show up for my shift at Petal Pushers.
I wanted more time with Preston. More time to enjoy this electricity between us. More time to pretend Preston and I had a chance at working out, beyond the bubble of this night, and all of its warm air and starry night isolation.
“Okay. I’ll wait here.”
He leaned close, close enough I felt heat radiating from his skin. It made my head spin.
His grin was contagious. “Be right back.”
CHAPTER NINE
When Preston tapped softly on the door twenty minutes later, I practically leapt out of my own skin. I’d spent the first ten minutes after he left, primping in front of the mirror—hair? Check. Makeup? Check. Dry outfit? Check.—then the second ten minutes standing in front of the air conditioner, trying desperately not to sweat all over myself.
I noticed my hands were shaking as I turned the door handle. What on earth was I doing? It seemed as if I’d left typical Aubrey at that party in the woods, and someone else—someone vulnerable and open and completely twitterpated—had replaced me.
I swung the door open. “Hi.”
He smiled, holding up a bag. “Provisions.”
Reading the name on the bag, my mouth dropped open. “How did you get the Swimming Angel? They close at ten-thirty!”
Stepping into the apartment, he grinned proudly. “I know a guy.”
“Know a guy?” I salivated as he placed the loot on the rickety table. “Who?”
“He used to work for my dad,” Preston explained, opening the bag. “His wife used to bring Thai food in for her husband’s lunch like once a week, and my dad got hooked. She was from Phuket, originally. When Frank said they wanted to open their own restaurant, my dad jumped at the chance to help.”
“So it’s your father’s restaurant?” I pulled the warm white boxes of food out.
“No, it’s Frank and Boonsri’s restaurant.” He crumpled up the bag. “My dad just put up some money. The only stipulation was we could get Pad Thai whenever we want.”
I took a couple forks out of a nearby cupboard. “Talk about a perk!”
“Right?” Preston picked up the boxes. Nodding at the cinnamon candle on the counter behind me, he added, “Can you grab that for me?”
Plucking it up, I followed him onto the balcony. The tired wood groaned underneath our feet as I grabbed two plastic chairs to sit on. Preston rested the food on his seat, then grabbed an empty flowerpot from the corner of the porch. Turning it upside down, he used it as a makeshift table for the candle, then pulled a lighter from his pocket to light it.
After observing the scene, he blurted, “Wait!”
In a flash, he’d run through the apartment, out the door, and down the stairs t
o the grass out behind my complex, where a patch of wild daisies were growing like weeds between the pine trees.
I bit my lip, suppressing a pleased squeal as he quickly gathered a bouquet, then darted back up. After fiddling in the kitchen for a beat, Preston returned to the balcony holding a tall glass of water with about seven daisies standing in it.
“Just want to make it perfect,” he explained, a hint of shyness deepening his voice. “You know, kind of like a date. Even though it’s not.”
I examined his face, and relished the hint of a blush on his chiseled cheek bones. “Thank you, Preston. This is… just, I don’t know, kind of perfect.”
“That’s what I was going for.” He held out the glass of flowers. “For you.”
“They’re beautiful.” I took them and placed them next to the candle. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
The cocky grin returned. “That’s what they tell me.”
Laughing despite myself, I sat down and picked up a fork. “Want to eat straight from the box?”
Preston sat down next to me. “That’s fine. But you have to share.”
“Deal.” I opened one of the boxes. “Pad Thai. What’s in yours?”
He popped the box open and sniffed. “Green curry. That’s all Boonsri had left. Hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. This is what I’ve been craving all night.” I picked up my fork and reached for a bite of curry. “I didn’t realize I wanted to be doing it with you until now, though.”
“Save some for me.” Preston took a forkful of the Pad Thai. “Glad I wore you down enough to eat dinner with me.”
“Does this constitute dinner?” I asked coyly, watching his jawline as he chewed. He was so chiseled. Why were the good ones always chiseled? “I mean, it’s almost midnight, so…”
His lips twitched. “Do you turn into a pumpkin at midnight, Snow White?”
Rolling my eyes, I forked another bite. “That’s Cinderella. You went out with her yesterday.”
“Touché.” He sat back in his seat and took in a deep breath of the summer air. “Actually, I didn’t have a date last night.”