Perfectly You (The Perfect Series Book 2)

by Robin Daniels

  We made it through the line to pay for admission. Andy and I were standing in front of Jake and Lilly. Andy looked up at the cashier. “Two rounds of eighteen, please,” he said.

  “Oh, you don’t have to pay for me, Andy. I can get mine,” I said, pulling out my wallet.

  Andy looked at me flatly. “Ivy, did we or did we not come to the conclusion that you’re my date this evening?”

  “Yes?” I answered in a question.

  “Then put your wallet away,” he ordered, and I did as he said.

  We walked through the turnstile. The golf park was large, with two different mini-golf courses and a driving range at the far end. One course was plain greens, set up with curves and angles, but no other obstructions. The other course had an obstacle on each. A giant windmill or funnel, or something else you had to hit the ball through before it would pop out the other side where the hole was located.

  “I want to play on the fancy course,” Lilly said, pointing at the windmill.

  “No way, woman,” Jake objected. “If you get past the obstacle, the ball pretty much shoots toward the hole on the other side and goes straight in. No skill involved. With a Jake Hill kiss on the line, we play for real.” He pushed Lilly gently toward the traditional course.

  I looked at Andy. “So, do you have any pointers for me? I know you’re trying to win, but it won’t be any fun if you totally slaughter me.”

  He grabbed my hand and led me over to the stand where the putters were stacked. “The first thing you need to do is pick a good putter. If you get one that’s too long, it’ll throw off your swing.” He let go of my hand and grabbed a few clubs, holding each up to my leg, measuring against it. “I think this one will be good.” He handed me a bright pink putter.

  I eyed the club, then gave Andy a suspicious stare down. “Are you sure you aren’t trying to gain an advantage by giving me the clown club?”

  He laughed, then picked up one that was identical. “Fine, if it makes you feel better, even though it’s too small for me, I’ll use the same one. Now you know for sure that I have the handicap here.”

  “Such a gentleman.” I laughed, kicking his pink putter, then grabbed a score card and pencil.

  “Do we need to keep each other’s cards?” Jake asked. “Or can we trust our competition to score themselves honestly?” He was addressing us both, but casting a hard look at Lilly.

  “I would never cheat,” she scoffed, pretending to be offended. “Even with a kiss at stake.”

  We walked over to the first hole and waited for our turn. The large group in front of us happened to be some kids from our school. It looked like most of the varsity cheer squad. Perfect. This would be a great chance to show off my date a little bit. That was why we were here, after all. I needed to remind myself of this throughout the night.

  “Hey, do you know any of those people in front of us?” I asked Andy. He squinted at them before shaking his head no. “Then smile, because you’re about to meet them.”

  “Katie,” I called out to one of the cheerleaders who was also on student council with me. She turned around and waved. “How are you?” I asked, trying to get a conversation going.

  “Good. How about you?” she answered.

  “Oh, I’m fine. Just about to get my butt handed to me in a round of mini-golf.” A few of the other girls she was standing with turned around to see who Katie was talking to. When they noticed Jake and Andy, I knew we had their full attention. “My buddy here is going to school me in the ways of putting. He’s on the golf team, so he thinks he knows a thing or two.” I elbowed Andy in the arm, trying to look friendly. It wouldn’t be good marketing if it looked like we were a couple.

  I glanced over at Lilly and Jake, hoping they looked as casual, but I was out of luck. She had tucked herself up into his side with her arm around his waist. It seemed he was fine with her forwardness, because he had his arm draped around her shoulder. If they were going to be touchy all night, it was going to be hard to sell the non-couples image.

  “Golf team, huh?” Katie asked. “You must be pretty good, then.”

  “I suppose I’m not too bad.” Andy smiled at her. I wanted to pat him on the back and tell him good job. His smile was the kind that could melt her socks off.

  “And does your friend have a name?” the girl standing next to Katie asked, nodding toward Andy. I think her name was Angelica. I didn’t really know her, but she was a gorgeous cheerleader, and that was all that mattered. Angelica was raking her eyes up and down Andy’s body, and she wasn’t being subtle about it, either. I sneaked a glance at Andy to see if he noticed Angelica’s leering. If he had, he was playing it cool. Gold star for Andy.

  “I’m sorry. Katie, this is my friend Andy. And you know Jake and Lilly.” I pointed to the other members of our party, and they both waved hello.

  “Hi.” Katie smiled politely. “These are my friends Angelica, Callie, and Bethany.” The girls said hi in unison.

  “So,” Katie asked, “is this the same Andy who’s on your auction list?”

  “You got it.” I was glad she noticed and said something, because I wasn’t sure how to bring it up without it sounding forced.

  “Then I’m happy we met tonight,” Katie said. “I knew all the people on the list but you. I know most of the seniors. How is it we haven’t met before? Are you new to Franklin High School this year?”

  “No, I’ve always gone to Franklin,” Andy answered warmly. “I guess we’re just unlucky that our paths never crossed until now.”

  Way to go, Andy. I was impressed. His answer bordered on smooth, and here I was worried that he was going to freak out in front of the group of strangers. Pretty girls, no less. But he was playing it off like a pro, leading me to wonder if he had more experience with girls and dating than I figured.

  “You’re on the auction block this year, huh?” Angelica purred.

  “Yep, Jake and I were both roped into it.” Andy looked at Jake, who seemed to be jealous that all the attention hadn’t been directed on him.

  “That’s right, ladies,” Jake piped up. “For the right price, you could have a romantic evening with one of us.” He winked at the group of girls and waved his thumb between Andy and himself. They giggled. Lilly had dropped her arm from his waist, but Jake still had his slung over her shoulder. She rolled her eyes when he made his sales pitch.

  “For the right price, can we have you both?” Angelica asked. Wow, she was forward. I’m sure she intended to sound seductive, but I thought it sounded more trampy than anything. I could tell that Lilly was annoyed by Angelica hitting on her date. She’d folded her arms across her chest in a challenging pose, but Angelica didn’t seem to notice. That, or she didn’t care. I doubted she found Lilly’s slight stature, complete with fishnet gloves, very imposing. Jake noticed Lilly’s stance, though, which surprised me a little.

  “I’m sure, for the right price, anything is possible.” He smiled warmly at Angelica, but his grip tightened around Lilly’s shoulder, and he pulled her closer to him, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

  “Whatever, Angelica,” the pretty blonde named Beth spoke up. “We’re juniors, so you can’t even bid on him anyway.”

  “I know.” She sighed dramatically. “What a waste. Maybe I can get Katie to bid on my behalf?” Angelica suggested to Beth.

  “Way to go, dumb-dumb. You aren’t supposed to talk about bending the rules in front of the person in charge,” Beth said, nodding her head toward me. I wasn’t sure how she knew who I was since I didn’t really know her, but that was sometimes an unintended consequence of student government. A lot of people I didn’t know knew me. At least this Beth girl had common sense.

  A tall, gorgeous guy with a killer smile pulled up behind Beth, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Come on, girls, it’s our turn.” He kissed Beth on the cheek, then grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

  “Nice to meet you,” Beth called out over her shoulder. Angelica didn’t move, continuing to thro
w flirty looks at Jake and Andy.

  “Hopefully you’ll come support us at the auction, even if you can’t bid on anyone. It’s still going to be a fun evening of entertainment.” I plugged the event shamelessly, ready for the girls to move on. I’d accomplished my task. Andy had been more than noticed, but I needed Angelica to get lost before Lilly’s claws came out.

  “Oh, I’ll be there,” Angelica said, winking. “See you around, boys.” She blew them a kiss and moved on to the second hole.

  Katie looked at Andy and me, her smile sincere. “It was nice to meet you, Andy. Have fun tonight, you guys.” She waved, then joined her friends. Once they were all out of earshot, Lilly started slinging insults.

  “Why, that dirty little hoebag. I oughta go over there and teach her some manners.”

  “Simmer down there, pip-squeak.” Jake laughed.

  “I’ll show you who’s a pip-squeak.” Lilly narrowed her eyes at him and balled up her fists, ready to use them.

  “Chill out, Lilly.” Jake scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. She yelped and smacked him on the butt, and he laughed. “You don’t want this perfect face marred should it be expected to kiss you later, do you? Angelica’s good at getting a rise out of people. I’d never actually go out with her on my own. She’d have to buy me at an auction or something.” Jake laughed at his own joke. Lilly gave up fighting and decided to stare at Jake’s butt instead. She couldn’t help herself. If you looked up the definition of boy crazy in the dictionary, you’d probably find her picture.

  “Besides, she seemed more interested in Andy anyway,” Jake pointed out, grinning before asking Lilly, “Is it safe to put you down, or do I need to cover the family jewels?”

  “It’s safe.” She sighed. “Now let me go so I can win me a kiss.”

  “Sheesh.” Andy laughed. “And she thinks Angelica is forward?” he asked me.

  “Lilly’s harmless,” I replied, waving her off with my hand. “Usually, at least.”

  Andy laughed again, then held out his arm toward the first hole. “Shall we play?” he asked, and I nodded yes. “Then ladies first. I need to know what I’m up against.”

  “Bring it on, Andy, bring it on.”

  We stood at the eighteenth hole, waiting for our turn. “I quit,” Lilly said dramatically, throwing her club on the ground.

  “Don’t be such a bad sport.” I laughed at her.

  “Well, the stakes were pretty high, so I’m disappointed that we’re losing.”

  “Are you upset that you don’t get a kiss, or that you have to pay for dinner?” Andy asked.

  “Both.” Lilly pouted. She hated losing.

  Jake appraised her, then spoke up. “I’ll tell you what, peanut.” He’d been referencing her size all night. She pretended to be annoyed, but I could tell she loved the attention. “If you can sink this last shot in one stroke, I’ll pay for dinner anyway.”

  Lilly’s eyes lit up. “Do I get my kiss, too?”

  “Don’t push it,” he warned playfully. “What do you say, Andy? Should we give the ladies a chance to redeem themselves?”

  “I’m game, though I don’t know if it’ll help,” Andy teased. I’d played horribly all night. The golfing world was better off without me.

  “Probably not,” I conceded. “Looks like I can kiss my dreams of being on the PGA tour good-bye. What am I doing wrong?”

  “Now you’re asking?” Andy laughed. “On the last hole?”

  “Better late than never.” I shrugged and gave him a toothy grin.

  “Hang on a second.” He sank his last ball in two, then waved me over. “Ok, come here. Let Lilly and Jake go while I show you what to do.” I walked to the edge of the green, club in hand. He stood close behind me, wrapping his arms around mine. Then he gently positioned my hands on the handle of the club. I’d always thought it was cheesy in movies when a guy showed a girl how to do something rather than just explaining it. The move was so obvious. But now that I was in that very situation, Andy’s body pressed against mine, his yummy cologne assaulting my nose, I didn’t care if it was cheesy.

  “First of all, you’re gripping the club too tightly. You need to relax.” He leaned over my shoulder and spoke softly against my ear. His breath tickled my neck, and my brain got fuzzy. “Next, you need to stop swinging like you’re trying to drive the green. You have to finesse a putter. Swing it more like a pendulum and less like a baseball bat.” He chuckled, then started swaying my arms back and forth with his. “Like this, can you feel the difference?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” I lied. I was trying to pay attention, honestly, I was. But his closeness was making it extremely difficult. I couldn’t feel anything beyond the warmth of his body and the softness of his lips grazing my ear. Was he trying to help me or distract me? My mind wandered until he pulled away and walked around to face me. “Finally, you need to aim.” He smiled. “That’s when you look at the ball, then look at the hole, then try to put the ball in the hole.”

  “You don’t say?” I deadpanned, and he laughed at me. “Step back, smarty-pants, so I can win my dinner back.” Andy did as instructed, and I put my ball down. I lined up my shot, took a deep breath, and swung like a pendulum. The ball rolled toward the hole. “Keep going, keep going,” I urged. It reached the hole, then swirled around the opening before shooting to the side.

  “Doh!” I yelled.

  “Noooo…” Lilly wailed, throwing herself to the ground. She’d already missed her shot and was banking on me as a last resort. The boys laughed at her theatrics. I walked over and offered her my hand.

  “Get up, Lilly,” I said. “Time to accept our fate with dignity.”

  “Fine, if I have to,” she whined with a heavy sigh. “No kiss and no dinner. This date’s turning into a bust.”

  “Come on, squirt.” Jake grabbed Lilly’s other hand to help me lift her off the ground. “How about I give you a piggyback ride to the car?”

  “Really?” She perked up.

  “It’s the least I can do. After seeing your putt-putt skills, I need to give you something to live for.”

  “Why you…” Lilly scowled, then lunged for Jake. But he was faster. He took off in a run, and she took off after him. They shot out the exit.

  “Those two crack me up.” Andy was shaking his head and smiling. “It’s like they’ve known each other for a long time. They’re so comfortable.”

  “It’s one of Lilly’s many gifts.” I sighed. “Insta-friends with anyone who will let her.”

  “Do I need to give you a piggyback ride, too?” Andy joked.

  “Ha.” I scoffed. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass this time.” I bumped his shoulder with mine in a gesture of camaraderie. But as I pulled away, he reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked down as he laced our fingers together, then looked back up at him, shocked by his confidence.

  “Is this ok?” he asked.

  I smiled and nodded my approval. I hadn’t held hands with a boy in a long time. Seems like most guys were anxious to skip that part and get right to the kissing. We headed toward the car in comfortable silence. Jake was about twenty yards ahead of us, a petite redhead clinging to his back. When we saw them, Andy laughed and jerked his chin in their direction. “Looks like she got her piggyback ride.”

  “She’s determined, that one. Once she sets her mind to something, good luck holding her back. Jake better watch out. She’ll never leave him alone now.”

  “He likes the attention. It’s a match made in heaven.” He grinned.

  . . . . .

  Thirty minutes later, we were seated in a booth at Silverman’s Diner, Andy and me on one side, Lilly and Jake on the other.

  “No lobster, huh?” Jake asked Lilly as he opened his menu.

  “I already told you, it’s a strict ten-dollar limit. Since I lost, I’m going to have to buy you at the auction if I want my kiss. I need to save my money.” Lilly pouted.

  I smiled at Andy. “I’m not imposing the same ten-dollar limit. You ca
n have whatever you want.”

  “Steak it is,” he teased.

  Our waitress came for our orders. Both boys asked for a cheeseburger and fries, and I ordered a Cobb salad. When it was Lilly’s turn, she ordered an Oreo milkshake and a piece of chocolate cream pie.

  “Aren’t you going to have some real food?” Jake asked.

  “You don’t think ice cream is real food?” she countered.

  “No, I think you’re going to develop diabetes if you don’t eat better.”

  “Nonsense.” Lilly waved him off. “I’m fit as a fiddle. But if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll order something healthy, too.” Lilly looked at the waitress. “Can I also have a small basket of fries?”

  Jake gave her a disapproving glare. “Fine.” Lilly sighed before adding, “Easy on the salt, please.” She handed her menu back to the waitress. Jake shook his head but didn’t say anything else.

  “Does she always eat like that?” Andy asked me.

  “Pretty much,” I answered. “If you want her to eat vegetables, you have to serve them on pizza.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat anything besides salads. Are you a vegetarian, or do you just like them?”

  “I’m not a vegetarian. I like salads, but mostly I want to make sure I don’t end up as big as an elephant. We can’t all have Lilly’s metabolism.” I smiled.

  “You should live a little. Try some chicken every now and then,” Andy teased.

  “Funny.”

  Andy dropped his voice, his words meant only for the two of us. “Really, though, you don’t need to eat salads for every meal. You look good, just like you are. I doubt you have to worry about getting fat. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.” His accompanying smile was sincere.

  I didn’t agree with him, but I also wasn’t one of those people who couldn’t accept a compliment. “Thanks,” I replied, then changed the subject and addressed the group. “I think I’m going to need a rematch on the putt-putt game. I knew you guys played golf. I didn’t know you were hustlers.”