“What did you expect?” Jake asked. “Putting is an essential part of playing golf.”
“I guess you’re right.” I sighed. “But I’ve never played golf, so I didn’t know what to expect.”
“You’ve never played?” Andy sounded shocked.
“Does that surprise you?” I answered.
“I guess not.”
“My dad likes to play, but with his work schedule being the way it is, he doesn’t get to do it much. I’ve never even considered going with him. I always thought of it as an old man’s sport.”
“Old man’s sport,” Andy grumbled gruffly. “I’ll show you what kind of a man plays golf.” My eyes got wide, because although the comment was probably benign, it didn’t sound very innocent. Andy saw my reaction, and I watched as he replayed the words internally, then pursed his lips together to subdue his laughter. He cleared his throat before moving on, completely ignoring the innuendo. “Seriously, though, you’re missing out. Putt-putt is nothing in comparison. A real game is much more rewarding. Maybe we’ll have to go sometime.”
I smirked. “I’d like that. Almost as much as I’d like you to show me what kind of a man plays golf.” I was being a brat, but I couldn’t help myself. I loved watching him blush, and he wasn’t getting off the hook that easily. I waited for Andy’s cheeks to flush, but it didn’t happen. Instead, the corner of his mouth turned up, and he winked at me before turning to face our friends. My stomach did a somersault, and my heart skipped a beat.
Just then, a noisy group of kids walked in. There were a bunch of them, and the servers started pushing tables together in the middle of the room. I looked over to see if it was anyone I knew. Unfortunately, the answer was yes, but it wasn’t anyone I wanted to talk to. Rob and Sophia were standing at the front of the pack. Jake caught Rob’s attention and waved at him. Unfortunately, Rob took that as an invitation to come over.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” Jake asked Rob.
“Just grabbing a bite to eat, same as you,” he said.
“Are you on a date?” Sophia asked Jake disapprovingly. She looked over Lilly, and after a careful assessment, raised one eyebrow and turned her nose in the air. I wanted to claw Sophia’s eyes out on Lilly’s behalf.
“Yep.” Jake pinched Lilly’s cheek. “Isn’t she cute?”
“Sure.” Sophia huffed, her answer clipped and rude. Then she turned to Andy. “What brings you out of isolation?”
“A pretty girl,” Andy answered without hesitation, though his tone wasn’t exactly friendly. Sophia raised her other eyebrow at him but didn’t say anything.
“You guys want to join us?” Rob asked Jake. He didn’t sound sincere at all, more like he felt obligated to ask. Maybe he was trying to make up for Sophia’s attitude problem. Rob was self-centered, but he wasn’t usually a total d-bag. Not outright, at least. That would have been bad for his image.
Jake looked at Andy. His eyes were wary. Andy shrugged his shoulders, but I could tell a conversation was happening silently. Andy had stiffened the second Rob and Sophia walked over to our table, and I suspected he didn’t want to join them. I didn’t really want to, either, but there were a lot of eligible ladies in their group. I thought it might be good to get Andy out of his comfort zone a little more, get some extra advertising in.
I spoke up first. “We could probably join you guys for a minute.”
Jake sent me a dirty look from across the table, then quickly rejected my idea. “Actually, that’s ok, Rob. I think we’re good here. Our food should be almost ready. Thanks anyway, man.” Jake held out his fist, and Rob bumped it with his own.
“Cool. See you guys later.” Rob snaked his hand around Sophia’s waist, then pulled her away.
“Bye, Andy. It was nice to see you out of the house for once.” Sophia smiled at him but avoided eye contact with anyone else.
After they were out of earshot, Jake spoke up. “Sorry about my sister, guys. She’s a snot.”
“That’s not the word I’d have used,” Lilly grumbled. She was seething.
Jake laughed. “No. It’s not the best word to describe her. But since she’s my sister, I’m not allowed to use worse.” He slid his arm around Lilly’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, half-pint. She’s all bark and no bite.”
Lilly’s scrutinizing eyes found mine. “Why’d you say we’d join them, after how rude Sophia was?”
“I’m sorry. I was only thinking about getting Andy a little more face time with potential bidders.”
“Andy doesn’t need to advertise with girls like them,” Jake said.
“You’re right, Jake, it was a bad idea. And Lilly, you’re so tough, I didn’t think you’d mind that much. Will you guys forgive me?” I pleaded.
“I suppose.” She sighed.
“No big deal.” Andy shrugged.
“Besides,” I added, “I wouldn’t be too offended by Sophia. She obviously isn’t a very good judge of character. She is dating Rob.”
“You dated Rob,” Andy pointed out.
“I know, and now I’m a better judge of character,” I defended. “Which is why I’m here with you guys and not them.” I smiled.
Lilly was still angry, but a second later our server arrived with dinner, and her bad mood vanished. Ice cream was the key to Lilly’s happiness.
“If we’re going to call people out on exes, then you’re the biggest offender,” Jake said to Andy. “Sophia is way worse than Rob.”
I was confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Andy dated Sophia almost as long as you dated Rob,” Jake explained. I was shocked. I looked at Andy for confirmation, and he didn’t deny it. Instead, he took a big bite of his burger so he wouldn’t have to answer.
“Really, Andy? How could a person as nice as you tolerate someone as horrible as Sophia? And how could I not have known that? When did you guys date?”
Andy swallowed, then answered, “Freshman year. Same time you and Rob were together. She’s not always so bad. She even has some redeeming qualities,” Andy defended her.
“Name one,” I insisted, digging into my salad.
“She’s a good kisser?” he offered.
I almost choked on my food. That wasn’t the answer I expected. But Andy was a boy, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. “You’re such a guy. Name one that isn’t physical,” I demanded.
“She’s very good to you when you’re in a relationship with her,” he added.
Jake chimed in. “Dude, she said it couldn’t be something physical.” He smirked. Andy turned red at the implication and kicked Jake under the table.
“I really can’t believe you dated Sophia.” I shook my head in awe. “I saw her a lot when Rob and I were dating. We all hung out in the same social circle. How is it that we never ran into each other?”
“We did. Remember?” Andy hinted.
“So you say, but I still can’t recall when we met.”
“I’m pretty sure you guys met at…” Jake started, and Andy kicked him under the table again. “Ouch. Dude? What was that for?” Jake reached down and rubbed his shin.
“Sorry,” Andy apologized. “You can’t tell her when we met. She has to guess.”
Jake gave me a scrutinizing look. “You mean, you don’t remember that evening?”
I was starting to feel stupid. Even Jake knew what Andy was talking about, but I still had no clue. I shook my head. “Don’t feel bad, Ivy,” Andy reassured me. “It wasn’t a long meeting.”
“But it was a memorable meeting,” Jake said, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
“Ok, people.” Lilly had had enough. “Unless someone is going to explain what we’re talking about, can we change the subject? First, I don’t earn my kiss. Then, I get insulted by Condescension Barbie. And now, I’m being left out of the conversation.” She was pouting.
“Would it make you feel better if the kiss was back on the table?” Jake asked. “I mean it’s the least I could do since it was my sister who was so rude.”
Lilly’s eyes lit up. “I think that’s a good start.”
Jake laughed. “You mean a kiss from me isn’t enough?”
“Depends on how good the kiss is.” She shrugged nonchalantly.
“Boy, woman, you sure are hard to please. But I like a good challenge.” Jake shook his head, then dipped a fry in her milkshake. Without thinking, Lilly scooted her ice cream closer to him, and he continued to dip his fries, like they did this all the time.
We’d almost finished our food when Lilly looked at her phone. “Crap! I’m supposed to be home in twenty minutes.”
Andy stopped our waitress. “Can we get the check, please?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” she said. “I’ll be right back.” Two minutes later, she reappeared with the bill. Lilly and Jake were busy arguing over which flavor of shake was best for dipping French fries in. They didn’t notice when Andy quietly handed his debit card to our server, without even checking the total. She ran the card and brought back the slip, Lilly and Jake none the wiser.
I observed silently until Andy cleared his throat. “Ahem… Does it really matter which flavor you have? Ice cream is ice cream.”
Lilly and Jake stopped mid argument and looked at Andy like he’d suddenly sprouted fangs and a tail.
“What do you mean does it matter?” Jake asked. “Yes, it matters.”
“I’m just playing, dude.” Andy laughed. “The obvious answer is strawberry.”
“See, woman,” Jake gloated. “Andy knows what’s up.”
“Chocolate is way better than strawberry. Back me up here, Ivy,” Lilly whined.
“Sorry, guys. You’re talking to Switzerland here. I have no opinion.” I knew better than to get dragged into an argument with Lilly. She was relentless. “What I do know is that if we don’t get out of here pretty soon, Lilly’s parents will send out a search party.”
“But we still need the check.” Lilly frowned. “Where is our waitress, anyway?”
“It’s been taken care of already,” Andy said.
Lilly looked confused. “Wait. Did you pay the bill?” Andy shrugged his shoulders. “You didn’t have to do that. Dinner was supposed to be on us. I always make good on my bets.” She was still frowning.
Andy smiled at her as he stood and put his wallet back in his pocket. “Don’t worry about it, Lilly. I figured you needed to save your money so you could bid on that big hunk of a man sitting next to you.”
Lilly appraised Jake for a moment, then turned back to Andy. “Forget him,” she scoffed. “Looks like you’re the gentleman. Maybe I’ll throw my money down on you.” Lilly launched herself at Andy and wrapped her arms around his neck. She caught him off guard and he almost lost his balance, but not before she planted a big kiss on his cheek. Lilly’s display had caught the attention of a few onlookers from Rob’s table. Andy turned pink but managed to remain composed through the public display of affection.
“Thank you so much,” Lilly said. “You’re the best.” She smiled at him after releasing him from the hug.
“Wait a minute. I thought I was your date. Where’s my kiss?” Jake asked. I wasn’t sure if he was being serious or playing around.
“You must have left it at home with your wallet,” Lilly quipped. “Don’t you know the first rule of dating? He who pays the bill gets the kiss.”
“Ouch.” I laughed. “Sucks to be you, Jake.”
Jake stuck his bottom lip out. “That’s not fair. Why should I be punished because Andy paid the bill while I wasn’t looking?”
Lilly picked up her jacket and purse and headed for the door. She called out without turning around. “Guess you’ll have to be quicker next time.”
“Get back here, woman,” Jake demanded, but Lilly was already out the door. He yelled after her. “Would you come back here? Come on, munchkin. At least let me open some doors for you.” Jake ran ahead, leaving us laughing behind him.
When I subdued my giggles, I looked at Andy. “Is he actually into her?”
“You never know with Jake.” Andy shook his head. “Normally, I’d say she wasn’t his type—physically, at least. He usually goes for tall, willowy brunettes. But, like he said, Jake also loves a challenge, and Lilly seems to be a unique brand of difficult.”
“That’s for sure,” I agreed as we exited the restaurant. I looked ahead and saw Jake holding a wiggly Lilly away from the door so he could open it before she did.
“Nope, no good. Too little, too late,” she yelled out, shaking her head. But she was also smiling, so I knew she was hamming it up for effect.
On the way home, Jake and Lilly continued their argument on proper dating etiquette, while Andy and I enjoyed the show from the backseat. We didn’t talk at all. It would have been hard to with so much commotion up in front. But once we were on the road, Andy’s hand found mine again. Butterflies flapped around in my stomach as he ran his thumb back and forth across my fingers. I felt silly getting all worked up over hand-holding.
Jake dropped Lilly off first. When we pulled up in front of her house, he threw his arm across her body, trapping her in place. “If you open that door, so help me…” He got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, opening Lilly’s door for her. Then he walked her to the front porch. They stood there for a minute in what looked like a heated conversation. I was tempted to roll down the windows, but decided to give them some privacy.
“What do you think they’re arguing about now?” Andy asked.
Before I could answer, Jake scooped Lilly into his arms and dipped her. Then he planted a big kiss right on her lips.
I laughed. “Probably that,” I answered.
The kiss didn’t last long, and despite Lilly’s earlier demand, there didn’t appear to be any tongue. He set Lilly upright, then turned and headed for the car without looking back. Her mouth hung open in shock, and she blinked slowly before rapidly shaking her head. She put her hand to her ear in the shape of a telephone receiver and mouthed “Call me” to the back window before heading inside.
Andy shook his head much slower and chuckled. “I haven’t seen Jake get that worked up by a girl in a really long time. Not since Amy Ralston in eighth grade. She wouldn’t give him the time of day, and it drove him nuts.”
Jake opened the driver’s door and slid in behind the wheel. “What was that all about?” Andy asked.
“Ivy, your friend is nuts, you know that?” Jake asked.
“Awww, but that’s what makes her so fun,” I replied. Jake gave me a flat look, but there was a ghost of a smile on his lips.
“All right, one of you get up here,” Jake demanded. “I’m not playing chauffeur.”
Andy looked at me. “You want shotgun?”
“No, it’s ok. You take it. You’re dropping me off next anyway.”
Andy got out of the backseat and into the front. I was disappointed because that meant we couldn’t hold hands anymore. I didn’t live very far from Lilly, and before I knew it, we’d pulled up in front of my house. Andy hopped out to get my door for me and walked me up to my porch.
“Thanks for hanging out tonight,” he said.
“Thanks for dinner and golfing. I had fun. But I owe you now. You weren’t supposed to pay for the food. I lost fair and square.”
Andy smiled. “I had fun, too. Don’t worry about dinner, though. I wouldn’t have let you pay anyway.”
We both got quiet. He’d held my hand twice tonight, so he must like me. I wondered if he might kiss me goodnight. I wanted him to. But then I remembered the display we’d just witnessed between Lilly and Jake and realized that Jake was probably watching us right now. Even if Andy wanted to kiss me, I doubted he’d do it with an audience.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to kiss me goodnight.” I laughed, then grabbed him for a hug. He held me for longer than I expected, then pulled back and looked at me.
“Ivy…” he started, biting his lip as if he were deciding what to say. It was obvious he was holding something back.
But whatever was on his mind isn’t what came out. “I hope I earned your approval tonight. I may not like big crowds, but I’m not a total social pariah.”
“Yeah, you did pretty good.” I smiled and gently slugged him in the arm. “I’m proud of you. Plenty of girls noticed the new and improved Andy. And don’t think you’re going to get out of talking to me about your questionable dating history. You and Sophia…” I wrinkled my nose. “I just can’t picture it.”
Andy chuckled. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet, Ivy.” He suddenly switched topics. “What’s next on the agenda anyway, hopefully nothing too crazy?”
“I’m not sure. There’s a basketball game tomorrow night. You think you can handle a crowded gym full of screaming people?”
“Do we have to?” he asked, face pained.
“Yes,” I responded. “It’s all about marketing. A high school basketball game is prime commercial real estate. Perfect for advertising.”
Andy sighed. “If you say so.”
“I do. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I held out my phone. “By the way, it took me a while to find your number.”
Andy grinned mischievously. “Goodnight, Ivy,” he said as he walked away, shoulders bouncing in silent laughter.
I called out to his backside, “Goodnight, Boobs.”
Lilly wasn’t allowed to talk on her phone after ten o’clock. Her parents took it and charged it in their bedroom at night, so I had to wait until the next morning to talk to her. She called at eight o’clock on the dot. I was still sleeping when my phone rang.
“Hello?” my voice cracked.
“Why haven’t you called me yet?” Lilly complained.
“Maybe because I was still sleeping?”
“Give me all the details. Did you get a goodnight kiss? I noticed Andy holding your hand a few times last night.” I could hear Lilly grinning through the receiver.
“Nope, no goodnight kiss. I thought maybe he wanted to, but I’m pretty sure knowing we had an audience put the kibosh on that.”
“Bummer. I wouldn’t worry about it. I think he’s totally into you,” Lilly assured me.
“Speaking of kisses…” I put the attention back on her. “What was that all about with Jake on your front porch? One second it looked like you guys were fighting, and the next you were locking lips.”
Perfectly You (The Perfect Series Book 2) Page 9