Promposal

by Rhonda Helms

  David tensed immediately. Uh-oh.

  “Hey, one of my friends is waving me over,” Benjamin told me as he squeezed my fingers. “I hadn’t told anyone I was coming, so he’s probably surprised. I’m gonna ask where he’s planning to sit. You wanna come with me or hang here? I’ll just be a minute.”

  “I’ll stay here, if you don’t mind.” To be honest, I wanted to see what was going to happen with Karen. Had she taken my advice and was she going to make amends? I hoped so. Senior year was almost over.

  Benjamin left to talk to his friend, and I tried to absorb myself into the wall and pretend like I wasn’t being nosy. I saw Karen and David lean toward each other. Ashley stood there in silence, her face showing an array of emotions.

  Then Karen reached over and gave David a quick hug, and he smiled at her. My heart melted at the sight. Yay! I cheered on the inside. When I saw Karen and Ashley hug too, then wipe at their mascara, I did a little quiet clap. Monica joined their group, and all of them walked into the ballroom together.

  Benjamin came back and took my hand again. The heat from his palm seeped into mine. “I peeked into the ballroom. It looks super crowded. Almost elbow to elbow.”

  Part of me was excited to enter and start dancing, but the other part wanted to linger for another moment alone with Benjamin. Well, relatively alone. I kept stealing glances at him as we stood side by side.

  Boyfriend. He was my boyfriend. I couldn’t believe it.

  “I’m really glad you finally read Cyrano,” he said, and I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. “I was going to feel really dumb if you didn’t. Or if you did but had decided you didn’t like me anymore. Or didn’t understand the message I was trying to send you.”

  I squeezed his hand and rubbed my thumb along his skin. “I can’t believe it took me that long to remember the play title. I feel like an ass.”

  “I didn’t exactly make it easy on you. I was torn because I liked you, but I couldn’t do anything about it.” His eyes met mine, and we both smiled.

  Then I heard a slurping sound behind us, and we both looked at the source. Against the corner of the wall was Niecey, pinned by Dwayne, practically making a baby.

  I gave an awkward laugh. “We should get out of here.”

  “Yeah. There’s no way a teacher isn’t going to bust them.”

  We moved toward the ballroom, and my heart rate picked up in excitement. I squeezed his hand.

  “I hope you save me a dance,” he said in a light tone as we crossed the threshold.

  I shot him a sly smile. “If you’re nice enough tonight, I’ll save you two.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Joshua

  I watched Camilla enter the ballroom with Benjamin. The two of them made such a striking couple. She’d outdone herself tonight and was more beautiful than I’d ever seen her, and Benjamin looked seriously hot in his formfitting tux. And I wasn’t the only one who had noticed. I didn’t think Camilla had stopped smiling since she’d seen him in here—well, except for a small break for that PDA kissing display. Downright scandalous.

  Ethan nudged me on the upper arm. “How do you feel about that?” he asked, nodding in her direction.

  “Glad, actually. Though it took me a while to get on board with it. I admit, that hot-and-cold thing he was doing made me mad because I saw how crushed she was. And when they started talking again, I was afraid at first that he’d hurt her by leading her on, but I really do think he cares about her.”

  “I agree.” Then Ethan cleared his throat and his cheeks burned, and my heart flipped in response. God, he was so damn cute. “So . . . you don’t think this”—he waved at the air between both of us—“is weird in any way, right?”

  I paused and really made myself consider it. Dinner tonight had been fun and entertaining. We’d all talked like we used to, no stress, no pressure. Just hanging out and relaxing and cracking jokes and stuffing our faces with fine cuisine. On the limo ride over, yeah, I’d been super aware of Ethan’s body beside mine. But that wasn’t anything new. I’d carried those feelings for years.

  No, the newness came with that heated look in his eyes I’d never seen before Tuesday night. The one that said Ethan finally noticed me as more than a friend, a look I never thought I’d see. He really was attracted to me. More than once tonight I’d caught him eyeing me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. Which meant I’d been walking around for the last couple of hours with a warm, glowing feeling inside me.

  I wanted to burst with happiness.

  “Weird? Not one bit,” I answered. I leaned close to him. Let him see the full intensity of my feelings. “Do you?”

  He shook his head. His eyes grew darker, and he whispered, “I want to kiss you again.”

  Since the promposal three nights ago, he and I had been spending a lot of time together—as friends, as more. Studying for finals, watching movies with Camilla, even hanging with my dad, who’d been happy to see us dating. My feelings for Ethan just continued to grow with every hand-holding, every kiss we shared. “I want to kiss you again too. But we don’t want to be like them.” I chuckled as I nodded in Niecey and Dwayne’s direction.

  Like she’d been beckoned, one of the history teachers came storming through the crowd and tapped Dwayne on the shoulder. His mouth released Niecey’s with a pop, and several people around us giggled. The teacher wagged her fingers at them and told them how inappropriate it was to basically dry-hump in the fancy hotel lobby, and they dutifully nodded at her chastising, then went into the ballroom. Where I figured they’d found a dark corner to continue.

  Ethan’s pinky finger slid along the outside of my hand. The feel of him reaching out to touch me would never get old.

  “I can’t believe we’re here, together,” I whispered. My throat tightened with unexpected emotion. I loved this guy so much, and everything I’d hoped for was coming true. Finally.

  Ethan glanced around, then brushed the softest of kisses across my lips. When he leaned away, his smile was intimate and made my stomach flutter. “I’m glad we are. This is exactly where I want to be.”

  We walked to the ballroom and handed the lady manning the table our tickets. She eyed us oddly at first, probably since there was no girl with us. Ethan clutched my hand and stared her down. When she realized we were a couple, her eyes grew wide and filled with emotion.

  “You two look awesome,” she said with a wink. “Have a blast in there. And don’t spike the punch, boys. The administrators will be watching for that.”

  I snorted, and Ethan pressed his hand to my lower back and led me into the room. His fingers seared me clear through my jacket and shirt, and I leaned back against the thrilling sensation. We found the table where Zach, Camilla, and Benjamin sat, sipping out of clear plastic goblets and talking among themselves.

  “Hey,” Camilla said as she beamed at the two of us with pleasure. “About time you two lovebirds made it. We wondered if you were ever going to come inside.”

  “We were too busy watching Dwayne and Niecey get busted in the lobby,” I told her with a laugh.

  “Saw them earlier. I figured it would happen,” she replied, shaking her head.

  Ethan helped me out of my jacket—yeah, I did swoon a little at that gentlemanly gesture—then slid his off and draped them across our chairs. “I’m going to get us something to drink. Wait right here.”

  Like I would go anywhere.

  Apparently, he read the smart-assed look on my face, because he chuckled. “Right. Okay, be back in a minute.”

  I sat down and let the table conversation wash over me. The room was full to capacity. I was pretty sure almost every senior was in attendance. How cool. On the edge of the dance floor I saw Madison and Tyler suctioned together at the lips. I couldn’t help but laugh—at least everything was going okay for them now. Seemed like she’d forgiven him for good.

  A few minutes passed as I waited, then another few. What was taking Ethan so long? I stood and looked around t
he room . . . and saw him talking to Noah.

  My heart lurched for a moment, and it was hard to remind myself that he was with me now, that he didn’t like Noah anymore. Well, I hoped. I stood and watched them in what I prayed looked like a totally confident stance. Both guys were beautiful and lean and so, so very hot. The impulse to move to Ethan’s side was too much to resist, so I made my way over.

  When Ethan saw me approach, his smile grew wider and he waved at me. I stopped really close to his side and heard him give a low chuckle. Apparently, my tiny, little, insignificant bout of jealousy was more obvious than I wanted it to be.

  “Noah was just telling me about the guy he came to prom with,” Ethan said smoothly to me.

  Noah beamed, and I could see his molars glinting in the flashing colored lights. “His name is Filip, and he just moved to the United States from Sweden. He barely speaks English, though I’ve been tutoring him for a couple of months now. He’s sitting over there.” He gave a jaunty wave.

  I peeked over. There was a totally ripped pale-blond guy almost bursting out of his dress shirt at a distant table, waving back to Noah and wearing a shy grin on his face. I gave the guy a courtesy nod, then turned my attention to Ethan and Noah. “He seems . . . nice.” And a total beefcake. No wonder Noah was hot for him.

  Noah and Ethan chitchatted for another moment, and then Ethan and I walked back to our table.

  Let it go. Let it go, I ordered myself. But my stupid mouth didn’t seem to hear my brain. “Noah was dressed up very nicely.” To say the least. I had yet to see the guy wear something that didn’t make him look like a movie star.

  “Yeah,” Ethan said in a noncommittal tone. “He was.”

  “And his date was very handsome.”

  “Mm-hmm.” He tugged me a touch closer to his side, and a girl I hadn’t seen ran right by me, yelling an apology as she plowed through the crowd in a fiery orange sequined dress.

  I was like a dog with a bone. Couldn’t drop the subject. “Those two make one good-looking couple.”

  Ethan stopped a few feet from our table and eyed me. “Are you worried about Noah? I’m picking up some subtle vibes from you.” His eyebrow quirked.

  Gee, what gave it away? My neurotic pressing, maybe? I sighed. “Sorry. I know how you felt about him, and . . . I’m a little insecure,” I made myself finish.

  Ethan took my cup and placed it on the table along with his, then straightened and faced me. He drew both of my hands into his. “Joshua. Yes, I had a crush on Noah. I can’t hide it or pretend like I didn’t.”

  “I know.” A wave of embarrassment hit me, and I sat silent for a moment. God, this love stuff was making me so unsettled and nervous. So afraid of messing up and maybe driving him back to Noah. Music hummed and bounced between the two of us. “Sorry. I feel like an idiot for even being upset still. I know it’s not fair.”

  “Don’t apologize.” The lights bounced off Ethan’s hair and made his skin glow. His thumbs stroked my skin and sent ripples of pleasure across my flesh. I bit back a longing sigh. “I figured out that my crush on Noah wasn’t reality. I liked him because he’s attractive and he seems like the perfect guy on the surface. But I didn’t know Noah at all beyond those things. Not like I know you.”

  I squeezed his hands and nodded. Okay, I got that.

  He kept staring into my eyes. “While you and I weren’t talking, I realized something big. The fantasy of Noah can’t compare to the reality of Joshua.”

  His words blew me away. I inched closer until only a sliver of air separated us. “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I’m falling for you too,” he whispered back. “How could I not? You’re perfect—for me.”

  Everything, every ounce of love I felt, rushed to the surface, and I knew I’d found my happiness.

  The music changed to a slow song. Ethan gave me a smile that spread over me like warm honey. “Let’s dance, shall we?”

  I nodded, unable to fight my own broad grin. “Lead the way.”

  Here’s a proposal you can’t refuse.

  The small old woman stared hard at the croissants. She tapped her wrinkled lips with a pudgy hand. “I can’t decide if I want three or four,” she mused.

  I smiled and dusted my flour-coated hands on my jeans. “Take your time, Miss Figler. I’m right over here if you need anything.” I stepped a few feet to the left and kneaded the pizza dough a little more, getting it to just the right texture.

  “Corinne?” she asked. “I think I’ll have four. And a couple of your grandfather’s scones. They’re the best I’ve had since I visited England.”

  “Grandpa loved London,” I told her. “I think he studied under a baker while he was there.” I prepared her order and boxed them, then rang her up. Then I divided the pizza dough into separate bags and popped them in the freezer.

  Saturday mornings were either super slow or super busy. Right now we were having a slow stretch. But it gave me time to get caught up on packaging call-in orders, make more dough, and clean up my station.

  The only downside was, I wasn’t quite distracted enough to keep my mind off my art project. In yesterday’s class, I’d turned in my entry. I’d stayed up late every night this week working on getting it just perfect. Long after my family had turned in, I’d hovered around my easel, washing layer after layer of watercolor over the image.

  When I’d put the last touches on it on Thursday night, I’d collapsed in exhaustion in bed and nearly overslept yesterday morning.

  Almost every student in class had turned in a piece for the competition. My stomach had been in knots. A few students in there I’d anticipated, sure—but I hadn’t expected that many people. The weekend was going to drag painfully slowly, especially if we didn’t get more customers in.

  My grandfather popped his head out and gave me a wink. His dark golden eyes glinted in the bakery’s lights. “Everything okay out here?”

  I grabbed the bleach and began scrubbing down the counters. Grandpa ran a tight ship, and he insisted on the place being clean. A sloppy shop turns customers off, he always preached to me.

  “Things are fine,” I replied. “It’s a little slow but not horribly so.”

  Grandpa stepped out and surveyed my progress. He nodded. “Doing a good job. Keep up the hard work.”

  I warmed under his praise. He was a tough boss, one who pushed me to do better. If I was giving a 100 percent, he wanted a hundred and ten. But this job had taught me a lot so far. Plus, having extra money in my pocket—that I’d earned myself—was never a bad thing.

  “How’s things at home?” he asked as he walked to the bread shelf and straightened the loaves.

  “Good. Mom asked if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow, by the way,” I said.

  His nod was short. “Can do.”

  Grandma had passed away a few years ago, from cancer. He’d loved her heart and soul, and though he wasn’t one to show a lot of emotion, her death had broken his heart. We’d all been worried that Grandpa would pull away, so Mom had started insisting he come over for Sunday dinner from time to time. That, plus the business, had spurred Grandpa to get out of bed every morning.

  Time hadn’t erased all the pain, but he was gradually getting his old self back. Mom, however, hadn’t backed off on having him over regularly. But it was nice having him around.

  The phone rang. He shuffled back into his office, and I heard his gruff voice as he took someone’s order. Not the most emotional man, but his cakes were out of this world. And his designs . . . I didn’t know how he did it. He’d never gone to art school, yet somehow they were richly decorated, sheer perfection.

  While I added a few more croissants to the glass case in front of our counter, the door dinged. In walked Matthew, followed by a few of his basketball-jock friends. The guys behind him were loud, shoving each other, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

  I had to be nice to the customers, even if they were super annoying.

  Or if one of them had pier
cing blue eyes that kept drawing my attention back.

  I was glad Grandpa wasn’t here to see the hot flush on my cheeks. He was pretty astute and would see it immediately. I cleared my throat. “Can I help you?”

  One of Matthew’s friends, a stocky Asian who I think was going to be a senior this year, pursed his lips. He strolled to the counter, dragging his fingertips along the glass. Ugh. “I want a doughnut,” he said, looking back at his two buddies.

  Matthew’s brow furrowed, and he bore holes into his friend’s face. What was that all about?

  The guy cleared his throat, then glanced back at me. “Uh, please.”

  At least one of them had manners—and enough common sense to make the other ones behave politely. Guess I could give Matthew a point of credit for that one. I gave a nod and walked over to the doughnut section. “What would you like?”

  The guy tilted his head. His black hair was spiked in the front, and he rubbed a hand absently over the top of it. “Something loaded with chocolate.”

  Matthew’s other friend, a guy who was in science with me this year—Thomas—came to the counter too. “Hey, get two of them. You owe me for buying you a Coke yesterday.”

  The first guy grumbled, then nodded.

  I pulled two chocolate-covered doughnuts out and made myself look at Matthew. For some stupid reason, my pulse picked up. “Anything for you?” At least my tone was steady, even if a little chilly.

  He shook his head and pursed his lips. “I’m not sure yet.”

  I put the doughnuts in individual minibags and rang the two guys out. They clomped to the door.

  “Hey, man, you coming?” Thomas asked as he shoved his shoulder to the door. The little bell rang, and a blast of warm air burst inside.

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” Matthew replied.