“Creepy. Thanks,” Alec said sarcastically. “After I helped you find a suitable dinner.”
Her eyes dropped to her nearly empty bowl. “The salad was very delicious. It was a good call on your part to go for the crab.”
“Just goes to show how well I know your taste buds.” He threw his cloth napkin down to the table. “Now let’s go do some dancing.”
Ellie froze. She knew horror must be written plainly across her face, but she couldn’t contain her distress. “Dancing?” Her heart pounded a frightened tempo in her chest. She’d barely managed to master walking in her heels. Dancing was a completely different challenge, one she wasn’t sure she was ready for. “I don’t know, Alec,” she said slowly.
“Better to fall on your face now in front of me than in front of Jake. Come on.” Climbing to his feet, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her chair.
“I could just not dance.” She threw the offer out there, knowing before she’d even finished that he would shoot it down. He was stubborn like that.
“If you refuse to dance, he’ll think you don’t like him. Forget it.” He gave a tug on her elbow, and suddenly she was in his arms. “You’re dancing.”
She saw no other option besides kicking him in the shin and running away – something impossible to do in heels. She gave in and placed her hands lightly on his shoulders.
Alec’s arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her close. “This is really very simple, El. It’s slow dancing. It’s hard to mess up. Just don’t step on my feet. If you can manage that, you’re fine.”
She bobbed her head distractedly. She was finding it hard to concentrate with the sudden musky smell of his cologne assaulting her senses. “Mmm-hmm.” She attempted to move in the same instance as him, and somehow her heel came down on his toes.
“Ow! I said don’t step on my foot. Why are you trying to lead? Just let your body sway in time to mine.”
“Lead?” she asked in confusion. Then realizing how hopeless she was, she said, “We should forget this. I’m never going to be—”
“Shut up and dance.” He tightened his grip on her waist when she made a feeble attempt to move away and pulled her closer. “Just follow what I’m doing. Let my body lead yours.”
She was completely tense, but as he started to sway to the soft music, she felt her body relaxing. Her shoulders eased and she melted against him, becoming pliant in his arms.
The front of his body pressed so closely to hers was a new experience she wasn’t quite sure she was comfortable with. He was warm and solid and…familiar in a way that itched at her soul. Her skin felt hot, and there was an uncomfortable emotion in her chest. One she did not want to be feeling…one she couldn’t be feeling. Not about Alec.
“Ellie!” His barking holler dragged her back from such thoughts. “That is the third time you’ve trampled my toes. It’s like you’re not even trying.” He scowled. “If you can’t lift your feet without hurting me, then you need to shuffle from side to side. At least Jake won’t lose a toe that way.”
“I…I…” She stared up at him in horror after the traitorous thoughts that had been running through her head. A girl wasn’t supposed to think such things about her best friend, especially when he was being so helpful. She licked her lips, took a deep breath, and silently berated herself to get her head on straight. “Sorry.” Taking his advice, she began shuffling her feet back and forth instead of lifting them. It saved her from stepping on his toes, but it upped the risk of her tripping.
“My feet thank you,” Alec said with a little chuckle. “Had I known you were going to tromp all over them, I might not have pushed so hard for the heels.”
Ellie smiled at him, some of her panic easing at his relaxed demeanor. “You did this to yourself.”
Alec shifted his hands, pressing one to her lower back as he pulled her closer. “This whole fiasco is your fault. If you weren’t so hopeless, we’d be at home right now watching the Islanders lose.”
“You usually don’t book dates on game night,” she said. In fact, he was usually dead set against it. Hockey came before girls. Always.
“I made an exception.” He grinned devilishly, his eyes shining in amusement. “I usually don’t have a good enough reason.”
“Wow.” She arched a brow at him, returning the playful banter. “Ellie comes before hockey. Aren’t I special?”
“You are.”
Her eyes widened at the husky tone of his voice. She would have sworn her heart stopped. She gazed up at Alec, feeling more confused than she’d ever been in her life.
His expression mirrored exactly how she felt – confused, unsure, and yet eager. Alec opened his mouth to speak, but she ruined the moment by tripping over her own feet.
She fell against his chest with a curse. “Shit!”
Alec caught her with a laugh. “Girls don’t say ‘shit’ on the first date. We’ve already been over the no swearing rule.”
She saw relief flash across his face as her ill-placed outburst broke up whatever moment they’d been caught in. She let out a laugh as the tension melted away as if it had never existed. “Shit. I forgot,” she said, purposely cursing again.
“You’re impossible.” He chuckled and shook his head of dark hair.
“No. These shoes are impossible,” she said with a giggle. “You’re a tyrant for making me wear them.” Balancing herself in his arms, she reached down to slip off the offending footwear. “I’m going barefoot.”
“Ellie,” he complained with an impatient growl. “That is… That is…”
She tossed the shoes toward their table and came back to him in her stocking-covered feet. She then did a playful little twirl to show off her new ability to move. Slipping back into his arms, she asked, “It’s what? And don’t you dare complain. I’m saving your feet, too.”
“It’s actually kind of sexy,” he said in a thick voice.
Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. The look he was giving her was intimate and full of tenderness. It had that uncomfortable feeling thumping in her chest again. This practice date had done nothing but confuse her more.
* * * *
Ellie walked to her front door with her arm tucked into Alec’s. “This actually was a really fun night,” she reluctantly admitted. “I had my doubts, but date Alec is actually an okay guy.”
“You had doubts?” His tone was light and playful as he led her up the front walk. “You should have known I’m quite the catch way before now. I don’t know why it took you so long to figure it out.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. Could it be the usual behavior I see from you?” She poked him accusingly in the ribs. “Spraying me with your garden hose, burping, leaving your dirty gym shorts on your bedroom floor for weeks on end, and the many other boy faux pas you commit.”
“Dating Alec and hanging out at home Alec are like two different men.” He winked. “You’re one of the rare people who has ever gotten to see both sides of the coin. In fact, you might be the only one.”
She nodded with an affectionate smile. “No one knows you like I do.”
“No one,” he agreed.
As she reached the first step of the porch Alec tugged her hand to pull her to a stop. As she spun to face him, the question died in her throat when he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss caught her by surprise. It came so suddenly that she didn’t have time to worry over what to do or how to react. She simply melted against him with a content sigh.
Alec swept her hair back from her face and deepened the kiss. His body moved forward to brush ever so gently along the front of hers.
This was unlike any kiss she’d ever experienced before. The few attempts she’d made of it in the past had been anything but spectacular. An awkward brush of lips. A quick, shy peck. This was…ethereal. This was what it was like to really be kissed.
Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, he nudged her lips apart. His
tongue grazed ever so gently across her bottom lip before flicking up to caress her own.
Her heart nearly stopped as she leaned closer to him, wanting more.
And just as suddenly, he pulled back. He took a few steps backward with an amused chuckle. “Very good. Do that Saturday and Jake will be putty.” He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks and bobbed his head in farewell. “I’ll see you Monday for the game?”
Ellie felt as if her brain had been fried. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. She just stared at him, feeling numb. Yet warmth was radiating through her chest, and she felt as if her skin was electrically charged. Knowing she needed to respond, she forced her head to nod. “Y…yeah. I’ll see you Monday.”
“See ya Monday.” With that, he turned and sauntered down the driveway to head to his own home.
She watched him retreat and tried to convince her heart to…stop…whatever it was it was doing. He’d kissed her. So what? It hadn’t meant anything. To either of them…right?
Not wanting to even entertain such a thought, she entered the house and ran quickly up the stairs to her room. She didn’t want to talk to her mother right now. Her mom would ask how things had gone, and she honestly wouldn’t have an answer. She was so damn confused.
Entering her room, she sank down onto her bed and dropped her head into her hands. After a few deep breaths, she lifted her head to gaze at the vase of flowers on her desk. What had seemed so offensive earlier now felt somehow different. Everything seemed different.
Chapter Seven
Ellie stared across the table at Jake and still couldn’t believe she was there. Seeing him outside of school awed her to begin with, but seeing him dressed up was almost too much for her mind to handle.
He was so unbelievably handsome. He was clean and poised in his dress pants, loafers, and button down shirt. His hair was tousled to perfection, and his blue eyes were alight with exuberance. He was so…perfect.
As for how he’d handled the beginning of their date…he’d done everything right. Everything. To start off the evening, he’d brought her a dozen black fire lilies, her favorite flower. She wasn’t even sure how he’d figured that one out. He’d held doors for her. He’d been a complete gentleman as well as entertaining…which was why she could not figure out why she wasn’t feeling anything.
She was excited to be out with him. She was amazed by his good looks and manners. The whole evening to this point had been fun, but her heart just wasn’t reacting to the less than subtle nudges she was giving it.
It was as if she just wasn’t in to him. The horror of that realization hit her, and she stared across the table at his smiling face with a sense of dread. “This is perfect,” she said dully.
At her unhappy tone, he gave her a cautious look. “Yeah, it’s been fun. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun when I was out.”
“I’ve laughed harder today than…ever.”
“Me, too,” he said.
Ellie’s heart fell at their mutual enjoyment of the evening yet the lack of a spark between them. Jake was everything she’d always wanted. He was polite and funny. He was gorgeous and thoughtful. But all she could think about was…him. She couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss with Alec. Her best friend had gone and completely ruined this date for her.
“I’m not feeling anything,” she blurted out. She gaped at him in horror for a moment after her outburst. Then she hurriedly spilled out an elucidation. If she was coming clean, she had to get it all out in the open now or she might chicken out. “I want to like you. I really, really do, but…” She shook her head sadly. “It’s just not there.”
Jake let out his breath in a harsh exhale, sounding almost defeated. “This is my fault,” he said.
“No,” she assured quickly. “No. It’s my fault.”
“No. It’s me.”
“No—”
They both spoke in the same instant, their voices mingling.
“I’m gay.”
“I’m in love with Alec.”
An uncomfortable silence hung in the air while they each contemplated what the other had said. It was Jake who finally spoke. “I knew,” he admitted.
Ellie gawked at him in astonishment. “How? I didn’t even know for sure until just now.”
He shrugged. “I just knew. It’s the way you look at him…like you trust and care about him unconditionally.”
“I do.”
He bobbed his head. “I know.”
She sat in silence, processing that. Apparently her feelings weren’t as subtle or deeply buried as she’d assumed. She pushed that awkward thought aside and concentrated on the confession he’d made. “So you’re…uh…”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Yeah…”
“Oh.” She couldn’t keep the confusion off her face. “If you don’t mind me asking… Why did you ask me out? If you’re…you know.”
He grimaced. “I was trying to convince myself I wasn’t.” With a weary sigh, he ran his hands through his hair. “I thought if I asked out a nice girl, not one of those vapid tramps, I might be happier and forget about the whole feeling attracted to other guys dilemma.”
He grinned wryly. “I’ve done the cheerleader thing. I thought if I tried a low pressure relationship with someone…different…someone more innocent who wasn’t going to put pressure on a physical relationship, I might learn to be normal.” He shrugged with a guilty expression. “Didn’t work.”
“You aren’t abnormal for being who you are,” Ellie said firmly. “There’s no cookie cutter shape of who a person should be.” She could understand his wishes to be like everyone else, though. High school was hard enough without having such a huge secret.
“Thanks,” he said quietly. He stared at the tablecloth, his eyes vacant and unseeing as he contemplated his situation. After a moment, his eyes lifted to hers. “So Alec, huh?” He winked playfully, draining away some of the tension. “The two of us couldn’t be more different.”
She shrugged and rolled her eyes with a grin. “I didn’t even think I had feelings for him until he started tutoring me on how to date you.”
Jake threw back his head and laughed. “Tutoring you on how to date me? Why in the world would he need to do that?”
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “I’m pretty naive when it comes to this dating stuff. Like completely useless. And you? Well, you’re good looking and popular. I knew I was way out of my league.”
“So you got Alec to teach you the ins and outs of dating,” Jake said, surmising the situation. “Except you made the oopsie of falling for the teacher.”
“Yeah.” Ellie growled in frustration. “I don’t even know how it happened. The date with him was a total disaster. He purposely brought me flowers I’m allergic to. I insulted him. I took too long to order. He bashed my knee into the table. I didn’t survive the night in my heels. I cursed.” She waved a hand in the air as she ticked off all the reasons why she shouldn’t be feeling romantic thoughts for Alec. “I completely botched the date, and still…”
“That’s when you know it’s right,” Jake said with a smile. “When you screw things up yet still fall in love.”
“I guess.” She sighed. “I just don’t know what happens next.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
Ellie shrugged a shoulder and ran a finger along the rim of her glass. “I’m afraid to. We’ve been best friends for so long. If I say something and he doesn’t feel the same way… I don’t want to ruin our friendship.” Her finger continued to run nervously along the top of her glass. “What about you? Now that you know for sure, are you going to come out?”
His face paled, and he shook his head vehemently. “No.” He shook his head again, his eyes wide with fear. “No. I’m not ready for that. I’m still coming to terms with all of this myself. I’m not ready for others to know.”
Ellie bobbed her head and let out a weary sigh. “So now what?”
“Now we b
oth keep pretending, I suppose,” Jake said without any enthusiasm in his voice. “You keep pretending you’re not in love with Alec while I keep pretending I enjoy the flock of girls who hang all over me.”
She stared grimly into the deep red contents of her juice glass. “I wish there was a way we could both get what we wanted without completely emotionally exposing ourselves. It’s not as if you can explain why you’re taking yourself off the market without everyone poking into your personal life.”
He nodded his head glumly. “That would be too easy.” He placed an elbow on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand.
As she watched him, Ellie was struck once again by how attractive he was. His blond hair was styled carefully to mimic bedhead in a sexy, scruffy sort of way. His eyes were such a startling shade of blue they were impossible to ignore. He was impeccably dressed, and he was always charming. Yet still she felt nothing for him. She was so caught up in her own disappointment that it took her a moment to notice the devilish look in his eyes.
It rapidly grew before he sat up straight and snapped his fingers. “That’s it!”
“What’s it?” she asked distractedly, taking a sip of juice.
“We fake it.”
“Fake what?”
Jake grinned widely. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of her seat and dragged her onto the dance floor. Once there, his arms slipped around her waist and he held her closely against him. Their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together as he gently rocked her to the rhythm of the music.
“What happened to not liking girls?”
“I don’t like girls,” he admitted. “But I am excellent at faking it.” After she gave him what she knew was a puzzled look, he continued. “I want to be left alone, and you want to make Alec realize how much he wants you.” He waved a hand between them with a wicked grin. “This is how we do it.”
The Dating Tutor Page 4