Troy watches me through narrowed eyes for a second, probably catching on to my false casualness, before he says, “It’s a date then.”
26
TROY
Keeping my hands off Charlie for the rest of the week is the hardest thing I’ve had to do. If I could go back in time and stop myself from making the stupid bet, I would. Too late now. The only thing I can do is make Charlie lose, and I plan to do that tonight.
I haven’t gone out on a date since I was seeing Brooke, which means it’s been ages and I’m rusty. However, I know that to impress Charlie, I can’t simply do the usual. She’s into LARPing, for crying out loud. Creativity is in her blood. I’ve agonized about it since Tuesday when I asked her out. I considered taking her to an experimental cuisine restaurant, but Jane convinced me to stick to a place I was familiar with. The last thing I want is to ruin the evening by giving Charlie food poisoning.
I decide on Le Gone, one of my favorite restaurants. You can’t go wrong with French food unless you’re lactose intolerant, which isn’t the case with Charlie. She goes through gallons of milk a week. I also suspect she was a mouse in her previous life, judging by the amount of cheese she eats. My secret weapon to break through her defenses will come later when we get back to the house.
I haven’t really spoken to Andreas since our argument, even though I’ve seen him during practice. I can’t throw balls, but I can do everything else that doesn’t require the use of my arms. Saturday’s game is against our rival school, and it’ll be a pain to warm the bench. At least I can give Danny pointers. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that I’m not playing. I do miss football. But for now, the game with Charlie is keeping my excitement level high, which means I don’t have time to deal with my inner demons.
As I’m heading to the locker room, Andreas stops me.
“Hey, Troy. Got a minute?”
“Yeah.”
“Listen, I want to apologize about Charlie. It was an asshole move to interfere.”
“Yeah, it was. But no worries, man. Apology accepted.”
My statement is true. I won’t hold a grudge against him, especially now that he realizes his error in judgment. But that doesn’t mean I’m not pranking him later. Charlie told me about her idea, and it’s genius. I can’t wait to pull that one on him.
“What’s the deal with you two? Is it serious?”
“I don’t know if it’s serious, but we’re having fun.”
He smirks. “Having fun, huh? I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the sexy nerd. Have you talked to Brooke since you and Charlie got together?”
Andreas, being my best friend, knows I got a weird vibe from Brooke when she got back to LA.
“Not yet. I haven’t really talked to her at all in weeks. The last time was when she came by after my accident.”
“She’s probably nursing a broken heart.” He chuckles.
“I hope not.”
I know people say it’s impossible to stay friends with your ex, but I’d like to believe it’s possible with Brooke. She’s into high-adrenaline sports like me, and she’s fun to hang out with. In a different scenario, we would be perfect for each other, but because we’re so much alike, we were boring together.
“Hey, I’m going to meet the guys later for a quick beer. Do you wanna come?” Andreas asks.
“Ah sorry. Can’t. I have a date.” I smile even though I didn’t mean to.
“Holy fuck. Look at your face. Dude! You got it bad for the sexy nerd.”
I school my face into a neutral expression, but I’m not fooling anyone, especially not Andreas. “As usual, you’re blowing things way out of proportion.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He shakes his head, then continues on into the locker room.
Damn him. He knows me too well.
I do have it bad for Charlie, and if I’m honest with myself, it’s terrifying, and probably the reason going out with her is a thrill.
I’m pacing in the living room as I wait for Charlie. She’s not late, I just got ready too early. I let Jane get into my head, and now I’m feeling like a fool. I have a bottle of champagne chilling in the ice bucket, and I bought a rose bouquet. Jesus, it looks like I’m going to propose, not going on a first date. Hell. I can’t get rid