“If I didn’t know better, I would think little Krissy had a date. All the signs are there. Messy room, fidgety hands, and you have a strange new glow. Where are you going?”
Kristen turned away so Brittany wouldn’t see the lie in her eyes. “Library. I have an essay to write, remember?”
“Oh yeah. Homework. You’re the only girl I know who has to have the perfect outfit for writing essays. Remind me someday to teach you how to have fun.”
“Would you like it if I went out on a date?” Kristen held her breath as she waited for the answer.
“Are you kidding? It would be great to have a normal sister instead of a freak in the room next to mine.” Brittany knocked the rest of the clothes off Kristen’s daybed and sat on the edge. She picked up a square pillow and tossed it into the air while talking. She caught it and threw it again, repeating the game over and over. “I have a confession to make. I was pissed off at you for crushing tall, dark, and scary because I like him. He’s my type from the top of his spiky hair to the toes of his biker boots.”
A cold fist settled in Kristen’s stomach. “But you told me to crush him.”
Brittany huffed. “I didn’t think you would actually do it. I was just giving you crap, trying to push your buttons. FYI, I was going to tell you I was just kidding, but then you decided to break the rules and crush him early.”
Kristen’s heart nearly stopped. Her sister liked Zach, and she was dating him on the sly. A situation like that couldn’t possibly end well, even if she were only dating him for information. There were a few unwritten rules when it came to being a good sister. The most important one was that you never, ever dated a guy one of your sisters wanted.
What was she going to do now?
Brittany dropped the pillow on the bed and hopped up. She headed for the door with a bright smile. “Have fun studying. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Kristen just stood there, feet glued to the floor. She had no idea what to do. Should she call Zach and cancel? Probably. But did she want to? No way. She had to know if he was under her spell. She had to know if he liked her…
…and if she liked him back.
She paced her floor, back and forth between windows and door, while racking her brain for a solution that would make everyone happy. On one hand, Brittany had liked Zach first. That meant Kristen shouldn’t have crushed him, shouldn’t have even looked at him, but the damage was done. She couldn’t undo what had already been done. She hadn’t known about Brittany’s feelings for him. It was news to her. Although Brittany had mentioned his name occasionally and had threatened to go after him, she’d continued to date every other guy she’d tripped over. How was Kristen supposed to know Brittany had actual feelings for him?
On the other hand, Brittany didn’t even know Zach. She hadn’t spoken to him, not once. She was infatuated with him. That was all. It would pass as soon as she found someone else she wanted, but for Kristen, this could be real. It could be her only chance to find out if love were something worth pursuing.
Mind made up, she grabbed her purse. She was going out on her first date tonight. It was a shame she couldn’t share the news with her family or friends. She was going to get to know Zach, try to figure out if he was crushed or not. In general, she planned on having a great first date. It could be her last date for a long time, especially if her dad found out about it.
If she discovered she didn’t like him, or that he didn’t like her and was just under the spell, Brittany would never have to know. Case closed.
But if she liked him, if they liked each other, she would just have to deal with the fallout. Hopefully Brittany would understand, but Kristen wasn’t going to hold her breath waiting for that day to roll around.
###
Twenty minutes later, Kristen parked her car in front of the library. It was a necessary, albeit annoying, move. Her father had a LoJack on both the car and her cell phone. With a few quick mouse clicks, he could trace her whereabouts on the computer, and that was why she was leaving both her car and cell phone outside the library. Turning the rearview mirror her way, she reapplied her Candy Apple Crush lipstick. Perfect.
A familiar roar filled her ears and accelerated her heartbeat as Zach’s motorcycle rolled to a stop next to her car. Bending over to get a good look at her through his dark sunglasses and her window, he grinned. The sight of him knocked the breath right out of her. He looked incredible in his faded jeans and leather jacket. A strip of blue peeked through the sides of his jacket, and she realized he was wearing a blue T-shirt.
A memory sparked to life in the back of her mind. He had told her over lunch that he had a couple of blue shirts. “I only wear them on special occasions.”
Her blood pumped faster. She could barely contain the stupid grin threatening to take over her face at the realization that this was a special occasion and not just to her. Zach was obviously excited, too.
He killed the engine, swung his leg over, and set the kickstand into place. Smiling at her, he opened the car door and leaned in to talk to her. “I thought we’d grab a bite to eat before the movie, if that’s okay with you.”
“Fine.” A huge lump clogged her throat. What was she doing? Lying to her dad and sisters, sneaking off with a boy she barely knew? Had she lost her mind?
He held a hand out, and she took it. She had to work to keep her fingers from trembling against his as he helped her climb out of the car. She took her time in closing the door and locking it, reluctant to face him. When the excuses not to look at him disappeared, she slowly turned, smile in place.
“Do you know what you want to see?” he asked.
She drew a total blank. What was he talking about? She stared at him like an idiot for a second. Duh, they were going to a movie. Quickly she shrugged. “I like comedies and action. No teary-eyed chick-flicks please.”
He grinned. “A girl who knows what she wants. I like that.”
The praise had her beaming at him. Lifting her chin, she boldly said, “I like things about you, too.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“I like your confidence and your sense of humor.” She grinned. “And the motorcycle doesn’t hurt.”
The problem of him being crushed resurfaced. She had to know if he was under her spell or not. A test sprang to mind. It was a bit risky. If he wasn’t under her spell, he would think she was an idiot, but she had to know. She took a deep breath and said, “Lick the sidewalk.”
Zach frowned. “What?”
She repeated the command in a louder voice. “Lick the sidewalk.”
He shook his head slowly. His dark brows drew together over ice-blue eyes, and his mouth formed a wide O like he understood her but still didn’t get it. “You want me to lick a sidewalk? Why?”
He’d passed the test. A boy who’d been crushed would have been on his knees already, tongue out and ready to go. Her smile widened. It was possible he’d been under the spell earlier, but it was over now. Somehow, the spell had been broken. No doubt she’d done it by pushing him too hard and asking for huge things right away instead of working up to them.
She’d never been so happy to lose before. Brittany could have the money and the car. If Kristen had actually found love, it would be worth it.
She circled him, a bounce in her step, and lied. “It’s a new musical group I just heard about. I was wondering if you ever listened to their music.”
“Can’t say that I have.” He got on his bike and started the engine. “Do you want to drive again?”
Shaking her head, she climbed on the back and wrapped her arms securely around his waist. Her body fit against his like they were made to be together. Feet up, she held on as the motorcycle turned and headed across the tarmac to the exit.
Cyndi would love this. It was ultra-romantic, her hero riding up on his steel horse so he could sweep her off her feet and carry her away from her boring life.
Too bad there was one thing ruining it for her—Brittany.
&nb
sp; Kristen couldn’t remember being this nervous before. Her palms were sweaty, and there were dragons in her stomach breathing fire every other second. She couldn’t swallow saliva properly. How was she supposed to eat? Was this what dating always felt like?
It kind of sucked.
Her jangling nerves weren’t solely due to having dinner with Zach. Shards of guilt cut into her conscience because she was stabbing Brittany in the back just by being across a table from him. It was true that in the beginning she hadn’t realized Brittany liked him enough to feel betrayed, but now that she knew, she shouldn’t be dating him.
She glanced up from the Chinese food and choked on the last bite because Zach was watching her. Coughing, she grabbed her soda and drank a third of it. The cold liquid washed the pork down. She gulped in some air, knowing her face had probably turned red. Great, she could see the headlines now—“Head cheerleader dies of embarrassment on first date.”
“You okay?” Zach asked with a mixture of concern and amusement.
“Mmm hmm.”
“Good. `Cause I don’t know the Heimlich.”
They both laughed, and Kristen relaxed a bit. She carefully chewed each bite she took after that. They were sitting in the center of the food court at the mall. At least no one seemed to notice her distress. They were focused on their own food and the people eating with them.
He glanced around the food court and said, “I would have taken you somewhere nice, but the movie is starting soon, and the theater is right next door. The food court was too convenient to pass up.”
“It’s fine,” she said, feeling incredibly awkward. “The food is good.”
“I guess.” With a heavy sigh, he tilted back in his chair, balancing on the rear legs. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Being with each other shouldn’t be this hard.”
She nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
He played with his half-empty cup, turning it this way and that, sliding the straw in and out. Kristen stared at his hand for a moment, fascinated by it. He had beautiful hands, tanned and smooth with strong fingers. She wondered what they would feel like against her skin.
“What do you think the problem is?” he asked.
Not being one to back down from anything, Kristen took a deep breath before hitting him with the plain, unadulterated truth. “This is my first date. I don’t know how to act. I feel like I’m a performer, you’re the judge, and I’m waiting for my score. So that’s my problem. What’s yours?”
She stuck the business end of the straw into her mouth and sucked down some of her carbonated beverage. It had lost its fizz, watered down by melted ice, but her mouth was bone dry, so she didn’t care.
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he stared at her until she thought he wasn’t going to answer. He set the front legs of his chair back down. Leaning his elbows on the table, he said, “Truthfully? I feel like I’m totally out of my depth here, like I’m a trash collector taking a princess to the ball. Everything I say comes out wrong. And knowing that this is your first date just adds to the pressure. You don’t know how to act? Try the view from this end.
“I want you to remember this as one of the best nights of your life.” A cocky grin stretched his lips. “I want this date to be so good that you compare every other date in your life to it, and they all fall short.”
Oh my. She was in trouble. In the blink of an eye, he’d turned on the charm, and she couldn’t resist. Part of her had been thinking he regretted asking her out because there wasn’t any chemistry between them, but he was just as nervous. Happy bubbles filled her throat and quickly turned into a girlish giggle that she immediately hated herself for, but she wasn’t going to let a slight imperfection spoil what could be the best night of her life so far.
She put some food on her spoon and carefully floated it across the table to his mouth. It was an intimate gesture, something to build on. “Try some of this. It’s delicious.”
He did. His gaze locked with hers and stayed that way as his mouth captured the rice and chewed it. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. She wanted to crawl across the table and kiss him. What would he do if she took the initiative?
“You need to learn to relax more,” he said. “I read an article online yesterday. People with Type-A personalities wind up with ulcers and have heart attacks.”
Where did that come from? She was just beginning to feel relaxed, and he ruined it. Feeling like she needed to defend her lifestyle, she said, “I have to get good grades to get into a good school.”
“What about all the extra stuff you do? Cheerleading? Drama Club? And I hear you’re running for class president.”
“My guidance counselor suggested I do those things because they’ll look good on the college apps. The best schools don’t just wave you in because you get decent grades, you know. You have to be a well-rounded person.” She sighed and pushed her food away. “You just don’t get it. I’ve spent my entire life working toward one goal, a college degree. I can’t relax and screw it up now, even if I’m not sure what I want to do with it. I don’t want to blow it and then figure out it’s what I wanted all along.”
“Don’t worry. You aren’t going to fall on your face.”
The word ‘fall’ caused a shiver to vibrate her spine. A vision of plunging off the cliff and almost dying came to mind and refused to be dislodged. She picked up the plastic spoon again and played with the food on her plate. “That was weird what happened the other day, wasn’t it? I’ve never seen an owl in the daytime before. I wonder what caused it to attack me.”
“Attack you? Nah. It just lost control and almost ran into you. Maybe it was blind.”
“It didn’t look blind.”
“Did you get a good look at it?” Zach leaned forward, eyes on her face with a new intensity. “I barely caught a glimpse. Can you tell me what color it was?”
She didn’t understand his interest in the owl’s color. What difference did the color make? And why did she feel like the police were interrogating her? “It was two or three shades of brown, and it had yellow eyes.”
His mouth tightened. “Are you sure about the yellow eyes?”
“Yes. What’s the big deal? Do you know something about owls that I don’t?”
He shrugged and looked away. There was something he wasn’t telling her. He continued to stare off in another direction for several minutes, ignoring her. He was making her regret her decision to defy her sisters and go out with him. Maybe the Crushed spell had done something to his brain.
Kristen filled her spoon with more rice. She held it up, grabbed the end, and flicked it at him. Rice sailed across the table. Some hit the side of his face, while the rest landed on his shirt.
That got his attention.
He frowned at her and asked, “Why did you do that?”
“Why do you think? We’re supposed to be on a date, but you’re not even here. What gives? We were finally starting to get along. At least, I thought we were.”
“I just realized I might have a family problem to deal with.”
She blinked at him. “An owl reminded you of a family problem?”
Dodging the question, he held his wrist up and pointed to the watch. “It’s getting late. When do you want to start walking to the theater?”
###
Dating was hard.
Zach didn’t know how other boys did it. How did they keep a straight face while saying mushy stuff to girls? When he’d told Kristen he wanted this to be the best date of her life, he’d almost gagged on the words. He wasn’t a hearts and poetry kind of guy. If he liked a girl, he would show her by fixing her car or painting her house.
Kristen didn’t bother to answer his question. She could probably tell he was using his watch to distract her. If he didn’t think of something quick, she was going to walk out on him. There was a faraway look in her eyes as she leaned back in her chair and finished her drink. She was either trying to figure out how to successfully pump him for information
, or she was about to dump him.
He opened his mouth to compliment her. His dad had always told his mom she looked pretty when they went out, and it had made his mom smile. But a crowd of rowdy teens caught his attention. Lips still parted, his gaze followed them. They surrounded Rufus McDillion in front of the Crispy Chicken. One of the boys knocked his hat off while two others stole food from his tray. Zach hated bullies. He turned to Kristen to tell her he would be back in a second, but she was already halfway across the food court.
Moving like an unstoppable freight train, Kristen rushed over to save the small boy. She stepped between the three overgrown jocks and Rufus. Red faced, she shoved the main guy backwards and shouted, “Leave him alone!”
He asked, “Are you his mommy or his date?”
His friends laughed and high-fived him.
Kristen stood straight, hands on her hips in a battle-ready stance. Her expression alone should have scared the jerks off, but it was obvious they’d been drinking and weren’t currently using their brains. The biggest guy weaved on his feet, while the others giggled like girls at a sleepover.
Kristen jabbed the huge jerk in the chest with her finger and said, “Walk away now before you get hurt.”
No longer laughing, the bully took a menacing step forward, crowding her. Another couple of inches, and he’d be standing in the same space she was currently occupying. Zach shot out of his chair, almost knocking it over in the process. A picture of the dangerous teen taking a swing at Kristen took him from one side of the food court to the other in record time.
The guy lifted a beefy arm.
Zach grabbed it and jerked the bully around to face him. “Touch her, and I’ll rip your stupid face off!”
Pedestrians gave them a wide berth. Some of them ignored what was happening, not wanting to get involved, while others shot dirty looks at them before continuing on. Most people wouldn’t put themselves in physical danger for someone they didn’t know. That’s why Kristen’s actions had stunned Zach. She’d been willing to risk serious injury for a kid she barely noticed at school.
Zach clenched his fists, ready for a fight. The aroma of cooking chicken nauseated him. Or maybe the gigantic rock in his stomach was because of Kristen. The thought of her being hurt ripped at his sanity.