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And now he was a model whose glistening bare abs had once adorned a billboard in Times Square. Go figure. But in her head, Brooke still thought of Dylan as the kid who lived across the street and had always looked out for her.
“You’re really coming to visit?” she said excitedly, answering his call as she sank onto a desk chair.
“Yeah! If you’re sure you don’t mind me staying with you.” His voice was warm and resonant, and it instantly took her back to all those nights they’d spent on the phone, baring their adolescent souls to one another. It felt like a lifetime ago and also somehow only yesterday. “I’m also totally fine getting a hotel if that works better for you.”
“Perish the thought! I happen to have a five-star couch. I’m pretty sure it’s more comfortable than most hotel beds.”
“Cool. I figured this way we’d get to see more of each other.”
“Yeah, it’ll be great. How long will you be here for?” She reached up to twirl the thin brown hair she’d pulled back into a ponytail.
“A week, from Sunday to Sunday. Think you can put up with me for that long?”
“A whole week! Wow! That’s a long photo shoot.”
“The shoot’s only one day, but I thought I’d take the whole week, make a vacation of it. I could use a break.”
Brooke was honored he’d want to take a whole week of vacation to hang out with her, but also a little mystified. From what she could tell from his social media, Dylan seemed to be doing really well. She would have thought he could afford to go pretty much anywhere he wanted for vacation. So why would he want to spend it crashing on her couch?
“Is everything okay?” she asked, biting her lip.
“Sure. Yeah. Terrific. Just working too much.”
She’d always been able to tell when he was lying. “Really? Kinda sounds like it might be more than that.”
He let out a soft sigh. “It’s nothing special. I’ll tell you all about it when I’m there.”
“Deal.” It would be easier to wheedle the truth out of him in person, and they’d have plenty of time to talk through whatever he needed. Too much time, maybe. She wasn’t sure how she was going to entertain him for a whole week.
“How are things with you?” Dylan asked. “How’s life treating my favorite marine biologist?”
“Good. Boring. You know.” Testing hormone levels in whale earwax couldn’t stack up to Dylan’s glamorous life in New York. Based on his social media, his life was basically an endless series of cool parties with beautiful people in elegant Manhattan apartments. Not to mention all the traveling he did. Just in the last year, he’d posted photos from Paris, Prague, Phuket, and Tulum. Brooke’s poky apartment couldn’t possibly compare, even if her complex did have a pool. “I hope I’m exciting enough for you.”
“Excitement’s the exact opposite of what I’m looking for. All I want is to spend a nice, quiet, relaxing few days hanging out with an old friend.”
She grinned as it hit home how much she’d missed him. “I can definitely make that happen.”
“And maybe watching some martial arts movies. Assuming you still like martial arts movies?”
“Always.” It had been one of their favorite things to do as kids. They’d wasted endless Saturdays watching Jackie Chan and old Bruce Lee movies on the floral couch in Dylan’s family room.
“Good. Sounds like heaven.”
It was funny how years could pass and their lives could go in two totally opposite directions, and yet they still managed to have a connection.
“I’ll see you in a couple weeks, then,” Dylan said.
“Can’t wait.”
After she said goodbye, Brooke pulled up the old prom photo of her and Dylan again. She hadn’t thought about that night in a long time, mostly because she’d tried hard to forget about it.
It was supposed to be a friend date. Purely platonic.
They’d made the pact their freshman year. If both of them were single when senior prom rolled around, they’d be each other’s safety date. Purely as friends, of course. That had been the intention, anyway.
The night hadn’t exactly gone as planned though.
Brooke had been coming off a bad breakup, and she’d always assumed Dylan only asked her to prom because he’d sensed she was having a rough time. He could have had his pick of prom dates but instead he’d invoked their prom pact. It was him looking out for her, like he always had.
