Sawyer dropped his arms and relaxed his stance. “You haven’t exactly been sleeping in lately. Mr. Keane’s got you working a lot of extra hours, huh?”
Hunter nodded, letting his roommate think that work was the reason he’d suddenly become an early riser. He hadn’t told him about Britt, although there was a chance Sawyer would have seen her pick him up the other day, even though he’d waited outside for her.
He drained the juice, gave Sawyer a goodbye salute, and headed outside to the lot. The summer heat had been relentless the past couple of days, and the forecast showed no sign of it letting up. He hopped on his bike, put on his helmet, and immediately started to sweat as the engine roared to life. Extremely hot or extremely cold days made him wonder if he should try to get a car, just a beater to use when it was uncomfortable to ride.
The silly giddiness he always felt when he was around Britt kicked in. Today he would suggest they go to a movie Mondaynight, after their art lesson. It was the logical next step in her quest to control her social anxiety. She’d been open about how much she hated being in a place where she couldn’t easily escape, and theaters were number one on her list.
But if she said yes, that meant sharing popcorn. Hand holding for sure. Her head resting against his shoulder. Maybe a kiss or three during the show if he were lucky. How could she resist that?
He sure couldn’t.
***
Britt felt a tap on her wrist as she braided her hair into a side ponytail. She rarely ever arranged her curls like this, mostly because there were always the rogue ones that escaped her braid. But she was feeling carefree today, and a little adventurous. Also, happy. Very,veryhappy.
She glanced at her watch, her father’s text bubble on the tiny screen.
Can I call you in a few minutes? Got something to ask you.
Britt responded with a yes and finished getting dressed to meet Hunter. It was Friday and they’d seen each other every day this week. It seemed like the time flew when they were together, and as soon as they went their separate ways, she wanted to see him again. Thankfully he liked to text and talk on the phone. She’d never used her phone so much until she met him.
Her father’s text reminded her that she needed to tell him about Hunter. But not until she told her mom, and the right opportunity for that hadn’t arrived yet. Britt’s focus had mostly been on Hunter—or could she call him her boyfriend? Likenearly everything in their relationship, she wasn’t sure what the protocol was.
She had just opened her car door when the phone rang. She sat down, fished the cell out of her purse, and turned on the car. “Hey, Dad,” she said, a blast of warm air hitting her. She turned it down and shut the door. “What’s up?”
“Not much.”
When he didn’t elaborate, she frowned. “Everything okay?”
“Ah, sure. It’s fine.”
He didn’t sound convincing. “What did you need to ask me?”
Hesitating, he finally said, “My boss’s birthday party is next Saturday. Would you like to go with me?”
That was the last thing she’d expected him to ask. “I don’t really like parties.”
“I know, honey, but this one is special. The family has a decent-sized art collection. I thought you might want to look at it. We can show up for a little while, see the paintings, and then bow out early.”
She rocked her palm back and forth on the steering wheel. While the idea of seeing someone’s private collection was intriguing—how rich was Dad’s boss exactly?—the thought of meeting so many strangers in an unfamiliar place sounded like a nightmare.
“If you want to think about it, that’s fine,” Dad said. “Or you could just say no. I totally understand.”
“N—” She couldn’t even speak the word.When am I going to stop running away?“I’ll go,” she said, placing her hand on her nervous stomach.
“Really? That’s wonderful,” he said, excitement in his voice. “And I promise, whenever you want to leave, we’ll take off.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Her stomach settled down and she smiled. Not only did he want to spend time with her, but he also thoughtabout her interest in art. She’d longed for him to be a part of her life. Now he was, and it was better than she thought it would be.
“One other thing, though. It’s black tie, so if you don’t have a fancy dress, you’ll have to get one. And it’s on me, Brittany. Let me know how much it costs and I’ll reimburse you for it.”
His offer touched her heart. “You don’t have to. I can afford it myself.”
“I know,” he said, his voice sounding thick. “But let me do this for you. I’ve missed out on so many things...” He cleared his throat.
“Okay.”
“Thanks.” Another pause. “I’m so glad you said yes, Brittany. We’re going to have a great time. I’ll text you the details later. Love you.”
