“Hey, at least compared with everyone else, you’ll make a fabulous first impression.” She reached over and patted my knee. “Don’t sweat it, Nell.”
I shouldn’t have been sweating it. The plan I’d had for Senior Night was still applicable here—knock the socks off Dr. Pembleton and get on his list at Mullhound. The only problem now was that I wasn’t sure how Carter would introduce me—as a friend or as a potential girlfriend—and that unknown variable had my palms feeling clammy.
Eleanor, how do you feel about me?
I think you’d be perfect for what I need.
“Has anyone thrown up yet?” Jamie suddenly slumped down onto the seat beside Daisy. He was wearing jeans tonight, not dress pants, and the top three buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. Which was strange. If Jamie ever had a button undone, it was only one. “Dr. Conan looks like he’s close.”
“I reckon Mrs. Johnson is closer,” Daisy said, leaning closer to him so he could hear above the music. “I don’t even want to know what number drink that is in her hand.”
Jamie glanced at Daisy. “Wanna make a bet?”
“Oh, you aresoon.” They shook hands, and Daisy’s eyes caught at his unbuttoned buttons. “Going for a new look?”
Jamie glanced down, scrambling to do his shirt. “No. It was an accident.”
I leaned forward. “You accidentally unbuttoned three buttons of your shirt?”
Even with the dim lights, it was easy to see his facebegin to flush. “Raelynn—she came into the library—and—and she?—”
“Unbuttoned your shirt?” Daisy and I demanded in unison, my eyebrows flying up, hers slamming down.
“Wait, Raelynn’s here?” I asked, only because I hadn’t seen anyone from the usual ADP teen crew show up yet. “Is Lydia?”Is Beck?
“What is she doing,touching you?” Daisy leaned away from Jamie. “Why are you letting her?”
“She came in while I was reading!” His shoulders rose, as did his voice. “And she sat down, started talking, m-mentioned how I lookedwarm?—”
Daisy stood up suddenly from the bench, tilting her neck from side to side as if she were cracking it. “Maybe someone needs to teach her about personal space.
Jamie caught Daisy’s upper arm before she could whisk away. “Don’t make a scene.”
Looking at Jamie, I couldn’t quite tell if Raelynn’s advances were unwelcome or not. His expression, as he looked at Daisy, was hard to read. Sure, we all knew that Raelynn had the biggest crush on Jamie—and poked fun with him about it from time to time—but it struck me then that I didn’t really know if my brother liked herback.
Daisy stared up at him almost defiantly, and I wondered if she realized Jamie had spread his legs a little so he was lower to her. I wondered ifherealized that, or if it was something he’d learned to do subconsciously. A beat passed, and I wondered, again, as if remembering, if they’d ever had their conversation about NYU yet, or if it was still something prickly and unsaidbeneath the surface. Given the fire in Daisy’s eyes, I’d say the latter.
“Don’t you know?” Daisy reached up and pushed the bridge of Jamie’s glasses, shoving them back up his nose from where they’d slid down to look at her. “I’m thequeenof making scenes.”
Then she wrenched herself free, tearing off toward the ballroom door to the tune of “G.D.F.R.” by Flo Rida. Ancient. But slightly amusing. Jamie watched her go with a strange look on his face, hand clenching at his side.
“People would think she’s jealous,” he muttered, more to himself than me.
“Territorial, more like it. You’re like one of her siblings—she’d go to war for any one of them.”
For a moment, Jamie almost looked sick.
“You should go with her,” I suggested. “Make sure she doesn’t rip any of Raelynn’s extensions out.”
“You’re not coming?”
“I’m waiting for Carter.”
“He’scoming?”
I checked my phone. Still no other message. “He’ll probably be here any minute, honestly.”
Jamie nodded slowly, and then merged into the crowd of dancing middle-aged socialites to hurry after Daisy.
