He grinned at that but shook his head.
"Why were you out there anyway?"
"What do you mean?"
"You live on the ice," I said. "Not the court. What made you want to play basketball?"
"I was trying to impress a girl," he said.
My throat grew tight.
"Oh?" I said, trying to play it off. "How'd that turn out?"
"To be determined."
Before I could ask what he meant, my phone pinged with a text. Breaking my stare with Tolliver, I glanced down and saw Stacia's name.
"It's my soon-to-be stepsister," I said. "She wants us to meet her at this address."
"Then we better go," he said.
Tolliver's kiss was still warming my skin as he pulled onto the road. His words ran through my mind, causing all kinds of confusion.
I was trying to impress a girl.
What girl?
Did I know her?
Was she athletic like him? Or nerdy? Shallow or deep? Gorgeous or plain or somewhere in the middle?
Was she kind and nice enough for Tolliver? Because he definitely deserved someone nice.
And why had this never occurred to me before? Tolliver was smart, fit, and lovely. Of course, he'd have someone, or even multiple people, he was interested in. He definitely had to have a ton of admirers. My chest tightened, but I ignored it. Fingers tracing along my wrist, I tried to convince myself that I didn't care.
I was trying to impress a girl.
Whoever she was, if she wasn't impressed, she must be a total idiot.
* * *
"Dresses aren't really my cup of tea" I said to Stacia, looking up at the sign on the store in front of us.
Billie's Bridal Boutique.
It was a gorgeous shop. The window featured mannequins clothed in elegant black and white. Flowers were placed strategically above them, framing the entire scene. According to Stacia, they had the best formal wear in North Carolina.
"That's okay," she said with a bright smile. "I love shopping, especially for clothes. I'll help you find the best look."
Shifting on my feet, I bit my lip. "Even for concerts, I usually wear slacks and a nice top. I thought you wanted me to watch you try on dresses, give you my opinion, that kind of thing."
"Well yeah, but I really want to help you find a dress."
"Did my mom tell you to do this?"
"No," she said with a shrug, "I just thought it would be fun to hang out. Unless you don't want to?"
Stacia had the puppy-dog eyes down pat. I was already here. She was right. I did need a dress for mom's wedding. And Tolliver was stepping around the car to join us.
