“Please tell me you didn’t write that.”
“Oh no, I’d never write you and I in my books. But I do write sex, so it wasn’t far off.”
I shake my head with a smile and then move past him.
“Is Grey ready?”
“Just about. I was thinking of taking the afternoon off and coming with you.”
I turn around and hold my hand up.
“You will do no such thing, Simon Stone. I’m here to help you. You can’t just start taking afternoons off. My job here would become pointless.”
He sighs. “I know, and I have a lot to get done.”
“So get it done and you can hang out with us after.”
“Yeah.” He falls into step with me. “You’re right.”
“Plus, I have a good idea for dinner, and if you get all your work done, maybe I’ll stay to eat it with you.”
He pulls me into him. “Only if I get to have you for dessert.”
Our lips are inches away when the door swings open and Grey zooms out with his ninja attire.
“Let’s do this. Dad, you’re gonna be so proud when you see me in a few weeks. I’ve gotten so good, it’s not even funny.”
Both Simon and I laugh.
“I said it’s not funny,” Grey repeats.
“I know, I’m sorry,” Simon says with a hand over his mouth. Then he high-fives his son, who follows me to my house to get my car.
“See you both tonight!” he shouts.
I pull onto the road as soon Grey and I are both buckled, and he tells me about how he apologized to the girl he kissed and ditched. She said it was fine because she wasn’t sure if they were supposed to keep going or what they would talk about afterward.
They’re happily back to friends-only status right now. But no worries—if they change their minds, he’ll come to me first.
Let’s just keep that between me and Grey for now.
We head into the ninja studio, and Grey hustles into the classroom, hitting knuckles with some of his friends as they get ready.
“Hi, Greer.”
I glance up to see his coach.
“Hi, how are you?” I stand to meet his gaze. It feels weird to hold a conversation when one of the two parties is sitting.
“I’m good. Listen, I know this is forward, but would you like to get dinner sometime?”
“Oh, I—” First Grey’s football coach, who I’m positive wanted to ask me out at Grey’s party, and now his ninja coach too. What am I supposed to say?
Greer from a few weeks ago would have jumped on this opportunity. Greer today is… even if I said yes, my heart wouldn’t be there, and that’s not fair to me or him.
“You can think about it. Maybe let me know when class is over.”
He backs up with a smile and a wave. He’s just about to enter the class when I say, “I’m sorry. I’m seeing someone right now.”
