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Good call on the haircut.
Nick smiled.
“Can I play Angry Birds?” James asked through a mouthful of toothpaste.
Nick slid his fingers across the keys. “In a minute.”
Are you coming home?
Going out for a while. Don’t wait up.
When Hannah’s parents showed up, they didn’t look like they wanted to kill anyone, so Nick figured the dinner had gone pretty well. Hannah’s mother was a petite blond woman in a sweater set, and she tried to give Nick sixty dollars for babysitting. He turned it down.
The fire marshal looked at him long and hard, reminding Nick that this guy had interrogated his twin brother a few weeks ago.
But Hannah’s mother stepped between them to kiss him on the cheek and say thank you. The fire marshal shook his hand.
James gave him a hug.
Then Nick had the house to himself.
He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.
He grabbed a can of soda from the refrigerator and dragged his physics textbook out of his backpack.
As soon as he looked at the page, he realized he didn’t want to be doing this.
His cell phone rang.
Nick looked at the display and smiled. He pushed the button to answer. “You are my hero.”
“I like the sound of that.” Adam’s voice was rich and warm in his ear, and Nick realized this was the first time they’d talked on the phone.
He wanted him to keep talking.
“How was dance?”
“Could’ve been better.” Adam sighed, and his voice was tired. “Quinn didn’t show up.”
Nick ran a hand down his face, feeling his emotions vacillate between worry and exasperation. “Man, I’m sorry.”
“She texted me that she couldn’t make it. It’s all right . . .
man.”
Nick could hear the smile in his voice. “What are you going to do?”
“Would you think less of me if I said I had a backup routine?”
“I wouldn’t think less of you if you had a backup partner.”
“Good. I’ve got one of those, too.”
Nick blinked. “Really?”
“Nothing official, but I could get one of the girls from the studio to dance with me. I liked Quinn for this piece because it’s raw and edgy and passionate, and she fit the part.” He sighed.
“Enough about dance. How’s your night?”
