AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Will you go to homecoming with me?”
Was he really asking me out? “What about Sharon?”
“I’m not dating Sharon. I don’t have a date to homecoming. It’s a school dance and you want to go. I’d like to take you.” He took a last sip of his soda and then pulled out a few bills and stacked them next to his plate. “Don’t answer right now. Think about it… the big asks start next week. I’m going to ask then.”
“Are you serious?” Because if he was really giving me shit right now…
Leaning over the counter, he kissed my cheek. “See you tomorrow, Frankie.” Then he was out the front door, and I was still standing there gaping like a fish.
Was it Bubba’s way of making up with me? Placate me by asking me to the dance? Bubba wasn’t mean. Not usually.
It wasn’t until after I rang up his check that I realized he’d left a card with his cash. It was just a notecard that saidMessage in a Bottle, that’s my song. Let me know what you think.
Tucking the card into my pocket, I shook my head. I had no idea what just happened. By the time my shift was over, I was thrilled I had the next two days off, but I still needed to find some oomph for my pseudo date and I still needed to swing by the grocery store.
While I waited for the a/c to cool down the car, I checked my messages just in case Mathieu had to cancel.
Dessert Options:Is seven still good?
I grinned.Yep. Just got off work and I’m going to the grocery store. Do you want anything for dinner?
Dessert Options:I thought I would bring over some leftover roast and potatoes my host family made yesterday. I have enough for two meals.
Wow.That would be great. We can heat it up and eat while we do the nine million steps to make the cake.
Dessert Options:I will see you soon.
A little thrill went through me. This was really gonna happen. I checked the messages from Jake and Archie. Their last messages had been from earlier in the day.
After talking to Coop and Bubba, I had to admit, maybe part of the issue had been me. Maybe I hadn’t been clear.
Talk tomorrow after school?I sent it to both of them.
I got almost immediately replies.
Archie:Yes. Coffee in the morning?
Jake:See you then.
I told Archie yes and then leaned my head back. I just had to make it clear to all of them that I was going to date, too. That I appreciated the fact they wanted to protect me, but no more untouchable.
I glanced at the time on my phone and swore. I needed to get going. I wanted to wash off the burger smellbeforeMathieu got there.
Maybe it wasn’t a date-date, but holy crap, I had a date!
Chapter Eleven
French Connection
Mathieu turned out to be a prompt guy. I was still hopping into a clean pair of shorts after a high-speed dive through my shower, a quick brush of my teeth and the swift rifling of my t-shirts before I finally landed on a plain baby blue one when he knocked on the front door. White shorts probably weren’t a great idea for cooking, but they made my legs look tanner and they looked even better with a t-shirt.
Tiddles yowled his displeasure as I darted around him. I’d argued with myself about cosmetics all the way through the grocery store. I didn’t tend to wear makeup, so I stuck to what always worked for me—lip gloss. Only I hadn’t been able to find my gloss, so I stole one from Mom’s room and found a roll of condoms in the drawer.
Yep, all things I don’t need to know about my mom.
I paused and took three deep breaths before I unlocked and opened the front door. Where my back door had a set of concrete steps leading to it and a hint of a porch, the front opened up into the courtyard where there were boxes of bushes and flowers and landscaping to line the sidewalks. Coop’s door was catty-corner to ours, so I didn’t dare glance over there.
If he saw Mathieu, he saw him, but I was just relieved the guy had made it.
