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“Just be careful,” Lexi says. “Trust me. I know guys better than you. A lot of them will say anything to get a woman into bed.”
“He’s not like that,” I tell her. “We’ve got something real.”
“It’s still early days yet.”
She sounds like Mom, and I know they both only want the best for me. I can’t argue too much. Still, there’s this desire in me to scream at her that she has no freaking clue what she’s talking about.
Lexi is about to speak, but then she narrows her eyes, closes her mouth, and looks over my shoulder. I turn to find a barbershop quartet walking through the cafeteria, dressed in the classic hats and matching shirt combo.
“I wonder who it’s for,” Lexi murmurs as they look around the cafeteria. Then, oh my God, no… They walk directly toward our table.
I swallow, praying it’s for Lexi. I don’t understand why Fletcher would do this. I know we’re calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but surely he knows me enough to understand how nervous this would make me. Or maybe that’s the point. Wedon’tknow each other. Perhaps he thinks it’s going to cheer me up.
They stop next to the table, four men of similar height. One is already tapping his foot.
“Samantha Fitzgerald?” the man at the front of the group says.
I swallow and nod. The whole cafeteria has gone quiet. People are aiming their cell phones over here. I’ve been the quiet one in college for so long, able to slink through the hallways, focused on the color and the light, andnotdrawing attention to myself. What if Mom sees one of these videos? What if James does?
The men start tapping their feet and humming. Then it hits me. I’m so freaking slow sometimes. It’s the flowers situation all over again when I assumed Fletcher had sent them, but no, I get it now. This is him, isn’t it? James?
Three men hum and snap their fingers as the lead man sings.
“Samantha, your not-so-secret love just wanted to say… He’d take you on a date, a trip, an adventure any day. James wants to shower you in hugs and kisses…”
One of the background singers steps forward with a big grin on his face, waggling his eyebrows at me. They’re very good at keeping their composure. I’m sure they’re used to the person they’re serenading, smiling at least. “He’ll be the mister… you be the misses…”
“And yourlove,” the first man picks up. “Will fly like a dove. Will—”
He cuts off when I stand up. I can’t take it anymore—the singing, the staring, the phones aimed at me. The fact that my boyfriend’ssonis doing this is so messed up that I can’t take it.
“Sammy, wait,” Lexi calls, but I run from the cafeteria. If this was high school, I know people would laugh at me. A few laugh, but mostly, people are just quiet. There are fewer bullies here. I’m glad about that, at least.
In the hallway, I shoulder my bag, making for the door. I enter the parking lot when somebody yells my name—a man’s voice. I turn, thinking for a split second it might be Fletcher, but no. It’s just somebody who sounds like him. It’s his son, James, jogging over to me. He’s got a confused look on his face.
“I thought you’d like it.”
If it had come from your dad, I might have.
“Why are you doing this?” I yell, not meaning for so much pain to erupt from me. My voice is so loud. He takes a nervous step back. I wave my hand at him. “Seriously, why? What’s the point? We hadone date. One. That’s it, and it was a bad date, James. You must know that.”
He nods. “I was rude and selfish, butthat’swhy I’m doing this. I want a second chance.”
“There wasn’t even a first chance,” I snap. “We’re not compatible. I’m not interested. I’m sorry, but I’m just not.”
“Is there someone else?” He walks right up to me, and I hate it. The closer he gets, the more similarities I can see between him and his dad. It’s the eyes, the subtle curve at the corner of his mouth. I don’t want James at all, only Fletcher.
“How is that any of your business?” I counter.
He sneers in a bullying way. “It’s just a simple question.”
“So was mine,” I snap. “Why do you care?”
He steps forward and reaches out as if he’s going to touch my hand. The idea is so gross to me, so unacceptable. Am I really going to be this man’s stepmom one day? How is that ever going to work?
He drops his hands and sighs. “The truth, Samantha? Clearly, you don’t feel the same, but I think you deserve the truth.”
I swallow. “Okay…” I don’t want to listen, but if I don’t, my imagination will fill in something far worse anyway.
