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“Sure,” I say at the same time my brother declines the offer given to me. “He can’t.”
Meredith lifts one brow and turns back to her skillet. “How are things with Annie?”
Levi blows a raspberry from his lips. “I’m turning on the game,” he says, walking up behind Meredith. He leans down, her back flush to his chest, before setting a kiss to her cheek. “Let me know if you need any more help.” And then he’s gone. Why does it feel like he twisted a knife into my heart right before leaving?
I’m glad Levi has Meredith. I’m glad someone could see past the hard, grumpy shell to the real him—the great man that he is—and love him.
So why does that tiny form of affection feel so painful?
I swallow down the strange hurt and remember why I’ve come. “I think it’s time for another question. But not as Ready in Red.”
She looks up from her pan and the steaming stovetop. “Okay. What are you thinking?”
“How horrible would it be if I led her to dating me?”
“Ah, like you’d asked her out? That sounds good, Owen.”
“No, as someone writing in a question, a question that leads to me. All the kids in my class grilled her today about the two of us. It was great.”
Meredith’s dark blonde brows pull together. “Great? She was grilled? That doesn’t sound great.”
I lean against the kitchen counter and peer down at the tiled floor. “I think it forced her to think about why we haven’t ever dated. And I’m trying to do all the things she recommended from that last email she sent me, but—”
“I’m not sure about this.”
“Mer, she has another date set up for me. How long can I date all these other women?”
“I don’t know, Owen. That’s a question you have to answer for yourself.” She measures out her paprika. “I guess you could start with a letter. See what she says.”
“Thanks.” I give her a quick side hug, then hurry for the door, grateful for the reassurance, and ready to get started.
“What about dinner?” she calls.
“Another time. Thanks!”
I make it back to my place in record time. And sure, I may have one hundred and nine seventh-grade quizzes to grade, but I can map out a letter first, right?
Dear Ask Annie,
I’ve been thinking about asking a girl out. We’ve been friends for years, but I’d like to start something more. How should I go about it? Do you have any experience in dating a friend? I’d love some first-hand information.
Thanks,
Waiting on Wednesday
I delete and rewrite the “first-hand” line twice, but in the end, I leave it. I know my Annie. And while her advice is sound, she’s testing it out this very moment. With me as her guinea pig. So, knowing what I know, why wouldn’t I use that to my advantage?
I just need to convince her that we’re worth the try.
And that I’ll still be around if she decides I’m not right for her.
I puff out a breath with the thought because Iamright for her.
There’s a tap on my front door—the one that desperately needs replacing—and then the thing clunks open.
“Owen?”
Annie.
