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“Are you excited about your sleepover?” I was excited about mine.
She nodded against me, but then stiffened. “What if I don’t like Betty’s niece?”
“You like Betty, don’t you?”
“I love Betty. She has blue hair.”
“She does. She’s also a lot of fun to hang out with. So if you like Betty, I’m sure you’ll have fun, even if her niece isn’t your favorite person.”
“Well I already know she’s not my favorite person.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you are. And Silllvesterrrr is second.” She was quiet for a moment as I smiled into her hair. “Oh wait,” she added. “He is tied.”
“With me?” I asked, a tiny bit hurt that he could waltz in here and tie with me in just a couple weeks’ time.
“No, you’re first. He’s tied with Miss Violet.”
“Aha. Yeah, that seems fair.”
We spent the morning lounging while I pretended I wasn’t watching Sly and his dad out the window as they poured concrete and sank the fence posts along the line between our houses. Sly was shirtless again, so it was impossible not to linger near the windows. It was almost a relief when we piled into the car and headed for the mall. I had it in my head that I might find a new sundress to wear to the barbecue, and had promised Katie a new pair of shoes.
By the time I’d dropped Katie with Betty and was showered and lotioned and clad in my new fitted red maxi dress waiting for Sly to ring my doorbell, I’d become decidedly nervous.
But the way Sly’s eyes lit up as he took me in from head to toe told me that I wasn’t wrong about what might happen tonight.
“You look incredible,” he said, stepping close and wrapping an arm around my waist to lean in and kiss my cheek.
“Thank you.” I admired him too. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a white short-sleeved button-down shirt in a light summery fabric. And flip flops. He looked like a movie star headed for his yacht, with his aviator shades perched atop his head in his perfectly waved dark hair.
“I never see you with your hair down,” he said, sounding entranced as his fingers found a strand over my shoulder and touched it tentatively. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” I said, beginning to get a little uncomfortable in the face of his admiration. “Should we go?”
“I’m deciding if I really want to share you with my teammates.”
I frowned at him. No one was sharing me. “Ew.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He took my hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
I locked up and tucked myself into the passenger seat of his car as he stood holding the door open for me. He shut it gently and went around, sliding in and giving me another appreciative glance. He let out a low whistle and shook his head, and then started the engine and backed out.
I was nervous about meeting his teammates. I’d never been super comfortable with the athletic crowd, which always made me think of the popular kids in high school. Of Sly, really. Unattainable, perfect. But here he sat next to me, glancing at me constantly as if he couldn’t get enough of me, and I had the sensation of being in a completely different version of my life. One where I wasn’t the nerdy mathlete, one where I dated guys like Sly Remington, where I went to prom with them, where I was confident and secure and—
“What are you thinking? You have a funny look on your face.” Sly grinned at me.
Caught. I cleared my throat. “Nothing. Just happy to be out. With you.”
He reached over and snagged my hand, holding it between us on my seat. “Me too. Thanks for coming with me.”
“You’re welcome.” The glow inside me emanated so strongly I was pretty sure it was showing as I smiled, but I didn’t care. I was happy, for once. And I was going to enjoy every second of it.
CHAPTER16
SLY
CRITICAL QUESTION: BIG OR SMALL?
