Page 23 of Make No Mistake

Eight

After my morning class,I got a text from Aubrey with a friendly reminder about the date tonight. For the fifth time.

I wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Maybe she thought I’d run away. Or maybe she thought I’d somehow forgotten. Part of me wanted to make her sweat a little longer, but I knew the longer I dragged it out the worse it would get for me.

On my way over to the newspaper lab, I thought through who I could ask. Maybe Austin? That would sure throw Aubrey, and we did have fun together.

No, she would make me pay for that.

For some sick reason, she kept bringing up Jay. She mentioned in her first text that he should be free tonight. Then on the third, she said he owed me one for going to his dad’s thing the other night.

Why was she forcing this?

“Hey, Mac.”

I looked up and smiled at Jay. He was walking toward the lab from the opposite direction. When he got to the door, he held it open for me and waved me through.

“How’s it going?”

“Good.” For some reason, I couldn’t meet his eyes. The first time in our four years of friendship I felt awkward around him.

I found an open table and dropped my bag to the floor. By the time I was seated, he was pulling out the chair across from me.

“You seem a little off today, Mac. Everything okay?”

I wanted to meet his gaze but I couldn’t. I was so nervous! It was Jay! My friend! Why couldn’t I act normally?

I could do this. I could ask him to dinner. It was something we’d done hundreds of times. Ready … go.

“Sure … I was actually wondering something.” If I sounded so incredibly lame to myself, I did not want to know what he was thinking.

“Yeah?” His smile never wavered. Bless him.

“Aubrey is forcing me out tonight. Do you want to come?”

“Will Carter be there?”

Jay had spent a lot of time at my apartment working on assignments or hanging out with Sean, so a natural bromance had blossomed between him and Carter.

“Of course. I’m sure he’d be more excited to see you than his girlfriend.”

He smirked and nodded while he stood and gathered his things into his backpack. “Yeah, I’ll come. What time?”

I let out the breath I was holding while his back was turned. “Eight?”

“Cool. I’ll be at your place then.” He shot me one last smile before standing from his seat. “I’ve got to review a few pieces so I’ll see you tonight.”

I nodded and watched him leave. At least I wouldn’t be third wheeling again tonight.

“What are we doing?”I shouted to Aubrey while I stood in front of my closet. Did I go comfy and casual, or were we going somewhere nicer, somewhere to be seen?

“Dinner at Chop.”

Chop was an amazing new restaurant that had opened near campus and offered a variety of sushi. “That’s it?”

“Yeah, we’ll come back here after and watch a movie or something.”

She appeared at my door looking effortlessly refined, as usual. While she did gradually relax into California style, she still held tight to tailored pants and tops. Tonight, she was wearing navy pants that were fitted in to her ankles and a white chiffon blouse.