Unexpected (8 page)

“I might,” I told her. Going back to my house by myself, that late at night, really didn’t have a lot of appeal.

I followed her into the kitchen. She pulled a bag of microwave popcorn out of the cupboard along with a huge bowl. She listed off the movies they’d gotten and we picked one neither of us had seen. Truthfully, Jamie actually picked it. It was a sappy romance; an emotional, romantic chick-flick. The kind of movie Tristan would definitely not be interested in. I had to wonder if she’d decided on that one on purpose.

“I invited
Willow,” she said as she tossed the bag in the microwave. “But she’s going over to Krista’s tonight.”

“I know. I talked to her, too.” She had seemed fine to me. But maybe Ja
mie was more perceptive than I was. It was very possible.

The popcorn finished popping and she took the bag out. “You don’t want any, do you?” she asked with a smirk. “I can get you your own bowl.”

At some point in my life I read an article about the dangerous chemicals in microwave popcorn. The article probably wasn’t even true but the mental damage was done. It stuck in my head. And since I had an innate, intense, aversion to all things potentially cancer-causing, I’ve never looked at it with the same hunger again.

In fact, when Jamie opened the bag to take a big whiff of the deliciously scented, cancer causing toxins that permeated the buttery scent; it was all I could do to not hold her back. Because she
wouldn’t appreciate it. I have found this out the hard way.

So instead, I tried to keep my distance.

“No thanks,” I told her as she dumped out the bag.

I followed her downstairs and she got the movie started.

She and her dangerous bowl of popcorn settled into her dad’s recliner. This left me with the couch all to myself.

We were not that far into the movie when I heard the distinctive sound of an air popper.
It was followed by the unmistakable sound of popcorn popping away. Jamie let out a snort of good-natured disgust and rolled her eyes when I glanced at her.

I flicked my gaze away, ignoring her.

A few minutes later, Tristan appeared with another big bowl, just like Jamie’s.

He did it. He made me popcorn. Not the microwave junk but the real thing. With real butter, loaded with fat. But at least not full of chemicals. He flopped down on the couch next
to me, close enough that our thighs were touching. He placed the bowl on both our laps.

“Thanks,” I told him.

He just shrugged and took a handful.

I was possibly still chilled from being outside. Tristan’s shoulder felt so warm next to mine. I felt myself instinctively leaning into him. That was probably a mistake.

It was not the first time I’d sat next to Tristan while watching a movie before. It
was
the first time I had trouble paying attention to a movie because I was sitting next to him. I had an almost unbearable urge to turn to face him.

I ignored it as I ate handful after handful of popcorn.

When it was gone, he leaned forward and placed the bowl on the floor. As he settled back in, I’d told myself that I should back away. It would be a good time because he wouldn’t notice. It didn’t work out that way. Whether on purpose or not, he adjusted himself so that our shoulders were still touching.

I could feel his eyes searing into me. I knew he checked me out sometimes. It was never a big deal so I always ignored it. But now, when he was in such close proximity, it was a little hard to ignore. So, when I couldn’t ignore it any longer, I finally turned my head to face him. His eyes were eating up the sight of my neck of all things.

I’d found a ponytail holder in my pocket. My windblown mess of hair was pulled up, leaving my neck bare. When I turned to him, his eyes started wandering slowly upwards. They took a prolonged detour as they paused on my lips for a few moments before traveling upward to my eyes.

Jamie had turned the lights off but the dismal glow from the enormous television screen was more than enough to see by.

If this were a scene from the movie we were supposed to be watching, it would be the part where they stare into each other’s eyes as they are slowly, magnetically drawn together. There would be soft music playing in the background. But since it wasn’t…I just sat there. Gazing back, aware but unable to care that neither of us were moving.

I should have looked away then. Or he should have. But neither of us did. Not for several long, drawn out seconds that felt longer than any seconds should have a right to. Then it was me who finally looked away. But I didn’t look far. I felt my eyes taking a similar journey, downward. Until they land
ed on
his
lips. At the simple sight of them, my heartbeat fluttered.

Tristan always smelled
like mint. He and Jamie shared a bathroom. I happened to have seen that he uses mint body wash and mint shampoo. But he chews gum too and suddenly, I was curious as to what flavor he prefers. So curious, in fact, that I inexplicably wanted to lean over so I could find out.

“Hey!” Jamie exclaimed.

I wasn’t sure if we both jumped at the sound of her voice. Or if it was just me.

When I redirected my gaze, she
was looking at us with raised eyebrows.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. H
er voice was oozing sarcasm. She waved her phone at us. “Willow just sent a text. Krista’s parents are gone and she decided to have a few people over. She wants us to come.”

“Oh,” I said. Now that Jamie was staring at us, I tried to discreetly scoot away from Tristan.
She made a face that let me know that she realized exactly what I was doing.

“
Corey’s there. Alone,” she said as she pasted on a sugary smile. Oddly, she was looking at Tristan, not me when she said it.

“I don’t care,” I told her. I’d lost track of how many times I’d said that in regard to
Corey the last few weeks. Strange enough, I found I meant it. I really, truly meant it this time. I felt a small smile spread across my face at the realization.

My eyes darted to Tristan and his brow furrowed.
Ugh
. I hoped he didn’t think I was smiling because Corey was going to be there. He couldn’t be more wrong. Yet the way his expression suddenly became unreadable made me think that’s exactly what he thought. When he scooted away from me, it really left no doubt.

“You guys hav
e fun,” Tristan said.

He stood and as he did, he looked down at me with an expression on his face that I couldn’t quite read. He’d taken
my hand in his, so gently I could barely feel it. He didn’t hold it, though. He didn’t even squeeze it. He just let his fingers run along mine as he got up. And then he was walking away.

“Don’t go too far,” Jamie ordered as she hopped up
, too.

“Why?” Tristan asked. His tone was leery.

“You’re coming with,” she told him.

“No,” he said as he turned to leave again. “I don’t think so.”

“
Please
,” she said sweetly, drawing out the word. “We need someone responsible to drive us. You know, just in case.” He started shaking his head but Jamie turned to me and grinned. “Britta wants you to come with. Don’t you, Britta?”

Heaven help me because Jamie just might want to kill me. Because yeah, I did want him to go
. But not just to drive us home. And even though she was obviously using me to get what she wanted, I gave her the answer she was looking for.

I nodded and smiled at Tristan. “You should come with.”

He hesitated in the doorway. He didn’t look particularly happy.

“Please?” I asked.

“Alright,” he said with a shrug and a sigh.

“Thank you,” Jamie gushed in a rare show of appreciation. “And since it only takes you like thirty seconds to get ready, maybe you could drive Britta to her house? Since it’s snowing out?
She’s going to need to get ready.”

If we were going out, I definitely needed to change. More than that, I definitely needed to
do something with my hair. I was pretty sure the only make-up I was wearing was a thin coat of lip gloss. And that was probably long gone thanks to the sleet, the hair stuck to my face and the popcorn I’d eaten.

“Do you mind, Tristan?” I asked.

He shrugged. “No. I can take you home. I think you look great just like you are. But you know if you think you need to get all dressed up for Corey…” He shrugged as he let his words trail off. Then he turned and stomped up the stairs.

6

Half an hour later, my hair was as flat as I was going to get it. I’d changed into jeans and my favorite pair of boots. I’d gotten them for my birthday last year but I’d rarely worn them. Corey didn’t like them because they had a three inch heel, putting us too close to the same height.

Tristan had dropped me off and then gone back home to do whatever it was guys did to get ready. We’d decided to take my
Accord because Jamie had an aversion to the Subaru she and Tristan shared.

Not surprisingly, Jamie wasn’t ready by the time I got back.

Tristan heard me come in and he came down the stairs to greet me.

“You look good,” he said. It sounded more obligatory than complimentary.

“Thanks,” I told him. I was suddenly feeling awkward as we stood there, waiting for Jamie. “You know…” I started. Then I wondered if I should even bother finishing. What I wanted to say probably didn’t even matter. I decided to throw it out there anyway. “I really don’t care that Corey’s there.”

“Yeah?” he asked. He didn’t look
entirely convinced.

“Yeah,” I agreed as Jamie came running down the stairs.

“Let’s get out of here.” She said this as if she’d been the one waiting for us.

We got to
Krista’s just as two more cars pulled onto her street.

“I thought s
he was just having a few people.” Tristan’s words floated toward us from the backseat, where Jamie had made him sit.

Jamie shrugged. “It still looks like less than usual.”

I parked and we walked down the icy sidewalk. Krista lived on the edge of town. To anyone driving by, it would be obvious the house was a busy place. As we walked, I realized they must be keeping the music down. And there was no one hanging around outside. It was too cold for that.

Willow
greeted us as we walked in.

“Sorry,
Corey’s here.” Those were the first words out of her mouth.

I shrugged. Just how many times could I repeat the words…
I don’t care
!

And for the first hour and two beers, I didn’t. Care, that is. I spent the time talking with my friends. Krista’s parties were typically pretty mellow. It was easier to keep the noise down if she only invited a few dozen people.

Tristan had taken off in search of his own friends right away. I still caught glimpses of him now and then.

We were standing off to the side now that the house was starting to fill up. Jamie had run off to talk to one of Evan’s friends.
Krista had left to circle the house; making sure things weren’t getting out of hand. That left Willow and I alone.

“
Omigosh, just go talk to him,” she said.

“I am done with
Corey Adamson!” I whisper-yelled to her. In fact, I’d seen him once. It never even crossed my mind, until Willow brought him up, to wonder where he’d gone. Not that I
cared
.

Because I didn’t.

“Not Corey!” Willow whisper-yelled back with a big smile. “Tristan!”

I shook my head and she rolled her eyes.

“You two have been eye-flirting all night,” she said with a laugh. “You’re actually pretty good at it. Better than you are at actual flirting,” she was kind enough to point out.

“Thanks,” I sarcastically replied.
I wondered if that was actually what we’d been doing. Usually if I was caught staring, I’d look away. But not now. Not tonight. When I’d been caught staring, or if he was, neither of us looked away. Not until we had too. Not until someone else demanded our attention. “But Tristan is off-limits,” I finally reminded her.

She grinned at that. “Jamie?”

I nodded.

“I
f he wasn’t off limits…then what?” she demanded with a wicked grin. When I didn’t respond a smug look appeared. “I knew it!”

“No! There’s nothing to know!” I said. Now I was very actively trying to keep my gaze off of him.