Page 48 of More Than Pen Pals

“Everybody knew, Ash. I didn’t tell you I knew, because you were already so embarrassed, I didn’t want to make it worse.”

I did not expect that. “Really?”

“Yup. And I told Melissa you told me in confidence she was a terrible kisser, but you were too good of a person to say it to her or anyone else, so I said it for you. I’m not above taking people down a notch or two when necessary.”

“You didnotsay that!”

He grins. “I did. You might need to apologize for it on your first date.”

I pick one of his dirty socks up off the floor and fling it at him.

Randall swats it away. “Hey! I defended you!”

He’s right, and I’m astonished by the knowledge. “That doesn’t mean I’m going on a date with her.”

“I bet you fifty bucks Mom will make it happen.”

“Never.”

“Why? Because Melissa made fun of you twelve years ago?”

“Partly.” I throw his own answer back at him.

“What’s the other part?” He doesn’t say it mockingly.

I don’t know where to begin.

“I know it’s Leslie.” He twirls his empty bottle around. “I’m not an idiot.”

“Yeah, I know. I …”

He waits patiently while I figure out what to say, which blows my mind a little. I keep expecting him to make a snide remark, but he doesn’t.

“She doesn’t want to date me right now,” I finally blurt out.

“I’m sorry, man.” We sit in silence for a few moments. “Wait. You said, ‘right now.’ Does that mean she might want to in the future?”

I explain about the situation with Glenn.

“That dude sounds like a class-A jerk,” he says. “She’s well rid of him.”

“I agree. But she needs time to deal with what happened. And I want to know she’s with me because she wants to be withme,not because she’s using me to get over him. I don’t think she’d knowingly do that, but there’s no way she’s thinking straight after what he did.”

Randall shakes his head. “That’s a tough position to be in. What are you going to do? You can’t avoid her.”

“Promise you won’t make fun of me if I tell you.”

“Have I made fun of you one time since you walked in here tonight?”

“You did accuse me of not knowing how to let loose and have fun.”

“That wasn’t making fun. That was stating cold, hard facts. Anyway, you have to tell me now. If you don’t, I’ll ask you about it every five minutes for the rest of your life.”

“No, you won’t.”

“Have you met me?”

“Yes, and that’s how I know I’m going to outlive you by decades. You might ask about it every five minutes for the rest ofyourlife, but not mine.”

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