Page 41 of The Perfect Play

“What are the odds you’d see that guy right now? The stars must be aligning to make your life just a little bit easier.” Dax slapped my back with his open palm, and I focused on controlling the pain rather than grimacing.

“That’s just half of the battle. The other is convincing Penny I’m not a cheater. Well, anymore.” The momentary bit of hope I’d felt as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place was replaced by every other emotion to dampen it.

The end of the year was coming, and I needed her to cheer me on and reassure me I could be the person she’d believed I could be. The sooner the better.

Chapter 32

Penny

“You look stunning!” Kate clapped her hands together after applying some colored lip balm to my lips. We’d planned to get ready for prom together at her house, and I was glad we had. It kept me from fuming every time I looked out the window toward Jake’s house.

Looking in the mirror, I smiled, the first genuine smile in, well, at least two weeks, ever since my confrontation with Jake at his house. She’d curled my hair in soft beachy waves and had done my makeup in a simple, more elegant fashion than the last time I’d let my friends dress me up. The dress she’d helped me find at the thrift store could not have fit better if it had been tailored just for me. The silver beaded bodice and tulle made me feel like a princess. And I didn’t want to cry when I’d looked at the price tag.

As I stared at my reflection, I saw the reason I’d wanted this night to happen so badly. My mother’s prom pictures were always over the top, but she’d somehow managed to make it work with the big hair and crazy styles. I didn’t have that type of fashion sense, but I wanted one night where I wasn’t the softball player or the tomboy.

If only it was with the person I wanted to be with and not one of his baseball buddies.

“Have you heard from Jake lately?” Kate asked, as if sensing my mood had changed.

I shook my head. “He stopped calling and texting two days ago. I don’t know whether to be sad or relieved, to be honest.”

“Well, it might help if you let him tell his side of the story. Maybe there was a reason he was—”

“Like a bottom-dwelling fish sucking up all the scum on the bottom of the tank?” My voice was flat, but Kate’s eyes went wide.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Someone’s trying to compare her boyfriend to things she’s studying in class. Probably not a good thing.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” I corrected.

“You might want to tell him that. It might help you get over him faster.”

The doorbell rang, and we hurried to gather up our things, slipping on shoes and grabbing clutches. I felt a bit nervous as I barely knew Nate, but I was determined to make the most of the night. To add it to the small list of high school memories I wanted to keep.

Kate had been asked by one of the student body officers, but since he was part of the group we were going with for the dance, that meant I would at least have a friend close throughout the whole thing.

“Wow, you look amazing,” Nate said when I met him at the door. He was dressed in a black suit, his hair done. He was a cute guy, but I kept going back to thoughts of what Jake would look like dressed up in something more formal.

Shaking off the thought, I stepped back to let them inside and smiled. “Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself.”

After the traditional exchange of corsage and boutonniere, and Kate’s mother taking a million and one pictures of us in different poses, we finally walked outside.

“A limo?” Kate asked, jumping up and down as much as her high, high heels allowed.

A small pit formed in my stomach, and guilt flooded me. I wasn’t interested in Nate like this, and I could only hope he hadn’t gone over the top because he had feelings for me.

“You didn’t have to do this, Nate,” I mumbled so only he could hear me. I slid into the long car and smiled slightly at two couples on the other bench.

Nate put his arm on the back of the seat and leaned in, his lips close to my ear. “I promise this wasn’t my idea. I’m not really into the big showy kind of stuff. Are you uncomfortable?”

I licked my lips, trying to figure out how to word it. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I’m excited about tonight and all, but I barely know you.”

He chuckled, and something about it put me at ease. “No worries. I’ve always thought you were a cool girl. I just thought you’d be someone fun to take to a dance.”

Feeling like an idiot, I smiled and nodded, trying to focus on everything but his face. I needed to keep that in mind. Just have fun, be myself, and then go back to being the nerdy softball player by Monday.

We ate dinner at someone’s indoor basketball court, complete with waiters and candlelight. After we’d eaten the main course, I leaned over to Nate and said, “Who planned this?”

Nate pointed out the guy who’d asked Kate to the dance. “He’s got a big thing for your friend. I think he was hoping that by going all out, she’d notice him or even start dating him.”

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