Page 15 of The Perfect Catch

“Wednesday will be perfect. We’ll just need to go right after school. I have to be at one of my, well, a thing I have scheduled.” For some reason, telling him I was volunteering at the soup kitchen with my mom sounded more conceited than I wanted to convey to him.

We finished hanging the posters and made our way back up to Ms. Shiels’s classroom, not saying much on the way. It was the first time I didn’t feel like I had to blab on and on to someone else, and I liked the peace of it.

When the bell rang, Dax stretched out a small piece of paper to me. “Here’s this, just in case you need to change anything.” He gave me a tight smile as I took it and unfolded the paper to find a phone number.

I grinned. “Thank you. Sometimes I run a few minutes late, but this will help in case something major happens. I’ll see you then.”

He turned and walked out the door, almost running away. I didn’t mind watching him walk away, and the fact that he’d given me his phone number without some lame pick-up line said volumes about who he was underneath the façade.

But I couldn’t let my heart gallop away too quickly. I was supposed to be focusing on colleges and working on all the little things that would pad my applications. A boy like him would only make things more difficult when it came to the end of the year.

Chapter 11

Dax

It had been hours since school let out, and my ears were still burning every time I thought about giving Kate my number at the end of class. Sure, I’d pretended I was suave and a ladies’ man, but real life was quite the opposite. The way she’d taken it and smiled, staring up at me with those blue eyes, made my heart pump a little faster even now.

“What are you thinking about?” Bree asked, sitting on a stool next to me at the sink.

We’d just finished up dinner, the three of us kids and Noni, and it was my turn to do the dishes. I loved it when Noni had the energy to cook because her food tasted so much better than packaged meals. She’d started feeling better on Saturday night, and by the time I got home that afternoon, she already had a stack of dishes in the sink from cooking. She’d made her special ravioli for tonight, and I needed to write down her process to keep for the future.

My phone buzzed, and I wiped off my hands on a towel before slipping it out of my pocket. I tried to keep a smile from my face since Bree was staring at me so attentively, but I couldn’t keep a completely straight face.

This is Kate. Just wanted you to have my number too.

I nodded and tucked the phone back into my pocket, not sure what to say just yet. The crush I had on Kate was only growing stronger, but sooner or later, I’d have to tell her I was the masked guy who’d kissed her at that party. If she didn’t remember the kiss, I’d feel like the biggest idiot. If she did, would that turn her off? What had I been thinking anyway?

With a groan, I rinsed off a plate, wondering why my life couldn’t have been a little simpler. I couldn’t change where I lived or my family, but I dreaded the idea of her looking at me like I was some insane person who just kissed random girls at parties.

There’s a football game we have to go to on Friday. Do you mind if I ride with you?

She wanted to go with me? Again, I was baffled at how much interest she’d taken in me recently. But to say I wasn’t excited by the sudden attention would be a lie. I just hoped I wasn’t a pet project to help her look good in front of the college admissions boards of the various schools around us.

Sure. I guess I better go.I almost mentioned that Mr. McKee would probably be taking note of whether I showed up or not, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment. I didn’t have to work Friday night and didn’t have another excuse as to why I shouldn’t go.

Awesome! Okay, we’ll talk more about it.

A few seconds passed, and another message came through.

What are you doing right now? ;)

Dishes, I replied and set the phone on the counter.It wasn’t some eloquent answer, but I was close to done with the rest of the chore and the suds had already disappeared. I dipped my hands in the cold water and pulled the plug, allowing the water to drain. It was easier to wash the pots with a scrub brush anyway.

When the phone buzzed again, Bree picked it up before I got the chance, my hands still wet from the water.

“Ooo, Dax. Is this your girlfriend?” She made a kissy face and laughed, her doll tucked beneath one arm.

I wiped my hands off on a towel and swiped at the phone, missing and nearly knocking her over. “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a friend from school.”

Bree’s lips moved as her finger scrolled on the screen. “Wait, is this the Kate from the dance studio?”

Clamping my mouth together in an attempt to show no emotion, I nodded.

“And the one who asked you to the Harvest dance?”

Letting my head fall back in exasperation, I said, “Yes, Bree. The same girl.”

She grinned, a twinkle in her eye. “It sounds like she kind of likes you.”

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