Page 57 of The Promposal

“Yes, you were very, very good.” A woman’s voice sounded behind Kenyetta, and I looked up to see Bahati.

And I was much happier seeing her here than the last time I’d seen her. While she was hugging my boyfriend.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming!” I said with a smile, but from the grumpy expression on Kenyetta’s face, it looked like she didn’t know either and wasn’t happy about it.

“Your father told me he wouldn’t be able to make it, and he was so disappointed. I would have driven you, but he said you were getting a ride from one of your friends. So I came down early to get a seat in the front row so that I could film the whole thing for him. I was hoping that later tonight the three of us could watch it together.”

“That would be okay,” Kenyetta said, shrugging.

Bahati grinned and then handed her a bouquet of pink roses. I was so glad somebody got the memo.

“Did you know that I used to dance ballet?”

“You did?” Kenyetta’s eyes got bigger.

Bahati nodded. “I dislocated my knee when I was fourteen, and the doctors said I couldn’t dance any longer. That was when I decided to go into medicine. So that I could help other people.”

There probably wasn’t anything better she could have said. It was as if I could see the ice surrounding Kenyetta begin to melt.

“I was also wondering if you might like to get some ice cream?” Bahati asked as Kenyetta nodded eagerly. “You’re welcome to join us, Mattie.”

“Oh, I can’t. I have to go home and get ready for my prom. But you two go and have a great time!”

Kenyetta gestured toward the stage. “I just need to go grab my stuff and tell Averie’s mom that I won’t need a ride home.”

“I’ll wait here for you,” Bahati said. She had so much hope in her eyes that I wished for Kenyetta to keep being responsive and accepting. And that she would give this poor woman, who was trying so hard, a chance.

“Her favorite is rocky road,” I said, attempting to give her a leg up. Bahati nodded and thanked me.

Kenyetta returned, carrying a large bag over her shoulder.

That was my cue to leave. “I have to get going. You two have fun.”

“You have fun tonight, too! At your dance! And thank you for coming,” she told me, giving me one last hug. Which I allowed. I waved to them both as I left the theater.

And they were smiling. At each other.

I took that as an excellent sign.

Admittedly, I was just as sad about leaving Kenyetta as she was about me going. It did my heart good to know that she’d be in such excellent hands after I left for school in the fall.

But right now ... I had a prom to get ready for.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As I closed the garage door, my phone beeped. It was a text from Jake. I was already smiling before I had even opened it.

Pick you up in an hour?

I texted him back some emojis with the hearts for eyes and said:

Sounds good. Can’t wait.

Which meant he had only an hour left to pull off his promposal. I wondered how he was going to manage that, especially since I needed to get ready.

“Is that Jake? When is he coming?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Ella could have been a freaking ninja if she wanted to be. “He says he’ll be here in an hour.”

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