Page 45 of The Dating Game

There isthe risk he’ll revert back to annoying Will, though. Or that going will just mean having front row tickets to the Will and Sarah Fall in Love show.

These are things that need to be considered.

Plus, I’m not sure Will even wants me to come. Nobody wants to invite themselves to a party. Or a mission trip, as the case may be.

“I don’t want to intrude,” I say diplomatically. “This is your trip, Will. I don’t want to cause you any headaches adding someone so last minute.”

Will meets my eyes. A second ago we were in a fishbowl, but suddenly it’s just me and him in the room.

“You could never be a headache to me, Brooke,” he says firmly, sending a shiver down my spine.It’s been a real headache trying to keep you happy these last few weeks.That was one of the things Grant said when he broke up with me. I’ve been so focused on his use of the word boring, that I forgot about this until just now when Will offered his blatant rejection of the sentiment.You could never be a headache to me, Brooke.

That really should not sound so romantic.

But to me it plays like the chorus of a love song.

Although I could do without all the oohing and ahhing of Will’s groupies—aka all the women in the room.

Ignoring them I focus on Will. There’s no denying that there are times—like just now with the headache thing—where I feel an intense connection to Will. And I’m definitely physically attracted to him, there’s no denying that. But I need to be careful. I’m dating him as a bet, which means there’s no future for us. Relationships built on lies never last. If I go on this mission trip with him there’s a very real chance that my feelings for him will only intensify, and then what? Or, I suppose, there’s a chance that the opposite will happen, andspending so much time together will make it clear that we’re incompatible. After all, I still haven’t gotten a handle on Will’s hot and cold personality. Just because he’s in sweet, likable mode right now doesn’t mean that the Mr. Hyde version of him won’t strike again. I can just imagine stopping at a rest stop on the way down only to have him tell the bus driver to honk at me until I come out. Or him trying to correct the way I talk to people about Jesus, the way he corrected my golf swing—you’re overextending the grace, Brooke-a-doodle. Or him dancing with me on the beach under the moonlight.

Okay, one of those three does not belong.

I shake my head before I can get lost in that fantasy. I need to be careful. If I don’t go on this trip, that’s ten easy days toward my two month goal. I can’t just overlook that.

Oh but Will. I think I really like him.

“Is it okay if I think about it?” I ask him. “I mean, yes, my dance classes are canceled for that week, but I still have the bar to run.”

“Of course, take a couple of days to think and pray about it,” he says easily. Pray. Right. I just said I should be doing more of that.

“Great.” I smile shyly at him. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Will smiles easily back, and I almost abandon all of my concerns and agree to go right then and there. “I hope it works out. I’d better go,” he adds to Luke. “I’ve got that meeting in an hour.”

“Right, I need to go too.” Luke nods, giving Hannah one last kiss. They wave goodbye to everyone else then turn to go.

“Don’t worry, Will!” Belinda cries desperately after them. “Brooke will be there. I’ll waitress myself if that’s what it takes. A mission trip romance! Can you imagine? I’m not sure I’ve ever read a story like that.”

Chapter 16

Will

“Andthat’swhyIthink I need to bow out of the trip,” Sarah says carefully. “I feel just awful, but I think that it’s best for everyone involved if I don’t go. I’m sorry.”

I stare across my desk at her, completely taken aback—and sort of impressed—by the candid honesty she just blasted me with.

I’m interested in you, but now it turns out you have a girlfriend.It feels a bit inappropriate for me to go. You know, since I’m interested in you but you have a girlfriend.

That’s what Sarah said. Words that proved my suspicions about her interest in me were right, but that may also signal the death of the trip.Unless Brooke agrees to go,my excitable heart yips like a puppy presented with a ball.

“I’m sorry,” she repeats in response to my silence. “I do feel awful, but c’mon, surely your girlfriend wouldn’t want me there knowing I’ve wanted you to ask me out for quite a while now.” She blushes as she says this, and, rather than feeling angry with her for leaving me in the lurch, my respect for her grows. It really stinks that we’re once again down a chaperone, but it took a lot of character for her to say all of that.

Although she sort of threw me with the whole girlfriend label. Brooke and I have only been on three dates, plus she’s only dating me because she lost a bet, so I’m not sure ifshe’s technically my girlfriend. But I don’t think that would be helpful to point out right now. It just needed to be mentally noted so that I don’t start accidentally referring to her as my girlfriend to everyone I talk to.

“Will, please say something,” Sarah says nervously.

“Right, sorry.” I straighten in my chair and focus back on Sarah. “I appreciate your candor, Sarah, and your desire to respect my relationship with Brooke. It took a lot of integrity to come forward like this.” I consider the wisdom of telling her I’m not concerned about her coming, since I’m not interested in her as more than a colleague and friend. I decide that saying so would be unwise and potentially cruel. She’s just been very vulnerable with me. I don’t want to dismiss her feelings just to fill a chaperone quota.

I’ll find someone else. Brooke, hopefully.

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