Page 28 of The Last Date

Plus of course the wave of relief that we didn’t get caught by my parents.

At some point, Mom would insist on me dating another setup, and I was going to have to put my foot down and tell her that I have a boyfriend.

Oh my god, what would Dad say when he found out it was someone closer to his circle of friends than mine? I wanted to stick my head under my pillow for a week just thinking about it.

Deciding to be an adult for at least one day, I cleaned my room and caught up on some reading, even doing a yoga video.

It was strange knowing that I had Saturday night to myself. Oakley’s joke about kidnapping me still rang through my mind, making me wish that it was true.

At eight o’clock, I played the part of the dutiful daughter, going downstairs to tell my parents how wonderful they looked before they left for dinner. There was some fancy new restaurant in town that they’d been excited about for weeks.

It was easy to compliment my mother in her long, figure-skimming black dress, with her hair swept up. “Mom, you look so elegant,” I gushed, catching the wink my father shot me.

“All these years, and she’s still my pretty little princess,” Dad said, making Mom pretend to blush.

“What are you doing tonight, dear?” she asked.

“Probably watching a movie,” I shrugged. “I might call Sarah.”

“Feel free to have her over if you like,” Dad said. “The pool is only warm enough for another couple of months.”

Locking the door behind them, I went back to my room, just in time to hear my phone ring. It was an unknown number. “Hello?”

“How is my gorgeous angel?” a deep voice purred.

“Hi, Oakley.” My stomach tingled from being connected to him, even just over the phone. “How are you?”

“I’m absolutely terrible,” he said dramatically in a fake posh accent. “I’m home alone, about to make popcorn, with no one to share it with.”

“Are you inviting me over?” I asked, my throat tight with excitement.

“No. That sounds like it’s skipping a bit too close to date territory. Why don’t you pack an overnight bag and go stand on your front porch? I dunno...I have a funny feeling that in ten minutes, someone might drive by and kidnap you.”

“Overnight?” I couldn’t help being a little surprised.

“Yes. Call Sarah and tell her to cover for you, then text your parents and say that you’re staying over. I’m sure that Sarah has boy troubles or some good excuse.”

“You’re awfully bossy,” I said, standing up to pull out the large shoulder bag that I used for sleepovers at Sarah’s a few times a year.

“Yes, I’m terrible. But you’re already packing, aren’t you? All you need is pajamas and a toothbrush.”

I preferred the thought of us not wearing anything when we slept together, but I appreciated the thought. “Okay. I’ll accidentally be in front of my house in ten minutes.”

“Nine.” He hung up, leaving me laughing as I dashed to the bathroom to grab my toothbrush and face wash.

Eight minutes later, after sending a few texts, I jumped into Oakley’s car. “Are we really going to your place?” I asked.

“Yes. Why does that surprise you?”

“You’ve been so mysterious,” I said as we drove through Sarah’s neighborhood, then headed for the other side of the city.

“I don’t mean to be,” he said, reaching out to take my hand. He smiled as he glanced over to me. “Sasha, I want to know absolutely everything about you. And I want you to know some things about me.”

“Why not everything?”

He sighed heavily, blowing upward so the front of his hair waved. “You know how some people do stupid things for money, because it seems like a good idea at the time?”

“You mean like child stars doing incredibly cheesy movies that they regret later?”

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