arranged this after their talk this afternoon? He would have preferred a more private first date, but maybe she'd feel more comfortable in a group with her friends. And a guy would have to be crazy to not want to go out with three beautiful girls. Then he remembered Nathan and their wish. This was the perfect opportunity.
“Listen, would it be okay if my friend Nathan came along? He really likes Shell—uh, fish. Shellfish.” Ephraim grimaced.
The girls laughed. “Well, yeah,” one said. “That's the whole point of a double date. Shelley's been looking forward to this all week.”
“Mary!” Shelley squealed. Ephraim jerked the phone away from his ear.
“I've been looking forward to it too, of course. Ephraim?” Mary said.
Ephraim felt like he'd been broadsided by a truck. What was going on? “Yes. I'll see you both tomorrow,” he said. “I can't wait.”
“Don't forget our presents!” they said in unison before hanging up.
This must be the coin's doing; Nathan was getting his wish. Ephraim dialed him up.
“We have a double date with Mary and Shelley on Friday night,” Ephraim said.
Nathan was silent.
“Say something,” Ephraim said.
“I don't know what to say.”
“How about, ‘I'm sorry, Ephraim. You were right about the coin.’”
“You're still playing with me.”
“I'm not.”
“You better not be lying about this. If you are, our friendship is over. I mean it,” Nathan said.
“You're going out. With Shelley. Tomorrow night. I just got off the phone with them.” Mary had called it a double date. If Nathan was paired with Shelley, that meant…
“Holy shit, Eph. This is completely amazing. This is going to be the best night of my life.”
Ephraim looked at the book Jena had given him. Even though they weren't properly dating yet, this felt kind of like cheating on her. He didn't want to lose the progress he'd made with her, even to help Nathan, but he did owe his friend. He should just call Jena, explain that this wasn't really a date. She would understand.
Unless she already knew about it. Mary was her best friend; she would surely have told Jena about her big double date by now. And Jena had seemed sad when he last saw her. Ephraim closed his eyes. He was screwed.
“Hello? Ephraim?” Nathan said. Ephraim had completely tuned out Nathan's excited babbling.
“What?”
“I was asking you if we should get them something. Flowers? Candy?”
“They want us to bring them presents. Is that normal for a first date?” Ephraim asked.
“Oh, of course! Saturday's their birthday.”
“How do you know that?”
“Never underestimate the value of Internet research.”
“I think that's more commonly referred to as stalking.”
“This is huge. This isn't just dinner—this is their birthday dinner. They must be really into us.”
So now Ephraim had to buy presents for Mary and Shelley, and he was already practically broke. He was tempted to wish for some money, but he didn't know what other mischief that might get him into.
“Aren't you psyched?”
“Yeah,” Ephraim said. “This is going to be something.”
Louie's was a two-star restaurant with four-star aspirations. The white linen tablecloths and little candle bowls at every table confirmed Ephraim's fear that this dinner was going to bankrupt him. Fortunately, now that his mother had an office job she was apparently giving Ephraim an allowance, and she'd advanced him a couple of weeks’ worth for tonight.
“I'm glad I dressed up,” Nathan said. He was wearing a suit, complete with a red and blue striped tie, gray jacket, and matching slacks; he looked like his father. Ephraim had gone more casual with a brown sports jacket over his faded blue t-shirt, corduroys, and black Chucks. Yet somehow Nathan carried off his look without effort, while Ephraim still felt like he was trying too hard. Ephraim had taken a long time with his appearance—too long, considering he wasn't out to impress Mary.
“So which
“Listen, would it be okay if my friend Nathan came along? He really likes Shell—uh, fish. Shellfish.” Ephraim grimaced.
The girls laughed. “Well, yeah,” one said. “That's the whole point of a double date. Shelley's been looking forward to this all week.”
“Mary!” Shelley squealed. Ephraim jerked the phone away from his ear.
“I've been looking forward to it too, of course. Ephraim?” Mary said.
Ephraim felt like he'd been broadsided by a truck. What was going on? “Yes. I'll see you both tomorrow,” he said. “I can't wait.”
“Don't forget our presents!” they said in unison before hanging up.
This must be the coin's doing; Nathan was getting his wish. Ephraim dialed him up.
“We have a double date with Mary and Shelley on Friday night,” Ephraim said.
Nathan was silent.
“Say something,” Ephraim said.
“I don't know what to say.”
“How about, ‘I'm sorry, Ephraim. You were right about the coin.’”
“You're still playing with me.”
“I'm not.”
“You better not be lying about this. If you are, our friendship is over. I mean it,” Nathan said.
“You're going out. With Shelley. Tomorrow night. I just got off the phone with them.” Mary had called it a double date. If Nathan was paired with Shelley, that meant…
“Holy shit, Eph. This is completely amazing. This is going to be the best night of my life.”
Ephraim looked at the book Jena had given him. Even though they weren't properly dating yet, this felt kind of like cheating on her. He didn't want to lose the progress he'd made with her, even to help Nathan, but he did owe his friend. He should just call Jena, explain that this wasn't really a date. She would understand.
Unless she already knew about it. Mary was her best friend; she would surely have told Jena about her big double date by now. And Jena had seemed sad when he last saw her. Ephraim closed his eyes. He was screwed.
“Hello? Ephraim?” Nathan said. Ephraim had completely tuned out Nathan's excited babbling.
“What?”
“I was asking you if we should get them something. Flowers? Candy?”
“They want us to bring them presents. Is that normal for a first date?” Ephraim asked.
“Oh, of course! Saturday's their birthday.”
“How do you know that?”
“Never underestimate the value of Internet research.”
“I think that's more commonly referred to as stalking.”
“This is huge. This isn't just dinner—this is their birthday dinner. They must be really into us.”
So now Ephraim had to buy presents for Mary and Shelley, and he was already practically broke. He was tempted to wish for some money, but he didn't know what other mischief that might get him into.
“Aren't you psyched?”
“Yeah,” Ephraim said. “This is going to be something.”
Louie's was a two-star restaurant with four-star aspirations. The white linen tablecloths and little candle bowls at every table confirmed Ephraim's fear that this dinner was going to bankrupt him. Fortunately, now that his mother had an office job she was apparently giving Ephraim an allowance, and she'd advanced him a couple of weeks’ worth for tonight.
“I'm glad I dressed up,” Nathan said. He was wearing a suit, complete with a red and blue striped tie, gray jacket, and matching slacks; he looked like his father. Ephraim had gone more casual with a brown sports jacket over his faded blue t-shirt, corduroys, and black Chucks. Yet somehow Nathan carried off his look without effort, while Ephraim still felt like he was trying too hard. Ephraim had taken a long time with his appearance—too long, considering he wasn't out to impress Mary.
“So which
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