Secret Kiss by Melanie Shawn Page B

He was her first, so she hadn’t had any frame of reference. She’d settled for having unfulfilling sex once every six months, because even though she hadn’t truly believed it, she’d worked very hard to convince herself that it must be normal. That is, until two weeks before graduation, when she’d walked in on Peter and his roommate, Mark, having what looked like quite fulfilling sex to both of them.
    The incident should’ve taught her to trust her instincts more. But it hadn’t.
    “Holy hot tamale!” Nikki fanned herself as she sat down in the seat Adam had vacated. “You and Daaaam have so many sparks flying. I’m surprised you haven’t set off the sprinklers.”
    “Daaaam?” Amy sat on the other side of Nikki, her brow furrowed.
    “Adam,” Nikki explained, seeming quite proud of herself. “I was telling Jane that, every time I see that boy, he’s so fine I just think damn. Then I realized that the letters in his name spell it.”
    Tilting her head, Amy pointed out, “They spell the noun form of dam that relates to reservoirs.”
    “Tomayto, tomatoe.” Nikki waved her sister’s observation off. Then, turning her full attention towards Jane, she rubbed her hands together and whispered conspiratorially, “Okay, quick. Before the guys come back. Spill.”
    “What?” Jane wasn’t sure what information Nikki wanted. But her friend’s enthusiasm level alone caused butterflies to start a house party in her stomach.
    Nikki didn’t miss a beat. “You and Adam. What’s going on? What’s the four-one-one? Details, please. Don’t leave anything out.”
    “There’s no… I don’t… We just…” Jane had no idea what to say. This wasn’t a real date, and the one person who should know that was Nikki. She was the one who’d set the entire thing up. “Nothing. Nothing’s going on.”
    Amy’s and Nikki’s faces lit up.
    Their expressions caused Jane to feel uncharacteristically defensive. “What? There isn’t.”
    “You keep telling yourself that.” Nikki continued to grin like she knew something Jane didn’t.
    Jane was as flustered as a tornado ripping through a dusty field. And totally out of her element. She wasn’t the girl other girls came over to gossip with. She was the girl looking in from the outskirts. The girl who was overlooked. The girl who observed from afar.
    Being the center of attention wasn’t all she’d imagined it to be.
    Amy reached across the table and squeezed Jane’s hand. “Well, can I just say, you look so beautiful tonight.”
    Jane appreciated Amy’s conversation redirection, even if it was still centered on her. She ran her hands down the form-fitting bodice of her dress and let out a breath of relief. “Thanks. I’ve seemed to have put on some weight since moving to Hope Falls, and when I realized about an hour before I needed to be ready to go that none of the gowns I had fit, I almost canceled.”
    “That dress definitely fits.” Nikki let out a low whistle. “You are one hot mama.”
    A blush crept up Jane’s face. “I practically poured myself into it. It never used to be this snug.”
    “Well, it seems snug is working for you. Incoming at three o’clock,” Nikki said under her breath as she lifted her eyebrows.
    “Incoming?” Jane repeated as she looked up and saw Eli walking—with purpose—straight towards her. His lips were turned up in a half smile, and he looked like a man on a mission.
    Out of sheer habit, Jane glanced behind herself. Yes, he was definitely heading in her direction, but the object of his single-minded energy had to be someone else.
    “Hello, ladies,” he greeted Amy, Nikki, and Jane, smiling as he stopped beside the table. “You all look lovely tonight.”
    “Thanks,” Amy and Jane responded at the same time that Nikki said, “You’re lookin’ pretty sharp yourself.”
    Jane had to smile. Mike had told her that Nikki wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met before in his life. He’d said that she was