or not, I needed to meet him on my own turf. I was still skeptical that Tanner was a great catch. Why was he willing to date a high school girl? And why would he need a setup? Then again, why did I?
I bounced on my bed and checked my watch.
âWill you relax, already?â Monet said.
âWhat if he doesnât like me?â I said. âOr worse, what if heâs a troll?â
âHeâs not a troll.â
I ignored her comment. âIf heâs a troll, weâre not going to Wicked Jackâs,â I warned.
âHeâs not a troll, I promise.â
She was right. He was definitely not a troll, at least not on the outside.
I gave him the once-over as Monet introduced us. He was taller than Connor, I noticed with satisfaction. Blond hair, blue eyes, broad shoulders. Pretty much the epitome of my type, so why did I feel like something was missing?
âWhere would you like to go for dinner?â Tanner said politely, after weâd exchanged a few pleasantries.
I met Monetâs eye and winked. âMonet and I thought we could go to Wicked Jackâs.â
Scott groaned, but he didnât complain.
On the ride over, I asked Tanner a few questions: major (undeclared), sport (baseball, like Connor).
Finally, I decided to ask straight out what I really wanted to know. âWhat made you agree to go out with me? I mean, youâre in college. Iâm sure you could have your pick of girls.â
He blushed. âUh, I saw a picture of you. Scott mentioned that youâd recently broken up with your boyfriend. So we have that in common.â
âYou recently broke up with your boyfriend?â The words came out before I could restrain myself. As usual.
âHuh?â he said. His face clouded over.
Poor Tanner was dumb as a stump. It was becoming clear to me now.
âNever mind,â I muttered. âDo you still talk to your ex much?â
âEvery day,â he said.
I lifted an eyebrow.
âWeâre still good friends,â he said. âAnd I miss her. You look a lot like her. Annabel has the sweetest disposition.â
I hoped Monet could hear this in the front seat. Sheâd set me up with a lovelorn fool who thought I looked like his ex. And I thought he looked like my ex.
I suppressed a caustic comment with difficulty. We were almost at Wicked Jackâs. No time for the reply dancing on my tongue. I needed to give the impression that everything was peachy.
The restaurant was packed. I smiled at Tanner sweetly and wrapped my arm around his bicep. I gave the impression that I was absorbed in his every word, but my eyes scanned the room. Who was there?
Olivia Kaplan, sitting at a booth with Hannah and a bunch of their friends. Good.
Connor and Angie, sitting in a dark corner. Angie looked amazing in a simple green dress. A little much for the restaurant, but judging by the way Connor had his tongue down her throat, he didnât seem to mind.
I waved to Ava, who was sitting with a bunch of kids from Monetâs art class.
My stomach lurched when I met Devâs eyes. What was he doing at Wicked Jackâs on a Saturday night? He was with the guys from the swim team and didnâtsee the little wave I gave him. Beth was giving him the eye from a table a few feet away. Stalker, much?
I was one to talk, I know. Of course, I picked Wicked Jackâs because I knew Connor would probably be there. He was a creature of habit, utterly lacking in originality. It had never bothered me before, but now Connorâs little flaws were getting on my nerves.
All the tables were full, so we had to wait for an opening.
âIâm starving,â I said. âLetâs wait over here.â I headed for a table of freshman girls. It was clear from the pile of empty dishes that theyâd been there for a while. I gave a little blonde an icy stare and she practically leaped to her feet.
âBehave yourself,â Monet hissed, âand
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