The Friendship List(42)

“Let’s change the subject,” he said gently. “Great weather we’re having.”

She glanced at him, then away. After returning her attention to him, she said, “You’re different than I thought you’d be. Although to be honest, I had no idea what to expect.”

“Is reality better or worse?”

She smiled. “Better. But I am confused about one thing. You’re this rich, good-looking, successful guy. Why are you here?”

An excellent question he’d asked himself several times. “I told you. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“In a boy-girl way?”

“Some. Why did you say yes?”

“I wanted to go skydiving.”

Ouch. “Honest, but painful.”

“Why? Oh, because I wasn’t thinking about you.” She ducked her head, then straightened. “But I’ll think of you now. After today.”

“Yay, me.”

“This is very confusing.”

“For both of us.”

She finished her glass of champagne. “What happens now?”

He flagged the server and ordered Unity a second glass. When they were alone, he said, “That’s up to you. My suggestion is we try this again and see what happens.”

“You mean go out?”

“Yes.”

She considered the question. He watched her, looking for clues as to what she was thinking. There weren’t any.

His head told him they were doomed—that he was a fool and he should get out while he could. His gut was less sure. Unity intrigued him. Maybe it was just the appeal of the unfamiliar. Maybe it was something else. Freddy would tell him he had a death wish.

She pulled a sheet of paper out of her handbag. “So I have this list I made with my friend Ellen. We’re both in a rut and we’re going to spend the summer helping each other get out of it. We’ve set it up as a contest. Whoever does the most stuff on the list wins.”

“Is there a prize?”

“A spa weekend.” She smiled. “I want to win.”

“You have a competitive side?”

“Sometimes. Would you mind if we did some stuff on my list? You know, for the challenge with Ellen?”

She passed over the piece of paper. He read it cautiously, not sure what to expect. Item five caught his attention. Sex with a handsome (and age-appropriate) man. He was up for that. The other one he liked had her wearing a dress without a bra. But he had a feeling she wasn’t going to want to go for any of those.

“How about we try rock climbing?” he asked, picking one of the items least likely to scare her off.

“That would be a good one. Or something else, if you’d prefer,” she added primly, as if aware she was being demanding while offering little in return.

“Unity, do you want to go out with me again?”

She fidgeted in her seat, glanced away, then back at him. “Yes.”

The answer he’d been hoping for, the answer that should have relieved him. Yet he knew that nothing about what they were doing was simple for either of them.

“Then we’ll go out,” he told her. “We’ll figure out the rest of it from there.”

“I like that,” she said with a smile that kicked him in the gut and warned him he was playing a very dangerous game.



eleven


Ellen couldn’t believe how much getting a tattoo hurt. The needle just kept going and going, making her want to scream that she had changed her mind. Only she couldn’t. Last night Unity had told her she’d gone skydiving. Skydiving! At an indoor place, but still. Ellen still couldn’t figure out the stupid smoky eye and Unity was flinging herself into some air tunnel.

Even more startling, she’d gone with a man! And they’d agreed to go out again. Had anyone but Unity told her that, Ellen would have assumed the person was lying. But Unity had always been totally honest, which meant in less than a week, she’d gone on a date and been skydiving.

Game on, Ellen thought, gritting her teeth against the jabbing, piercing pain. She was getting a tattoo for sure. How much longer could it take?

After what felt like three days of torture, she was finally done. Ellen listened carefully to the instructions, took the offered salve and soap she was supposed to use while it healed and walked gingerly to the waiting area.

Lissa came to her feet. “Did you do it? How was it?”

“Yes and painful.”

The teen grinned. “Can I see it?”

“Not for a couple of hours. I have to keep on the bandage.” Ellen pressed her hand against the throbbing on her left, rear hip. “Then I wash it and apply this stuff.” She waved the salve. “Then I live my life.”

There were other instructions. No soaking in water for three weeks, no scrubbing. She had a list.

Lissa hugged her. “I’m so proud of you. That’s impressive.”

“Believe me, I was tempted to stop about fifty times.”

Ellen opened her Uber app and requested a car, then the two of them went outside. The afternoon was a balmy seventy-two degrees, the sky a perfect blue.

They’d arrived in San Diego the previous afternoon. Two of the students had appointments at the college. The rest would simply tour the campus and get a feel for what attending UC San Diego would be like. Ellen had decided to use the tour time to get her tattoo. She’d been surprised when Lissa had offered to go with her.