Back to You(37)

“Oh. Um, I have class tonight.”
“Not tonight. I was thinking this Saturday.”
“I can’t.”
Whatever expression crossed his face, it must have been pathetic, because she immediately added, “It’s not because I don’t want to. I just…I already have plans.”
“A date?” he asked, instantly embarrassed by his own brazenness. “Sorry,” he added quickly. “That’s none of my business.”
“It’s okay. But, um…maybe another time?” She smiled politely up at him, and he nodded.
“Sure. That sounds good,” he said, and as soon as she turned and walked back into the classroom, he pulled his brow together and looked down.
“Erin Delaney,” the curly-haired woman called, and seconds later Erin came bounding out of the room.
“Hi Daddy!” she beamed, hugging him around the leg, and he bent and scooped her up.
“Hi baby girl. Did you have a good day?”
“Yes! We played hide-and-seek and I won!”
Michael laughed. “Good job,” he said, kissing her forehead before he put her down and took her hand. “Maybe we can play tonight after dinner.”
“Okay, but you’re gonna lose!” she sing-songed. “I’m really, really good.”
As they walk straight ahead"> shouldered out to the car, Michael tried to focus on what he’d make for dinner that night and where he would hide when Erin asked him to play later.
But instead, his mind kept going back to the fact that Lauren had a date this Saturday night.
He had been right when he said it was none of his business. It wasn’t. Yet he couldn’t help feeling irritated by the whole thing. It was ridiculous; he knew that. He was trying to reestablish a friendship with her, so why should he care if she was dating someone else?
He kept asking himself that question, although he damn well already knew the answer.
It would be hard enough trying to win back her trust, he reminded himself, hard enough trying to earn back her friendship. So he needed to put a lid on whatever possessive, jealous bullshit was fueling his thoughts. He needed to get a grip, and fast.
Because if he thought for one second he had a shot at anything else, he was out of his mind.

June 2001
Lauren sat on Jenn’s bed, reading aloud the questions to the latest Cosmo quiz titled, “Are You Good-Girl Hot or Bad-Girl Hot?” to Jenn at her insistence.
“Last question,” Lauren said. “You spot a cute guy across the room at a party, and your interest is piqued. Do you: (a) Stroll right over and whisper, ‘Need another drink?’ breathily in his ear; (b) Stay put until he finally chats with a mutual friend and then make your move; or (c) ‘Accidentally’ brush up against him, smile, and introduce yourself?”
“Hmm,” Jenn said as she put the cap back on her nail polish and gently blew on her freshly painted fingernails. “C.”
Lauren smiled and shook her head, jotting that down as she totaled up Jenn’s points. “Okay,” she finally said. “According to the Cosmo gurus, you are a Badass Bombshell.”
Jenn nodded proudly. “Damn straight. What else does it say?”
“It says you strike the right balance between being naughty and nice, and you lure guys in by being playfully provocative. You put just enough out there to keep guys guessing, and anticipation is sexy.”
“Sounds about right,” Jenn said with a smile, hopping up on the bed next to Lauren and holding her hands up with her fingers fanned out. “You like?”
“Very pretty,” Lauren said, closing the magazine and tossing it to the floor as she flopped onto her stomach. “What do you want to do now?”
“Hmm. Oh, I know. Let’s talk about how hopelessly in love you are with Del.”
Lauren whipped her head toward her friend. “What? What the hell are you talking about?”
Jenn tilted her head. “Oh come on, Lauren.”
She turned away from Jenn with a huff. “It’s too bad there’s not a quiz in there about how well you know your friends, because you’d fail it miserably.”
“Would I?” Jenn asked, and Lauren ignored her, reaching for the remote and trying hard to focus on the television as she flipped quickly through the channels.
“I still don’t know what you see in him,” Jenn went unreadable.
A silence filled the space between them, and Lauren chewed on the corner of her lip.
“How?” she asked softly.
“I knew it!” Jenn yelled, hopping up onto her knees as she pointed at Lauren.
“Yes, you’re a genius,” Lauren deadpanned. “Are you going to help me or make fun of me?”