Meet Cute(69)

“I don’t have a usual type.” I avoid the other question. Besides, I’m not banging Kailyn. I like Kailyn. Actually, I more than like her.

“If you say so.”

A tall, leggy blonde with wide eyes and a smile to match sashays over, holding a pair of shots. “I’m sooooo sorry, but you’re Daxton Hughes, right?”

I bite back a sigh and plaster a smile on my face. It’s an automatic response, one I learned from acting and photo ops. The last thing I want is for someone to catch me mid–eye roll with a fan. I just want to have a conversation with my friend and not be hounded. I’ve gotten a lot more attention than usual since my parents passed. I thought I was over that, but the entire alumni conference showed me very clearly that’s not the case. Thank God Kailyn was there to make it easier.

“That would be me.”

She screeches and does a little excited dance. “I knew it! I brought you a shot! Can I get a selfie with you? My friends aren’t going to believe I met you if I don’t.”

“Yeah, sure, we can take a picture.” Hopefully she’ll go away after that.

I shift to the edge of the booth so she doesn’t get any ideas about climbing in with me. She takes about five thousand selfies in the span of thirty seconds, all of them complete with that duck lip thing girls do. Once she’s done and decided she has at least fifty photos she likes, she hugs me, and I’m pretty sure she sniffs me. “Thank you!” She steps back and flails a little. “Oh! Let’s do the shots!”

“Thanks, that’s really nice of you, but I have to drive later.” The last thing I want is to be roofied by a crazy fangirl. I smile, thinking about Kailyn’s reaction when I tell her about this.

“You’ll be fine after one shot.” She gives me an exaggerated pout.

“My buddy here likes shots.” I nod to Felix.

“Oh, hi!” She extends a hand. “Are you an actor, too? I don’t recognize you from TV.”

He shoots a look my way before he takes it. “I’m a lawyer.”

She makes a face. “Oh. Well, wanna do a shot with me anyway?”

Thankfully the rest of the guys show up and displace my new friend. I slide over, making room for them in the booth and putting distance between me and the fangirl. She disappears eventually and we talk sports and eat wings while we watch the game on the big screen behind the bar.

It’s loud, and the game isn’t particularly exciting, so I check my phone. I have social media alerts, and new messages from both Kailyn and Emme. I check the messages first to make sure everything is okay. They’ve sent pictures of their painted toes and fingernails. Emme’s are dark sparkly purple with little jewels or something stuck to the tip. I hope like hell she doesn’t think this is going to become a regular thing.

Kailyn has a French manicure.

I send her a private message meant for her eyes only.



Dax: You know what those pretty fingers would look great wrapped around?



She responds with an eggplant emoji.



Dax: I was going to say a glass of wine, but that works, too.

Kailyn: Lies ;) Hope you’re having fun.



More alerts come through for my social media so I check that, too, annoyed the fangirl has already posted the selfies she took on every single social media outlet she seems to have an account for, and of course I’m tagged in all of them. I untag myself where I can. It’s not like this hasn’t happened a million times before; it’s just been a few years since it’s been an issue.

I get home to find Kailyn and Emme sitting on the couch, heads nearly touching as they peer at my sister’s phone. There’s a mostly eaten bowl of Sour Patch Kids on the table, a treat I’ve started stocking up on since both Kailyn and Emme love them. “What’s going on over there?”

“Nothing!” Emme shoves her phone in her pocket and giggles, giving Kailyn a look I can’t decipher.

“We were just talking about the dance.” Kailyn’s smile tells me there’s more to the conversation, but I’m not going to hear about it.

Emme whispers something to Kailyn and she raises her brow. “You’ll have to ask him.”

Emme gives her puppy dog eyes, the kind that make me fold all the damn time, but when Kailyn doesn’t relent, Emme sighs and crosses her legs, knees bouncing as she looks to me. “So Ainsley Baker is having a sleepover after the dance.”

“Okay.” I wait for the rest.

“And I’ve been invited.”

“Is Ainsley a girl?” It’s a fairly androgynous name.

“Oh my gosh!” Emme flings her hands in the air and gives Kailyn her seriously? face.

“It’s a legitimate question, Emme. It’s both a girl and a boy name.”

“I wouldn’t ask to sleep over at a boy’s house! Yes. Ainsley is a girl.”

“How many friends will be at this sleepover?”

“Um, I think there are three of us, plus Ainsley.”

“Her parents will be there?”

Emme nods fervently and glances at Kailyn.

“Why don’t you give Dax her mom’s number so he can call and get the details?”

“Oh yeah! I have that. Hold on.” Emme pulls out her phone, and a few seconds later mine pings. “So can I go? Marnie is going and her parents already said yes.”