The Pretty One(41)

“That’s sweet,” Drew says, grinning again.

A car door slams and we both instinctively turn toward the sound. I can hear kids talking and laughing and even though we can’t see them, I have a feeling it’s more drama students arriving for the party.

“So what about you?” Drew asks. “What kinds of questions would I ask you if I was trying to make conversation?”

“Food.” I immediately cover my mouth. Did I just say food? Oh man, I’m hopeless. “I didn’t mean to say that. Ask me again.”

“No take backs. So what’s your favorite food?”

It’s so ridiculous that I can’t help but laugh. “Sausages.”

Drew begins to laugh, too, and I’m filled with a surge of pride. “Can I ask you something?” I say.

“About my boots or my momma?”

“If you don’t like parties then why are you here?”

It seems like an obvious question but I can tell from the surprised look on his face he wasn’t expecting it.

“Good question. I’m trying to make myself do things because if I gave into my instincts, I would just be a hermit. And also because, well, sometimes I get lucky and find someone I really like talking to.”

Drew is looking me in the eyes again. My spirit starts to soar right along with my heart. Is he talking about me? Am I the person who is going to make him lucky? Please God, please?

Just then we’re interrupted by the sound of the glass door behind us sliding open. “Here she is!” George calls out, bounding outside to join us. He’s out of breath and rivulets of perspiration are beading on his forehead. “I didn’t want you to think I was ignoring you.” George gives me a peculiar look. “Aren’t you hot?” He reaches out and unzips my hoodie.

It’s an intimate act, a boyfriend-girlfriend thing to do, and from the expression on Drew’s face, it has not escaped his attention. Drew glances from George to me, as if he’s trying to figure out what the connection is.

“Hey,” Lucy says cheerfully to me, stepping out onto the deck. “I was wondering where you were!”

She gives me a big cheeser, like I’m the Mary-Kate to her Ashley even though I haven’t spoken with her since the incident in our bedroom and had no idea that she had even arrived. “Hey, Drew,” Lucy says, turning her significant charm on him. “So what are you guys doing out here? Let me guess—shop talk! No more of that!” She playfully wags her finger at Drew.

Drew laughs as the two of them share a meaningful gaze. It only lasts a split second but it still counts.

“Can I have a sip of your water, babe?” George asks me. Drew raises his eyebrows as if to say “Babe?”

I want to push Lucy off Drew and tell Drew that I don’t belong to George but instead I say, “Um, okay,” and do my best not to look repulsed as I hand him my glass.

“Come on, Drew,” Lucy says, giving him a tug on his arm.

“Come on where?” he asks.

“Jane found a Scrabble board. I need you and your dictionary.” Lucy looks at me and says rather knowingly, “Drew always carries a dictionary.” She turns back toward Drew and leans into him, flirtatiously reaching her hand into his shirt pocket. “Where is it?”

Question, tease, touch. I can barely stand to watch.

“Not there,” Drew says with an uncomfortable chuckle.

“Where then?” Lucy reaches behind him and feels up his butt. “I got it,” she says, pulling it out of his back pocket and showing it to us.

I think I’m going to be sick.

“All right,” Drew says, grinning at her. “I’ll be your partner.”

I have to do something quick! Question, tease, touch. Question, tease, touch! “You always carry a dictionary?” I ask. Question!

“Always,” Lucy responds. “He learns a new word each day.”

George takes a few loud and noisy gulps of my water, then wipes the dribble off his chin with his sleeve. “He’s a writer. He likes words.”

“Here’s one,” Lucy says, dodging out of the way as Drew tries to get his dictionary back. “Gemeinschaft,” she giggles. “A spontaneously arising organic sexual relationship.”

“What?” Drew smiles and takes the dictionary back. He holds it up to the light of the moon so that he can see. Even though Lucy was reading just fine in the dark, she leans in on him, her chest resting on his arm as she pretends to read it again over his shoulder. Much to my dismay, Drew doesn’t jab her in the boobs with his elbow and knock her off the balcony. Instead he smiles and says, “Not sexual. Social. An organic social relationship.”

“Oops,” Lucy says with yet another flirtatious giggle.

She’s good, I’ll give her that. But it’s not over yet. “I think dictionaries are cool,” I announce in a really loud, unnatural voice.

Drew, Lucy, and George gape at me. “Oh really?” my sister says, in a smug tone usually reserved for sarcastic replies to our mother. “That’s funny considering the only time I’ve ever seen you use a dictionary is when you put it on the chair and stood on it so you could reach the Halloween candy Dad hid from you in the top cupboard.”

I stare at her, speechless. In one fell swoop Lucy announced to the man of my dreams that I was not only stupid but stupid with an eating disorder.