The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things(37)

I give Joe a smile as he sets a hand in the small of her back. It’s not a gesture that casts aspersions on her competence, more a quiet assertion that he’ll help if she needs it. After all, the driveway is rocky and she’s wearing heels. She kisses my cheek on the way out, then I scramble to finish getting ready. Shane will be here in an hour, and I don’t even know if this is a date.

Please let it be a date.

His comment about not expecting to find a friend echoes in my head. I can’t glam up too much or it’ll look like I’m trying too hard. Plus, I’ll probably burn my hair off if I try to use my aunt’s flat iron without supervision. In the end, I settle for jeans, a lacy sweater, and a T-shirt with sparkles on it, then it’s time to decide what to do with my hair. The usual ponytail doesn’t seem like a solution, so I brush it out and then aim the blow dryer at it for a few seconds. It’s a little fluffy but not too big. I tame it with a squirt of product from Aunt Gabby’s stash. She won’t mind if I borrow some earrings to go with my silver key necklace, so I dig into her jewelry box and find some hoops.

That leaves makeup. I don’t do foundation because to cover my freckles, I have to use too much and it looks caked on. Which leaves me with eyes and lips; I’m pretty good at those, though I don’t bother for every day. Five minutes later, there’s a knock. I scrub sweaty palms against my thighs as I move to answer, swinging the door wide to find Shane waiting. He looks as nervous as I feel; that makes things easier.

“Wow. You look beautiful. Not that you don’t always.” He’s about to stammer something else, and I feel like kissing him.

I don’t, obviously. That would take way more swagger than I possess.

He’s wearing the usual boots and jeans, but he traded his T-shirt for a blue button up and he has on a black jacket instead of the army one. It’s big on him, which makes me think it might be his dad’s. But he made the effort, and I can’t help thinking this means tonight counts as a date.

“Thanks. Ready to go?” I ask.

“Yeah. I hope you don’t mind walking. My limo’s in the shop.”

I smile at that. “I wouldn’t get in it, even if it was out front.”

Shane tilts his head, looking surprised. “Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you in a vehicle of any kind.”

Glad of this conversational opener, I explain my stance on the decadence of private cars burning fossil fuels. Cars also have pretty awful associations for me; my dad died in one. They took me away in one to foster care. When I was with my mom, I never rode in one, but afterward … well. That kind of stuff is too dark for a first date. Fortunately, Shane seems interested in the constructive reasons behind my boycott. This discussion carries us halfway downtown, mostly because he asks smart questions about how I cope in a small town with limited options for public transportation.

“It’s not easy,” I admit. “But I can ride my bike most places, and if I can’t, then I just don’t go. My aunt and I have taken the train to the city a few times, though.” I add the last part so he doesn’t think I advocate traveling by wagon.

“I admire your dedication,” Shane says, smiling.

My weirdness probably also takes the pressure off him to have a car. Since he knows I don’t want any part of that, he can’t imagine the date would go better if he had a sweet ride. A few minutes later, he takes my hand in a casual gesture. Did he think about it at all or reach for me instinctively?

At night, the Capitol looks cool with the white bulbs surrounding the marquee. Darkness softens the dilapidated lines, lending the old building a certain grace. Ryan and I came here occasionally when there was a show we wanted to see, so I’m used to half the town turning out to buy tickets. Tonight, according to the misspelled title on the sign, there’s a horror movie playing. I have no desire to see it, but I do want to sit in the dark with Shane. Somewhere in front, Ryan’s laugh rings out. I stretch up on my tiptoes and spy Gwen, Kenny, and Tara, along with my former best friend; I can’t tell if they’re on a double date, but I smother a laugh. At least it’s legal for Ryan to date Gwen. Given Tara’s general indifference to Kenny’s interest, I figure they’re just all hanging out. Shane’s brows draw together, probably wondering why I’m laughing, then he spots the group ahead of us.

“They’re funny for some reason?” he asks.

“It’s just ironic to see Ryan here when I’m trying to avoid him. But it’s a small town.” I shrug, wishing I could explain fully.

Shane nods, like this makes perfect sense. But if he can accept my other off-kilter ideas and my refusal to ride in a car, he likely thinks this is just a postscript to strangeness. We move up as the cashier processes others ahead, then it’s our turn at the window.

“Two, please.” He speaks for both of us before I can even touch my wallet.

“Eight dollars.”

Shane passes the girl a crumpled bill and she gives him back some change. So I murmur my thanks as we pass through the gilded doors into the faded luxury of the lobby. I nearly bump into Gwen, who doesn’t register anything odd about the fact that she’s with Ryan and I’m not.

She beams a Colgate smile. “I didn’t know you guys were coming. You want to find some seats while we get the junk food? We can settle up inside.”