The Way to Game the Walk of Shame(15)

“Impossibly lovable. Hey, I gotta go. I think I hear my mom down the hall. Just think about it. The innocent debutante always reforms the rake in the end, you know.”

Even though she was crazy, Carly’s words kept racing through my mind. What if…?

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, I headed downstairs toward Dad’s office. I don’t know if it was the dark-green tweed furniture or the dusty shelves full of law books, but this was the only place I could think clearly. This was his domain that he had decorated himself. And by decorated, I mean, he drove to the furniture store, pointed to a couple of pieces, and told them where to ship it within five minutes, tops.

The rest of the house—besides my room, thank god—was decked out in bright, cheery colors and ruffles. It was like Barbie’s Dreamhouse had exploded. And since Dad didn’t care, I was outnumbered when it came to what color the curtains should be. Kimmy was still at the age where she loved pink and sequins. I’d hoped that she’d outgrow the girly stuff in two years when she turned eleven. I did. Of course, I outgrew a lot of things that year.

Even though I hadn’t made any noise when I crept in, it was like Oreo, our dog, sensed there was someone awake who could feed him. Despite the fact that he was a dachshund who got fed three times a day, he was always hungry. Always.

I closed the study door just as his paws came scampering down the hall. His dark nose instantly poked under the door, and he whined. The high-pitched yips sounded like he was being tortured.

Afraid that Mom or Dad would wake up, I jerked the door open. Oreo was sprawled out on the carpet, nose downturned as though he were still trying to get beneath the door. As soon as he saw me, he froze for a few seconds before slowly flopping on his back. His brown eyes stared at me, willing me to bend down and scratch his belly.

I snorted with laughter and rubbed his stomach for a few seconds before getting to my feet. “Come on, you can keep me company while I work.”

Before I got started, I moved around the office and rearranged a few things. Lining up the books on the shelves so they all faced out. Adjusting the shades so the perfect amount of moonlight would stream through the windows. The usual stuff that would otherwise distract me.

I worked through the night. Sunlight was starting to peek through the windows when I finished printing out the final copy of the contract. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. Finally, it was done. Now was the hard part—getting Evan to cooperate. And for that, I needed his number.

I immediately called Carly. That girl knew anything and everything that went on in that school. Too bad she was also too nosy for her own good. “Have you changed your mind about sleeping with him?”

My cheeks flushed hotly, and I thanked god no one could see me. I tapped my pen against the table so hard that the top flew off and rolled somewhere beneath the desk. “Carly, this really isn’t the time.” I dropped to the floor to search for the top. Capless pens were one of my biggest pet peeves. “Just get me his number, okay?”

“Already ahead of you. I messaged this girl who has it and already texted it to you. So are you going to let me in on this plan or what?”

“Let me figure it out first, and I’ll let you know.” I crossed my fingers. If things went according to plan, everything should be better by tomorrow morning.

“I guess that’s good enough for now. Call me if you need any more hotties’ numbers.”

Mom and Dad had already taken Kimmy to school, so the house was pretty quiet when I crept out of the office. Oreo woke when I was nearly down the hall. He let out a sharp bark and chased after me, nipping at my ankles with every step I took. I dug a can of dog food out of the pantry, scooped a large helping into his bowl, and refilled his water. For myself, I got a large glass of orange juice and made a piece of toast from the bread bin on the counter.

Once the spoiled rat Oreo was fed and I had nothing left on my napkin except crumbs, I knew I couldn’t put off the call anymore. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, then punched in the numbers before I lost my nerve. The phone rang twice before Evan picked up.

“Hello?”

My fingers traced the condensation on the glass. “Hi, Evan? This is, um, Taylor.” Silence. “Taylor Simmons? You know, the girl who, hm, we—uh, we—”

A throaty chuckle stopped my stuttering.

I realized I was gripping the glass with both hands and forced myself to let go. Just breathe, Taylor. You can do this. I rubbed my palms on my jeans to dry them. “Listen, I think we need to talk about the other night.”

“What happened to ‘Don’t talk about what happened to anyone’?”

Jeez, I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. “I’m … not just anyone,” I said lamely, unable to think of a better comeback.

“That’s for sure.”

Was that a compliment or an insult? I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “Let’s start over. I need to talk to you. Now. Can you come to my house?”

“You’re not at school?” The surprise was evident in his voice.

“No, I had a free period this morning.” I shook my head, forgetting that Evan didn’t take extra classes throughout the year like I did. He probably didn’t have any free periods. “I guess I could meet you after school somewhere.”

“That’s all right. I’m not at school, either.”