The Way to Game the Walk of Shame(45)

“I do go on dates!”

“Of course you do,” I replied in a calming tone to placate her. It didn’t work, though. When she turned her irritated face to glare at me, I saved Kimmy from her grasp. “Why don’t you get me ready for a date, Kimmy?”

Taylor shook her head. “Oh no, I don’t think you want to—”

“’Course I do. Kimmy and I are tight like that.” I wrapped an arm around Kimmy’s tiny shoulders. “Besides, it sounds like fun.”

When Kimmy gleefully ran out of the living room to get her “stuff,” Taylor sent me a look that told me I’d regret my offer.

I did.

Minutes later, my face felt tight and heavy with cream and powder. Even though I told Kimmy I wanted a nice and natural look for my date, she aimed for all the bright primary colors in Taylor’s brand-new makeup set. My cheeks were swollen from being stabbed by the makeup brushes’ bristles, and my eyes ached from the eyelash curler. I didn’t know why girls put up with doing this every day.

But it was all worth it as Taylor lay on the floor beside us, weak from her peals of laughter. She would clench her stomach and try to sit up, but one look at me and she’d collapse again.

Her cheeks were wet with tears. She beamed up at me so wide that I could barely see her eyes.

Yeah, it was definitely worth it.





14

{Taylor}


The night wind rustled through my hair as I leaned out the passenger window of Brian’s car and pointed a finger at Carly. “Are you sure you don’t want us to stay? We could go to the party with you. We don’t mind.”

“Positive. How am I supposed to start my schmoozing if you guys are hanging around?” She slung her purse over her shoulder and winked at us. Her flowy green skirt swirled around her legs. “No offense.”

“None taken,” I said drily. I still wasn’t sure about leaving Carly behind, but she wanted to join this theater group after graduation, and this party could be her way in. Besides, if there was anyone who could take care of herself, it was Carly.

“Speak for yourself. I’m very offended.” Brian jabbed at the button to roll up the window. “Let’s go, Taylor, before she changes her mind.”

I laughed as Carly jumped back and stuck out her tongue at us before heading back into the theater. Brian pulled the car out of the parking lot and slowed down next to her. “Good luck. You’ll knock them dead.”

“I know. How could anyone resist me?”

Brian snorted and drove off once she got back inside. “Nice to see that she doesn’t need any help in the confidence department.”

“Yeah, but I like to think that she still needed us for moral support.” Without waiting for his answer, I scooted a little closer and held my thumb and index finger an inch apart. “Just a tad. No harm in taking a little bit of the credit.”

“Hell, she’s not here. We could take all the credit.”

I grinned and patted his shoulder. “You’re right. It was all because of us. We’re awesome!”

The car swerved the teeniest bit as Brian snickered into his left fist. “As long as you don’t let it get to your head.”

“Too late. I do regret one thing.” I let out a sigh and patted my stomach. “I shouldn’t have skipped dinner.”

Switching hands on the steering wheel, Brian opened the compartment between our seats and fumbled through the neatly wrapped wires for his cell charger and iPod. “Well, I don’t have anything to feed you, but maybe this would help.” He handed me a pack of spearmint gum.

I accepted the gum with a grin. “Thanks. Do you want one?”

“No, I have my own.” He patted the chest pocket of his green-checkered button-down shirt. “I don’t like spearmint.”

“Oh, right.” I forgot that he liked fruity bubble gum. I hated those with a passion. They were so sweet that I’d always end up swallowing them when I was younger. My mom told me that since gum doesn’t digest, sooner or later it would just build up and fill my entire stomach. Great thing to tell your daughter right before Halloween.

I popped two pieces in my mouth. “Why do you have this spearmint gum if you don’t like it?”

“It’s for you.” He gave me a small grin. The streetlight flickered in his dark eyes. “I always buy some to have around in case you want it.”

I blinked dumbly at him. “Me?”

His grin faded a little, and he looked away. “Well, you and anybody else that wants it. You know what I mean.”

“Oh.” For a split second, I thought he meant specifically me. Which made no sense. Why would he buy something just in case I would want it someday? It was crazy of me to even think that.

Still, something in the air was a little weird. I leaned forward to mess with his CDs in the compartment beneath the stereo. My fingers ran along the plastic covers. They were already perfectly lined up—according to specific genres—and facing the same direction.

In fact, everything in Brian’s car was immaculate. No dust or dirt on the carpet or dashboard. Windows were so squeaky clean that a bird could probably fly right into them. And it still had a new-car smell, even though he had driven this car since he moved to Wilmington. This was exactly how I imagined my car would look if I had one.