True. I don’t think she’s ever lost to Antonio in a game of table tennis. But then, neither have I.
I pour soda into two plastic cups. “What can I say? Some things change.”
“You do seem to have changed.”
I meet her gaze and try to decipher what I see in her eyes. Is that awe? Admiration?
“Do you like it?” I ask her.
She looks away and shrugs. “It’s a nice surprise, I guess. Not that you weren’t nice before. You’re still nice. But you’ve also become… interesting.”
Interesting. Not exactly the word I was looking for. But I’ll take it, both as a compliment and a glimmer of hope. Who knows? Maybe she’s starting to realize that it’s not Antonio she wants. Of course, she still thinks I’m Antonio, but if all goes well, maybe I can tell her I’m not by the end of tonight. Maybe she’ll get mad, but eventually, she’ll realize that I’m not as bad as she thinks I am – and that she finds me more interesting than my twin brother.
I give her a grin. “Thanks.”
She grabs one of the cups and takes a sip. “Just so you know, that already counts as one question, okay?”
“Okay.”
I take my cup and follow her to the bench by the pool. She sits down and I do the same.
“So…” Jodie turns to me. “What else do you want to know?”
I already know what I want to ask. “Have you ever had a boyfriend?”
I know she doesn’t have one now or she wouldn’t have called me to hang out. Or Antonio, that is.
She shakes her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
She strokes her cup. “Because none of the boys I’ve been around seem good enough. Some of them are nice, yes. Some of them are funny. Some of them are cute. But none of them are…”
She draws a deep breath.
“None of them are like your first crush?” I ask her.
She looks at me with wide eyes.
Yup, I’m right. I know now that Jodie really liked Antonio. I don’t mind, not now that I know she likes me, too. If she liked Antonio but she finds me more interesting, I have a good chance.
Jodie sips from her cup, then holds up four fingers. “That’s four questions already, you know.”
“Three,” I correct her before drinking from my own cup. “You didn’t answer the last one.”
She sighs. “Since when did you get so nosy and stubborn?”
“I believe I’m asking the questions, and I do believe you promised to answer them truthfully.”
“Fine.” She puts her cup down and turns to me. “None of them were like you.”
“So if I asked you to go out with me, would you?” I blurt out.
She’s just being so brave and honest that I suddenly have an urge to be the same.
Jodie doesn’t answer. She just looks at me with arched eyebrows and turns away. Her cheeks look rosier than ever.
I place my hand over hers. “Would you?”
She looks into my eyes only for a moment, then tries to pull her hand away. I hold it fast.
“You need to answer truthfully, remember?” I remind her.
She swallows. “I admit I’ve been thinking about you and wanting to see you, and now that I have, I’m just… taken over. You look great and you’re this incredible guy. There’s nothing about you I don’t like, but I never thought you’d ask me this question and now that you have, I’m just in awe and I’m – ”
The rest of her speech vanishes as I lean forward and seal her lips with mine. A part of me tells me it’s not right, that it’s too soon, but the moment I heard her say there was nothing about me she didn’t like, I could no longer help myself.
I like her. I always have. There’s no other girl I’d rather ask out or kiss.
But Jodie doesn’t kiss me back. She pulls away and leaves the bench. After a few steps, she stops. I see her hands go over her face.
Is she crying?
I frown. Maybe it is too soon, after all. Maybe I was too rash. I mean, we only did just meet again, even though we’ve known each other for so long.
What was I thinking?
I walk towards her. “Jodie, I’m…”
“I’m fine.” She lifts a hand and draws a deep breath. “I’m not mad, I just… I need…”
She fails to put her feelings into words as she walks away. She isn’t looking where she’s going, so she ends up bumping into a guy.
“Sorry,” I hear her mumble as she steps back.
“Hey.” The older guy, who has short, dark hair and lots of silver, rubs his chin and grins. “I remember you. You’re Mandy’s friend. You know, I’ve taught Mandy a few things. Want me to teach you, too? I’m a very good teacher.”
My shoulders tense. Asshole.
“No, thanks,” Jodie mutters as she takes a few more steps back.