“Oh, just our first race of the wedding events. You’re going to have so much fun this week, especially with your pro-acting skills to tap into.”
“Oh, I’m not a professional actress.” Worse, it’d take far more dramatic skills than I possessed to convince the world I was good at outdoor activities. “Or a racer.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll love this.”
I trailed after the bride-to-be, who led me to a row of tall, plastic orbs, hollow and with room for a person inside. Or—wait. Make that two persons. In the first three, couples already waited.
“Does your girlfriend always wear the crown and gown? Because it totally rocks. Rocks and rolls?” Parley pointed to the huge plastic ball. “Get it?” He slapped Calvin’s back.
I liked the guy more and more. His dumb puns were oddly endearing—and so different from the guy I’d pictured as the best pal of Calvin Turner, slickest of schmoozers.
“You can stop with the bad jokes now, dude.” Calvin apparently didn’t picture Parley so goofy either. “What’s gotten into you?” He shot a look at Ellen, who was diving head-first into a sphere labeled The Bride and Groom.
“Let’s go, Parley baby!” Ellen motioned him over.
Parley winked at Calvin. “Love, I guess.” He jogged toward Ellen but called over his shoulder. “You should try it sometime.”
“I’m already trying it, pal.” Calvin slipped an arm around my waist and yanked me against his solid ribcage. “See?”
That was my cue! “He sure is.” I rested my head on Calvin’s shoulder. “Calvin’s smitten with me.”
Unfortunately, Parley only barked a laugh and then climbed inside his human hamster sphere with Ellen.
“Weak effort,” Calvin whispered into my ear hotly. “No Hobbitburg for you.” His hot breath seeped down my neck.
A weird giggle escaped my throat, maniacal, like I’d lost control of my faculties. I gurgle-choked it back. “I’m building up to it. It’s a crescendo, dude. Haven’t you ever heard of that?”
Calvin turned and faced me, his gaze smoky and playful. “Trust me, I know about crescendos.”
Glowing embers of Calvin’s penetrating gaze flipped all my insides to my outsides and then back again. I shuddered to rearrange myself. “Let’s just get going. Everyone’s waiting.”
I hitched up my heavy silver skirt and marched toward our ball, in all its clear-plastic-hexagons of inflated glory. I’d show him crescendo.