I sneak a glance at his table again. He’s reading the menu like it’s a fascinating book. “I don’t know,” I say, trying to pretend I don’t care.
Liv stares at me. “Wait, do you like him?”
“No,” I protest unconvincingly. “He’s just, uh, a nice guy, you know?”
“You don’t have to lie. Every girl in Carrefour has had a crush on Caleb Shaw at some point. I even liked him for thirty seconds. But sooner or later, everyone realizes he just doesn’t date.”
“But I thought he used to date Peregrine.”
Liv frowns. “That was really short-lived. I wasn’t at Pointe Laveau yet, so I don’t know all the details, but I hear he just wasn’t that into her, and everyone sort of knew it except her.”
I’m embarrassed by how happy this makes me. But then something occurs to me. “Maybe he’s gay,” I say, my heart sinking a little.
“No. Believe me, Max has asked. Several times.”
I laugh, but before I can say anything in reply, Liv’s already standing up.
“I have an idea,” she says before waving her hands dramatically in the air. “Caleb!” she yells across the bar. “Over here!”
He hesitates before getting up and walking slowly in our direction. I can feel the hairs on my arms standing on end as he comes closer.
“Hey,” he says in a low voice. His sky-blue eyes flick to me for an instant and land back on Liv. “What’s up?”
“Well first of all, Caleb, I didn’t know you hung out in the Périphérie.”
“I do sometimes.”
“But you live in central Carrefour, right?”
“Right.”
“So Caleb, I was wondering if you could do me a favor,” she continues. “I picked Eveny up, and I don’t mind driving her home. But seeing as you live right by her, maybe you’d be willing to do it?”
Caleb looks startled, so I jump in to say, “Liv, that’s really not necessary.”
“Oh, but Eveny, I have to talk business with Drew and the band.” Liv turns to Caleb with a faux-serious expression. “Plus, I’ve been drinking,” she says. “Like, a lot.”
“Liv, I’m sure Caleb is busy. And you said yourself you only did one shot.”
“Caleb, are you really that busy?” Liv asks immediately. “I mean, you’re going home anyway, right?”
“Uh, yeah, sure, that’s fine,” he says. “But I was about to leave, actually. I don’t want to cut your night short.” I feel like curling up and vanishing; it’s so obvious he doesn’t want to give me a ride.
I open my mouth to tell him to forget we even asked, but Liv elbows me in the ribs.
“Would you excuse us for a minute, Caleb?” I ask. He looks uncertain as I grab Liv’s arm and drag her a few feet away. “What are you doing?” I demand.
“Just getting you a little alone time with the hottest guy in Carrefour.”
“I didn’t ask you for that!” I exclaim.
“You didn’t have to,” she says with a shrug. “Besides, I was kind of hoping this would give me some time to talk with Drew.”
“Talk? Or make out?” I tease.
Her cheeks turn a little pink. “To talk about the band, Eveny.”
I’m about to argue further when Caleb comes up behind us. “You ready to go?” he asks.
“If you’re sure you don’t mind taking me.”
Liv’s already slinking away from us. “Later, you guys,” she says, winking at me.
“My Jeep’s this way.” Caleb begins walking toward the exit without waiting for me, and even when I hurry to catch up, he keeps a few feet of distance between us.
“I’m sorry about that,” I say. “I didn’t ask Liv to do that.”
“I know.”
“What are you doing here, anyhow?” I ask when he opens his passenger door for me.
“Driving you home,” he says in an even tone. “We’re neighbors, and Liv asked me to, in case you don’t remember.”
He waits for me to get in and buckle my seat belt, then he shuts my door and goes around to the driver’s side. Once he’s buckled in and has started the engine, I say, “What I mean is, what are you doing here? At Domion?”
“Listening to music, same as you,” he says. “Why, are you implying I’m following you?”
“No, of course not!” I feel like an idiot.
For a moment, I’m sure he’s about to say something else. But he puts the car in gear, mumbles something to himself, and backs out of his parking space.
It’s not until we’re almost out of the parking lot that I realize I’ve walked out without saying good-bye to Drew.