I flung the door open, a wide grin waiting for Maya.
Zack took a step back like I’d blinded him. “We’re… Y-You…”
Did he just stutter?
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Uh…” Zack blinked, then his lips moved again, but no sound came. He looked phenomenal in black pants and a dark gray sweater pushed up to expose his forearms. His hair was disheveled as though he didn’t care what anyone thought. Why was his lack of concern for his looks so sexy? “We should get going,” he finally managed to say.
I gathered my cool and pulled it close, forcing a smile. “Hi, Zack.”
He flinched, abruptly spinning and heading to his car. I followed him out and met him at the passenger side of his Jeep where he opened the door for me.
“Thank you.” Peeking inside the Jeep, I saw Trevor and Maya in the back.
“Hey, Autumn,” Trevor said.
Maya grinned, looking like she was going to burst.
“Shouldn’t one of them be in the front seat instead of me?” I asked Zack who was still standing beside me. It felt way too much like a double date with us separated into couples. Maya and Trevor made no move to rescue me.
“They wanted to sit together.” Zack made a motion for me to climb in.
I reluctantly settled in the passenger side.
“You look hot,” Maya said as Zack got behind the wheel.
“Thanks.” Finally a compliment after all my hard work. I beamed.
“Yeah, you look really nice, Autumn,” Trevor chimed in.
Zack made a noncommittal sound, engrossed in the stereo knob and finding a station. I really needed to lower my expectations where he was concerned. I turned in my seat, chatting with Maya and Trevor, until we stopped a few minutes later. Facing the front again, I saw a restaurant. Italian. My favorite.
We waited while they cleared a table for us. Maya and the boys didn’t have a problem hanging out in the waiting area, claiming a section of the bench right away. But I felt awkward with nothing to do.
“Ladies room, Maya?” I asked, still standing.
“Sure.” She jumped up, glancing back at her date. “We’ll be right back.”
We snaked between tables and dodged waiters as we made our way through the crowded restaurant. In the restroom, we went straight to the mirrors.
“Did you see the way Zack looked at you?” Maya giggled. “I think he likes you.”
I stared at her with my mouth open. “Are you kidding? He hates me.”
She tilted her head. “Really? I thought I felt a spark between you two.”
I laughed. “It’s called loathing. You don’t notice, because you’re too busy making goo-goo eyes at Trevor.”
“Isn’t he amazing?” She dug out her lipstick and opened it. “Zack’s pretty nice too. You’d see that if you gave him a chance.”
It was too complicated to explain, so I gambled that she might not notice a subject change. “You look great, by the way. Can’t go wrong with a little black dress.”
Maya glided the color over her mouth. “I just bought it. I got a few other things for our next get-together too. You think our table is ready yet?” She smacked her lips together and dropped the tube in her purse.
My eyes flared at the idea of another uncomfortable double date-ish night. “Let’s find out.”
The restaurant had become even busier during our short stint in the bathroom. Zack and Trevor were seated at a half-circle booth in the far corner. As Maya and I carefully weaved past tables and bodies, I wondered what the boys were talking about. If I tuned out the music coming from the speakers, the clanging of silverware and the din of other voices, could I focus on only their voices? I zeroed in on them and concentrated.
“What about you and Autumn?” Trevor asked.
Zack gave a short laugh. “She’s not my type.”
Trevor nodded thoughtfully. “Smokin’ hot isn’t your type?”
“Oh, she’s hot alright.” Zack laughed. “More than that — she’s freaking beautiful. But, dude, she’s way too high maintenance. She’s…” He shuddered. “Scary.”
“Autumn? She’s sweet. Maybe she’s only scary with you. Maybe she likes you, but she’s trying to hide it, because you behave like such a dog around her.”
Zack’s brows raised. “You think she likes me?”
I wanted to run screaming, but I squelched the urge when they noticed our approach. They scooted out of the booth, standing on either side of the table, so we could slide to the middle and be trapped. Lovely.
Maya slipped in on Trevor’s side, which left me next to Zack. I settled in and mulled over this new information. They thought because I wasn’t nice to Zack, I liked him? How horrifying. I’d have to rectify that as soon as humanly possible. But how? I could pretend not to care, act like nothing bothered me and be nice, no matter what. But not sweet nice. Casual nice. And a little emotionally remote. That would do it.