Chapter 21 Ditched
Twenty-One
Ditched
A tap fell on my shoulder. It was Priya, breathing hard. “You’re supposed to meet Dallas at O’Sullivan’s.”
“O’Sullivan’s?”
“The Irish grill and pub down the road. They have a tent set up in their parking lot.”
Emma pulled on Priya from behind her. “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Priya ignored her and turned back to me. “I’ll go with you if you want.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I kind of feel weird about it.”
“Wait a second.” Emma stepped in between us now.
I looked straight at her.
“I thought we hated him,” Emma said.
Priya glanced at her. “It turns out we don’t. We’re going to O’Sullivan’s—are you coming with us?”
Emma frowned. “I guess, but I’m so confused, and what about Jay?”
He was still with his cross-country friends, watching the next race.
“Looks like he already ditched us. We’ll text him.” Priya grabbed my arm. “Let’s go.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked Priya, keeping up with her as Emma trailed behind. “Why are you working so hard at making sure I see Dallas?”
I mean, I was happy I had a friend on my side, but at the same time, something was off. I was off.
“I’m living vicariously through you.”
The muscles in my face slackened. “What?”
“My love life is boring, routine. Yours, Ade, is exciting, and I’m having so much fun!”
I narrowed my gaze on her. “Have you talked to Luke about how you feel?”
“No.” She shrugged. “But I probably should.”
I nodded. I really hoped she would.
The three of us made it to O’Sullivan’s.
Inside the tent, there was a music stage and long tables with benches set up.
I almost turned around and went back outside.
I was more nervous than I’d been the night I slept in Dallas’s room.
I think it was the four days that had elapsed since we’d last spoken. Four days was a long time.
Priya eyed me, as if she could sense that I wanted to get the hell out of there. “We’ll stay with you. For as long as you want us to.”
After Priya looked through the tent for Dallas and decided he wasn’t there yet, we got some cocoa and sat at a table—Emma and Priya across from me. Propane heat lamps dotted the interior, but I was still cold. I kept my jacket, hat, and mittens on.
I took a sip of the hot liquid. When it reached my frozen stomach, it churned like milk being made into a brick of ice cream.
Emma wiped her fingers on a napkin. “So, can one of you explain to me how it went from Dallas is a complete jerk to let’s-skip-the-rest-of-the-races-and-make-sure-Ade-meets-up-with-him?”
Priya rocked in her seat. “Since last weekend, when Ade told me that she’s the girl in the hoodie.”
“What?” Emma’s mouth dropped open.
Both of their gazes fell on me.
I glared at Priya. “You promised.”
She shrugged. “It’s better if Emma knows. Otherwise, she won’t understand.”
I sighed and folded my arms on the table.
“Get out of here.” Emma’s voice seemed louder than it had before. “You slept with him?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“But you were seen leaving his room in the morning.”
“I know.”
Emma’s shoulders drooped. “I can’t believe it’s been almost a week and you didn’t tell me until now.”
My mouth pursed. I hadn’t told her because she hadn’t been able to keep her mouth shut of late. But I probably should have. She was my friend. A friend I didn’t want to lose.
I took off my hat and mittens and unzipped my jacket halfway. I was getting a bit warmer. “Well, here’s something I haven’t told either of you.”
“What?” they chimed in together.
“I’ve decided he’s the one. He meets my criteria. He’s going to cure my insomnia.”
“That’s awesome, Ade.” Priya put up her hand, and I gave her a high five. “I’m so happy for you.”
Emma, on the other hand, knitted her brows. “How do you know he’s the one?”
Things got quiet around the table, and I gave Emma a hard stare. “Because I do.”
“Because you totally dig him, don’t you?” Priya’s eyes sparkled.
My stomach wouldn’t stop rolling. “Yes, but I’ll admit I’m nervous too.”
Petrified really. Our impromptu sex could happen at any time—it could happen tonight—and what if it wasn’t perfect enough?
Emma started picking at threads on the sleeve of her jacket. “Well, if either of you want my opinion, I’m still not totally convinced.”
“I am.” Priya was beaming.
Emma glanced at Priya. “But what about everything else we know about him?”
Priya raised her hands, palms up. “Who cares?”
“I don’t know. I’m hesitant, and I think Ade should be too.”
After a short lull, a tray of three creamy shots appeared on our table.
“Hi, ladies.” It was Dallas, no longer in his gear but still wearing his racing jersey. He smiled down at us in that way that always made my insides feel like unset glue. “I thought you all could use a little something to warm up your cocoa.”
“Awesome!” Priya watched him distribute the plastic tumblers around the table.
Emma lifted her shot to her nose and took a sniff. “Baileys.”
Priya poured hers in and took a sip. “Mm, this is good. Really good.”
Emma dumped the shot into her cup and swirled it around. “You’re definitely getting points for being thoughtful.”
I added my own, stacked the shot cups up, and put them back on the tray.
“I’ll be right back.” He picked up the tray. “My dad’s here, and I’ve got to find him.”
He walked away, and I almost choked. “Did he just say his dad?”
Both Emma and Priya nodded in unison, their eyes bright.
I watched Dallas go to the bar and return the cups. He glanced at his phone. Typed, and within moments, an older man carrying a half-filled pint of beer walked up to him and hugged him. He was the same height as Dallas and had a similar sloped nose, but with short silver hair and a thick waist.
I took a large gulp of my cocoa and Baileys. It heated a path straight to my stomach.
They talked for a little bit and then both headed in our direction.
“Dad, these are the friends from the dorm I was talking about. Ade, Priya, Emma, this is my dad, Mike.”
Priya chimed in without missing a beat. “Hi, Mike, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too.” His dad smiled—the same smile as his son’s.
Priya gave me a look and a slight nod.
But I still couldn’t find words.
“Is it okay if we sit with you?” Dallas asked.
“Of course,” Priya said, keeping the conversation going.
Dallas’s warm body slid onto the bench to my left, smelling musky.
My heart slowed to a more restful pace. Funny how that happened. How being close to him relaxed me more than not. Even with one of his parents around. I wouldn’t have thought it would be that way.
His dad sat on my right.
“You must have been watching Dallas race,” Priya said to his dad.
“Yeah. Pretty great stuff. What did you all think of it?”
Dallas’s hand found my thigh, and a tingle ran up my femur and into my hip joint.
I nudged his hand away. His dad was sitting right there.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Emma piped up. “How did you get into ice cross, Dallas?”
“In December, they set up a small training course at Buck Hill. I was looking for a new sport and decided to give it a try. I did it once, and I was hooked.”
“Do women race?” Emma asked.
“Yeah, their championships are tomorrow.” His hand was back on my leg, and he squeezed. “You want to try it, Ade? Get you back in some hockey pads and skates.”
Dallas’s dad, Priya, and Emma shifted their attention to me.
My neck steamed. I’d never told them about my skating past. It treaded too close to the stuff about my dad.
“You played hockey?” Dallas’s dad asked.
“A little,” I squeaked.
“I didn’t know that.” Priya leaned in.
“Yeah, it was a long time ago.”
“She’s better at figure skating,” Dallas said.
“Figure skating?” Emma asked.
“Yeah, I was part of a club. Actually, I still am. I have a college membership now.”
“That’s really cool,” Emma said. “You’ll have to take us skating sometime.”
Dallas’s dad finished his beer and said he had to take off.
“Great to meet you all.” Then he passed out his business card, explaining how he worked at a car dealership. “Any of you ever need a car, come find me.”
“Dad,” Dallas said with a sharp tone.
“You never know, son.” His dad patted the back of his shoulder before he left. “Networking is key.”
I inspected the card and then slid it into the zipped pocket of my jacket.
We finished our drinks.
“Your dad seems really nice,” Priya said.
“Yeah, he’s cool. Sorry about the business card though. He just got this new job, and he’s taking it pretty seriously.”
“You have any siblings?” Emma asked.
“Yeah, two older sisters.”
My ears perked up. We had never talked about his own family, just mine.
“Do they live around here?” I asked.
“No, my oldest sister and her husband live in San Diego. My other sister is in the air force in Pensacola.”
“Wow, I didn’t know,” I said. “How much older?”
“Six and eight years.”
He, Emma, and Priya continued talking about how his sister ended up in the military.
I could feel the alcohol just a bit and needed to use the bathroom. So I excused myself and left the table, but halfway there, I realized leaving the three of them together might have been a bad idea.
I sped up, and of course when I got there, there was a line.
I waited and waited. Just as I became the next up for a stall, my phone dinged. I pulled it out.
PRIYA
Emma and I left. Have fun!
What?
I typed a furious response.’
Wait for me!
PRIYA
Stay. Dallas will bring you home. He promised us.
I went to the bathroom as fast as I could and ran back into the tent. Sure enough, there was Dallas, sitting by himself, Priya and Emma nowhere to be found.