Chapter Seventeen
Jasper Pizza was busy, but to my total surprise, not one person was dressed in costume.
Eyes stopped staring at their menus and instead focused on us when we walked through the doors. I squirmed a little under my turtleneck and whispered, shielding my lips from the gawkers, “We’re not going to be the only ones dressed like this, are we?”
“Nah.” Jeremy, totally oblivious to all the stares (or he just didn’t care) glanced around as he led us to a booth near the window. “More will show up as the trivia event time gets closer.”
“I hope so.” Trying to brush off the weird looks, I followed Jeremy across the restaurant, keeping my head down as I walked.
“This is a better spot for the trivia as we have great access to the TV screen.”
Sure enough on my right side, there was a screen showing a football game.
“They’ll switch over?”
“Yep.”
I checked the battery level on my phone. “I have 67%. Is that enough?”
“More than enough. They do this old school.”
“How’s that?”
He placed both hands on the table, clasping them together. “They come around with paper and you fill it out like you would in school. Then the event director takes it over to his seat and counts how many are correct and puts the scores of the team up on the display at the end of each round.”
“That’s really wild.” And a little neat, if I were being honest. Sometimes technology was overrated.
“And if you are caught on your phone, you instantly lose the round. So do all of your phone needs before the round starts.”
“How many rounds are there?”
He scratched his beard. “Five or six. I think five for a themed night because then there are awards for the best dressed and a variety of other fun little prizes.”
“I think I’m going to like this event.” But I didn’t want to be the only one in costume and hoped that every time someone walked through the door, they too were dressed in their finest Empire or Republic wear.
“It’s the highlight of the month for me.” But he said it looking straight at me, and I couldn’t help but feel the same.
What was it about this guy? He was nothing like I thought I wanted, and yet, in many ways, he was filling all the things I needed. Around him, I was calm and totally free to be myself. Was he the same? He never seemed uptight and never acted like he was superior like my doctor ex-boyfriend did. In Jeremy’s space, I was comfortable. And dare I say, even internally happy?
We perused the menu a server had dropped off, and as someone who didn’t eat out much, and had only been in this restaurant once before, I had no idea what the house specialty or favourite was.
Jeremy closed the leather-bound menu and set it on the side of the table.
“What do you suggest?”
“Well… if you prefer a pan pizza, you can’t go wrong with the Hawaiian, especially since you are not opposed to pineapple on your pizza.” He covered his heart with his hand. “A rare thing these days.” He sent a charming, heart-racing wink in my direction. “But if you prefer a wood fireplace pizza, and really, why wouldn’t you, then I totally recommend the chicken club.”
“Ooh, pizza made in a wood-burning fireplace?” I nodded. “That sounds delightful. Let’s do that.”
“And to drink? What’s your preference?”
“I haven’t had any pain pills so I should be safe to have a glass of wine.” I tapped the wine list. “Any that you prefer?”
“The bonanza,” he said without skipping a beat.
“Done.”
The server came by, and after complimenting our outfits, took our orders.
“Oh, so you know, the event director takes photos before the trivia begins but after we eat, so don’t spill anything on your outfit.”
“Well, now you’ve jinxed it. I’m going to drop a blob of pizza sauce on my white sweater, aren’t I?” I sure hoped our food came with napkins as I needed to attach one like a bib.
“It’s a white sauce so you may get lucky.”
I stared into his eyes, somehow already feeling a luck I didn’t deserve.
Jeremy rested his hands on the table, rubbing them together, almost as if he was nervous. His eyes shifted around, making me question if he was worried about being in public with me or if it was something else.
“How many questions in a round?”
Shifting in his seat, he shrugged. “Usually a dozen?”
“Alright, I can handle that.” I opened my Trivial Pursuit app and showed Jeremy. “I’ve been practicing, so hopefully we can—”
“Hey, lovely.”
I whipped my head around so fast I wasn’t sure it was going to stop rotating and stared at a sea of black robes walking toward us.
“That’s MacMillian,” Jeremy said under his breath.
The cloaked figure moved with such grace; it was clear as day that MacMillian wasn’t a guy.
She sauntered over with a swagger and confidence that reminded me of some of the more unpleasant souls I used to work with; those that were so full of themselves they expected everyone to fawn all over them.
MacMillan pushed into the small space beside Jeremy, setting down a tray of jalapeno poppers.
“Came as your hero I see?” He darted his eyes from the figure beside him over to me.
“I’m an acolyte. ” She removed her hood, layering it on her shoulders.
MacMillian was drop-dead gorgeous. Pale blonde hair so elegantly clipped and pinned, it had to have taken hours to complete. Her makeup was flawless, either that, or she was a natural beauty because there wasn’t a freckle or mole or beauty mark to be seen.
It made my own freckles seem like a neon light in comparison.
Jeremy shot her a mock glare. “Was wondering if you were ever going to make it. Oh, this is—”
“Must be Molly,” Mac answered before Jeremy could finish. She flashed me an insincere smile; the kind that didn’t crinkle in the corners of her bright blue eyes. “It’s about time I finally meet the lady stealing all of Jeremy’s attention. I’ve been hearing so much, but seeing is believing.”
“Stealing his attention?” I echoed, my voice faltering slightly. My cheeks flamed, and a burning heat flooded across my chest, threatening to turn my white turtleneck pink.
Jeremy cleared his throat, looking like he wanted to disappear under his vest.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” Mac continued; her grin was devilish. “He talks about you all the time at school. I wasn’t sure you were real.” She stopped to finish chewing. “You know, with as often as he’s at school, you’d think he was doing charity work, or trying to win someone back?” She cocked her perfectly manicured brows at him.
I glanced at my date for the evening, eyebrows raised. “Oh, really?”
It all seemed rather fast since we’d only made the arrangement a few days ago. Unless…
I swallowed as the idea, albeit a little far-fetched, started circulating in my head. Was I here to make an old ex jealous? It would be fair considering that was the plan for Saturday, with the roles reversed.
Jeremy fidgeted, adjusting the way his vest was positioned. “It’s not that big a deal.”
“Are you kidding?” Mac cut in, waving a popper in the air like a wand. “He’s a hero, literally. He comes to the school five days a week to mentor the kids. Let me tell you, Cierra’s class would revolt if he ever stopped.”
Not to be outdone, and if I was the one playing the role of fake girlfriend, I could lay it on pretty thick. “Yes, Jeremy talks about the students with great pride and admiration. The school is lucky to have him.” My pride was as evident as the smile on my face.
“As are you.” She pointed at me, and the jovial mood slid to the ground. “Just be gentle, okay? He may be playing the part of the roguish swashbuckler, but underneath, he’s way more Chewie than anyone else.” For good measure, she shoulder-checked him and then stayed attached. Deeply attached. All while trying to stare me down.
Little flickers of something I wasn’t familiar with flashed inside of me, and I found myself leaning across the table to hold his hand with my good one. I had known Jeremy to be a quiet reflective soul, and originally I had pegged him as a boring guy. But maybe Mac was right… It was hard to see beneath the outer layers.
To irk him more, Mac caressed Jeremy’s beard. “Isn’t that right, you ole softie?”
Jeremy pushed his friend’s hand away, twisting away from her. The tips of his ears were stained a heated crimson. “Don’t you have a table to sit at?”
“Yep, over there.”
Pushing himself closer to the window and putting a little space between himself and his so-called friend, he twisted in his spot. “Didn’t you bring a date tonight?”
Mac went to touch her friend’s beard once again, but Jeremy intercepted and pulled away before there was contact, banging the back of his head against the window. She sighed with contempt. “He’ll wait. I don’t know that I’ve embarrassed you enough yet, my friend.”
“Actually,” I said, squaring my shoulders. “I think you have.”
Mac greeted me with a questionable raise of her right eyebrow.
Fueled by a push I hadn’t had to use in a while, I carried on. “And I’m told you’re a champ at this game. Well, I’m here to tell you, I’m an A+ champ and you’re going down.” I wasn’t sure how yet, but now it was on. There was no turning back the clock.
Both looked at me in awe, but Jeremy’s definitely held more surprise. His jaw was slack and his eyes widened in slight amusement while glancing at his friend.
Mac nudged Jeremy who was rubbing the back of his head. “I like her. She’s feisty and lives up to her role, however, she may be way out of your league, unlike someone else we both know.”
I glanced down having momentarily forgotten I was dressed like a Rebel Leader.
“See you on the podium, Molly,” she said my name in two distinct syllables before sliding out of her seat and grabbing her plate of poppers. As she walked away, she gave me a backward glance.
“Where did that come from?” Jeremy leaned across the table.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be rude, but it ruffles my feathers when I think someone’s being picked on.” I shook my head. “You looked incredibly uncomfortable and it sucked she can’t read the room. Who was she?”
He tipped his chin down with a heavy hit of a sigh. “A co-worker. She’s been asking me out for weeks.”
“And you told her you had a girlfriend?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t give her your name until Monday… after our agreement.”
“So, you’re being my fake boyfriend for Saturday night—”
“And any other moments in between,” he chuckled and glanced down quickly to my arm sling.
“Right, and I’m being your fake girlfriend for tonight?”
“Sounds about right.” He tipped his chin down. “Sorry I didn’t give you more warning. I didn’t think she’d be so aggressive.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can act the part just as well as you can.” I fired a wink n his direction. “Now, let’s brainstorm.”
Our dinner plates had been cleared away and I was on my second glass of wine when the trivia host called for silence.
“Alright, teams, are we ready for Round One? We’re going to start in two minutes.”
The crowd whooped in excitement.
“Bring it on,” I shouted along with Jeremy.
The server brought the folder with the five sheets—one for each round—and a pencil. All answers had a lone spot for a short answer.
“There will be zero hints, and a thirty-second time limit,” the announcer stated. “And any use of your phones or any electronic equipment will result in an automatic zero for that round.”
I searched Jeremy’s eyes, but there was nothing but excitement. He was practically bouncing in his seat.
“You probably have neater printing, so you can write.” He pushed the papers toward me.
I’d seen Jeremy’s penmanship and it was beautiful, however, I took the paper and pencil, looking at the first question. “Did we decide on a team name?”
Stretching across the wooden table, he wrinkled his nose. “What about Sans Organa?”
“Do you know what sans means?”
He shook his head.
“It means without.”
“Ooh, then that doesn’t sound good, without Organa. Han is never without his Leia.” His perfectly plump lips split into a grimace.
“Well, that’s not always true. There was that time…”
“In spirit, they were always together.” His finger tapped the paper. “We need to focus. Any ideas for a name?”
“None.” I shook my head, trying to think of something fun and witty that was us. “What do you usually go by?”
“Jeremy Wentworth.”
“I see the problem.” I laughed. “It doesn’t convey power at dominating a trivia game. Or taking out an opponent.” I tapped my finger against my chin. “What about Mac’s Been Dominated? Or MBD for short? Or The Mighty Hoth Duo? ”
“I like MBD.”
“Really? It was a joke.”
He pulled the papers away from me and put MBD as the team’s name.
“Guess that’s what we’re going with.”
The announcer stood in front of the screen. “Our first question of the night is an audio one. Listen to the thirty-second clip and write the name of the movie this is in.”
“This’ll be easy.” I listened to John Williams on repeat.
The clip played and my face fell. I knew the clip, but trying to remember which movie it was from was hard, and the clock was ticking.
I shook my head and pursed my lips together. “It’s the Imperial March.”
He leaned close and kept his voice super low. “So write down Star Wars.”
My voice matched his, so anyone nearby didn’t hear our answer. After all, bragging rights were on the line. “It wasn’t played in Star Wars. The first time it was heard was in Empire, right at the beginning when they were sending probe droids in search of Luke. It’s a slightly different version than is played later; this one features low piccolos.” Feeling confident, I wrote down the second movie. “Trust me on this.”
“Okay. I will.”
The announcer spoke again. “Question Two. The phrase ‘ I have a bad feeling about this ’ is uttered in every movie. You get one point for each correct answer. Name the character who said it and the movie it’s from. There’s a chance for eighteen points here, and you get an extra thirty seconds. Go.”
I cast my gaze on Jeremy and started scribbling, and together the two of us compiled our list.
ANH – Han
ESB – Leia
RoTJ – C-3PO
TPM – Obi-wan
AoTC – Anakin
RoTS – Obi-wan
TFA – Han?
TLJ – Rey?
RoS - ? The former stormtrooper?
Having only watched the last three movies once, I had zero idea who said that line, and Jeremy was guessing at best. As time was running out, I wrote down his educated guesses.
“Told you I didn’t know much about the last three movies. We’re hooped now. If your co-worker got those, she just jumped six points ahead.” Glancing across the restaurant, Mac lifted her head and a sly smile rolled over her face.
Jeremy put his hand on mine and sent a smile my way that would’ve melt ice off a freezer. “It’s all good. Relax. We’re here to have fun.”
“Well, given our team name, we need to dominate.”
“It’s the second question. We have many, many more to go.” He winked. “It’s all about the fun. Trust me. Winning isn’t everything.”
Oh yes, it was!
After all five rounds were played, the announcer encouraged the players to walk around and interact. Jeremy and I made sure to clear up our bill, and we posed with those who wanted pictures. All the cosplayers—all six of us, including Mac—got together for a picture and then went to wait for the results of the trivia night.
“Alright, before I post the winners, we have a few prizes to give out.” He flipped through his index cards. “Best couple costume goes to Han and Leia.”
We high-fived each other, and Jeremy went to collect our prize – a gift card to Jasper Pizza for a future visit.
“Guess we have another date in our future.” He winked, making me want to melt into a puddle.
Other prizes were handed out, but we didn’t win any of those.
“Alright, who’s ready to see the winner’s list?”
The crowd cheered.
“Okay, show just the scores.”
On the screen, the top three scores were posted. Two points separated first and third.
“Holy beans, this is close.” I couldn’t believe it, but as long as we were ahead of Mac, it was all good. After all that had been the plan all along, to dethrone the reigning champ.
Third place was a table of barely legals.
Jeremy reached down and held my hand. He was holding his breath and tightly gripping my hand. I squeezed his hand in return.
Second place was revealed.
It wasn’t our name. From beside us, Mac groaned.
First place went to Team MBD—us!
The crowd erupted into cheers as the trivia host announced our victory, but the sound barely registered. All I could hear was Jeremy’s laughter—rich and unguarded, vibrating with triumph. And then there was his hand, gripping my good one, hoisting it into the air like we were Olympic champions. His touch sent sparks along my skin, the warmth of his palm against mine making it impossible to focus on anything else.
“Look at us,” he said, turning toward me, his grin wide and unabashed. “Best trivia duo in Jasper.”
I laughed shakily, trying to ignore the way his fingers lingered on mine before he let go. “In Jasper? Try the whole universe. Did you see those guys when we nailed the weapons and vehicles round? Utter devastation.”
He chuckled, low and smooth, and stepped closer. Too close.
My heart kicked up in a way that had nothing to do with the adrenaline of our win. The small table between us seemed ridiculously inadequate like it might disappear entirely if either of us moved an inch.
“You carried us in that lightning round,” he said. His eyes, dark and piercing, locked on mine. “I had no idea you knew so much about the geography of the Star Wars universe.”
His voice wrapped around me, velvety and teasing, and I hated the way my breath hitched. “What can I say? I’m full of surprises.”
“That you are.” His gaze dropped to my lips, just briefly, but the shift sent my pulse skittering out of control. I tried to swallow the knot forming in my throat, but it was useless.
The trivia host handed us our prize—another gift card, but something generic and anticlimactic—but I barely registered it as Jeremy’s fingers brushed mine again. His eyes stayed locked on me, even as we exchanged polite nods with the other contestants and mumbled our thanks to the host. My cheeks felt impossibly hot. Could he see every thought racing through my head?
“So...” He leaned against the high-top table, his smirk both infuriating and irresistible. “What now, partner? Victory drinks? A celebratory walk under the galactic stars you apparently know so much about?”
There it was again, the teasing lilt, the challenge in his voice. It made me want to laugh and scream in equal measure. It made me want to step closer, to do something reckless. Instead, I folded my good arm tightly across my chest, desperate to keep myself in check.
“Tempting,” I managed, keeping my voice light. “But I think I’ve done enough heavy lifting for one night. Maybe you should come up with the plans for once.”
His smirk widened. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a maybe .” I tried to inject some steadiness into my tone, but the way he was looking at me made it impossible.
He was leaning in now, just enough to make me wonder if he even realized what he was doing. Or if he knew exactly what he was doing.
The space between us was razor-thin, the air crackling with everything unsaid. My pulse thundered in my ears as I stared at him, waiting—hoping?—for him to close the gap. My breath caught again as his hand brushed my arm, featherlight, like he was testing the waters.
I should have pulled away. Made a joke. Something, anything, to defuse the tension threatening to swallow us both whole.
But then his voice dipped, quieter now, just for me. “You can’t keep saying ‘maybe.’ Not forever.”
My throat went dry. My heart slammed against my ribs. And suddenly, I was sure of one thing: if he didn’t kiss me right now, I might actually die.
Like a dump of cold water, Mac wandered over and punctured our little bubble.
Miss Mood Killer thrust out her hand to me first, before shaking and shoulder smacking her colleague. The seductive smile never left her face. “Congrats. You know, maybe we should team up once and destroy the competition.”
“I’m not out for total destruction, thanks.”
She talked to Jeremy directly. “She must be the key to your success as you usually trail me by a dozen points. At least.”
“Just good questions tonight.”
A soft snort blew out of Mac. “The next themed trivia night is the July long weekend. You two up for a re-match?”
I inhaled sharply. “Maybe.”
Jeremy sent a raised brow my way. “It’s on fantasy TV shows.”
The air chilled just enough that I shuddered. “We’ll have to see.”
“No doubt, I’ll see you two lovebirds around.” Mac backed up. “See you tomorrow nerd,” she said to Jeremy. “Nice meeting you, Molly.”
“It’s been a pleasure.”
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a figure entering the restaurant—a figure that made my stomach drop.
Derek strode in wearing a confident smirk and a bomber jacket that seemed a little too well-tailored. His eyes scanned the crowd, and it wasn’t long before he zeroed in on me. The way his gaze narrowed made my chest tighten. Had he walked in just three minutes before, he would’ve seen the way Jeremy and I were—something that felt like it wasn’t an act.
“Hey, Jeremy,” I said impulsively, my voice coming out higher than I’d intended.
Jeremy turned to me, bemused. “Yeah?”
I swallowed hard. My heart was thumping in my chest like a runaway train, and I knew I had to act fast. Before I could overthink it, I slid my hand over Jeremy’s arm and tilted forward, closing the distance between us.
“Can you do me a favor?” I whispered, my breath brushing against his cheek.
Jeremy’s eyes widened, and his breath caught. “A-anything.”
I leaned in, the tips of our noses almost brushing. “Want to make someone jealous?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Um, sure. Yes.”
“We’re being watched by my ex and your wannabe. Can you kiss me?” I asked, barely loud enough for him to hear.
Jeremy froze, and I braced myself for rejection, for him to pull back and laugh at the absurdity of it all. But he didn’t. Instead, his gaze softened, and he cupped my cheek with one hand, his thumb stroking warmth into my cheeks. There was no laughter, only sincerity as he whispered, “You’re sure?”
I nodded, my pulse racing. “Positive.”
He hesitated for only a second before his lips met mine, gentle at first, then growing more assured. His other arm slipped around my waist, drawing me closer, and I found myself melting into the heat of his embrace. The restaurant and all its noise faded away, leaving only the breath between us and the taste of surprise that blossomed into something warm and addictive.
When we finally broke apart, the room came rushing back, and I was acutely aware of the stunned silence from our table. Derek stood stiffly near the door; his jaw clenched. Mac had a wide-eyed gaze.
But it was Jeremy who held my attention. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes searched mine, as if he, too, was grappling with the aftermath of what had just happened. The tenderness in his gaze made my breath catch, and suddenly, the line between pretense and reality felt dangerously blurred.
“Well,” Jeremy finally broke the silence, recovering with a smirk. “Now that’s what I call method acting.”
I laughed shakily, but my heart still raced for a reason that had nothing to do with Derek and everything to do with the space pirate in front of me who may have just stolen my heart.