Chapter 2 #3
Unfortunately, Griff searching for a date suddenly made Henry’s and my potential fake dating seem less moronic than when originally proposed.
Our burgers were so delicious that we ate them in near silence. “How kind,” I told Henry when he offered me his black-and-white milkshake, and in return, I gave him my salted caramel. Our new thing was drinking half our shakes before trading.
“So, Audrey,” Griff said as I dipped a couple of French fries into the creamy shake, “I heard your mom’s headed out of town soon.”
“Where’s she going?” Mia asked before I could chew and swallow.
“She and my dad are going to France,” I said. My father had flown in for an extended visit two weeks ago. “They’re celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in the Loire Valley. If there’s a wine trail, they’ll follow it.”
“C’est incroyable!” Ellie exclaimed as Mia, Kenzie, and Jared laughed.
“How long are they going to be gone?” Jared asked.
“Three weeks. Back just in time for graduation.”
“Interesting…” Griff’s eyes shined, so mesmerizing that I barely felt Henry’s knee knock mine under the table again. “You have any special plans while they’re gone?”
“Not really.” I took a sip from my water glass. My throat had gone dry. “I’ll probably blow a lot of glass, to be honest. And my cousin—”
“Audrey.” Griff cut me off. “You have the house to yourself for almost a month and all you’re focused on is glass?”
Well, I’ll eat more pad thai than usual, I thought, since my mom hated the lingering smell. But yes…
Henry coughed, then leaned forward with a comically furrowed brow. “Griff, have you met Audrey?”
To hide my snort, I turned and accidentally nuzzled Henry’s neck as he settled back into the booth. His warm skin singed the tip of my nose and he smelled of spicy-sweet cologne mixed with Constellation’s corn bread and why were we sitting so close to each other?
Blood rushed to my cheeks when I noticed Ellie watching us, and as soon as our eyes locked, she shifted in her seat and spoke.
“Nice try, Griff,” she said, almost coolly. “Just because Audrey’s house is the size of an amusement park doesn’t mean she should open its gates.”
“Why not?” he asked. “It doesn’t need to be huge…”
Ah, I realized. He wants me to throw a party.
That was so not my idea of a good time.
But Kenzie was already excited. “You live on the beach, right?”
“Kind of,” I said. My house overlooked the Long Island Sound, and we did have a stretch of beach, but it was more pebbles than sand. My mom liked to read there, and in the summer, I loved taking a quiet dip after a long day.
“Audrey, Audrey.” Griff grabbed my attention again. His energy was contagious, making my stomach spin. “Can I offer you some advice?”
“I don’t know,” Henry said, munching on a sweet potato fry. “Can you?”
Griff good-naturedly flipped Henry the bird. “May I offer you some advice?” he corrected himself.
I couldn’t help but smile. “All ears, Keeler.”
“Have some fun!” He grinned. “Like, I know you have your glassblowing stuff, and that’s cool—really cool—but embrace your freedom, too. I mean, you have three weeks. Do something you’ve never done before. Say what the hell and shoot for the moon!”
“And don’t worry if you miss,” Henry stage-whispered, “because you’ll land among the stars…”
Ellie stopped texting to grimace. “I’m pretty sure you’re quoting a cheesy elementary school aspirational poster.”
“Yes,” Henry confirmed. “Mrs. Lipton. Fourth grade.”
The table laughed again.
“Your wise words are much appreciated.” I started giggling when Griff looked at me expectantly. “I’ll definitely consider digging my astronaut gear out of the attic.”
It took him a second to get it, but then he perked up. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “Seriously.”
He raised his hand for a high five, and I stretched to meet him for a satisfying slap. The skin-to-skin contact sent a zing through my veins.
And when he smiled at me, with that adorable chipped tooth, I did think, What the hell?
HENRY WAS SURPRISINGLY SILENT ON THE drive home from Hamburger Hill, and I kept my mouth shut, too.
Half of me surmised he was tired from several hours of service with a smile, but without any exaggerated yawns to prove it, the other half of me suspected the wheels were turning in his head. He was quiet because he was thinking.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said once he’d passed through the gate and slowed to a stop in my driveway. The house was dark; my parents had gone into Manhattan for dinner and a show. “Brigitta should be ready next week.”
My car was currently in the shop, thanks to its never-ending list of maladies.
This time, all the electrical in the driver’s side door had gone out.
I wondered how hard that bill was going to hit my bank account.
Every inch of my lifestyle screamed privileged white girl and my dad did make an incredible living.
But I was far from spoiled and covered most of my own expenses.
All the money in my bank account was thanks to my catering job and Golightly Glass.
And admittedly, birthday checks from my grandparents helped.
My American Express card was only for emergencies.
The Blue Ridge deposit hadn’t entirely wiped out my savings, but I wouldn’t be able to pay for the tuition by myself.
“Do you want to come to the city tomorrow?” I asked while unbuckling my seat belt. “We can go to a museum after my glassblowing class. You still need to find your mom a birthday gift, right?”
Henry nodded. “That sounds great,” he agreed, then waited a beat before saying, “It’s been a month.”
A month? I thought about joking and playing dumb, but I knew I wasn’t going to escape this conversation. As ridiculous as it was, it was too important.
“Yes,” I said instead, stoic. “It’s been a month.”
“I would get down on one knee…” Henry said as my stomach started to swirl.
“But being buckled in makes that a little difficult.” He casually popped open the center console and pulled out a box of Good she even let him call her “Monica.”
“It’s a plan,” Henry agreed. “Should we discuss terms and conditions?”
Terms and conditions.
My mind suddenly melted to mush. This conversation had eaten up the last of today’s brain cells, and Henry didn’t mess around when mulling over anything resembling a contract.
Drafting Golightly Glass’s return policy had taken an hour (and there was not a single loophole to be found).
“Let’s see how the date goes,” I proposed, taste buds going wild as I unlatched the passenger door.
“If it’s promising, then we’ll talk T&Cs. ”
“Okay…” Henry sounded amused. “Which train are we catching tomorrow morning?”
“The one that allows us to grab coffee beforehand,” I said.
“So, early?”
“So early,” I concurred, inelegantly sliding out of the car. My glassblowing class started at nine, and the train was a couple of hours, so I usually left Essex Harbor not long after the rooster crowed.
“I better get to bed, then,” Henry joked before turning over his engine, ready to head home. “Good night, Natasha.”
“Sleep tight, Tolstoy,” I replied, for once in the know. We’d slogged through War and Peace in English this winter, and iconic Audrey had played the iconic Natasha in a 1950s adaptation. “Don’t stay up too late musing…”
But Henry, a notorious night owl, predictably made no promises.
All he did was wink.