Chapter 18
Eighteen
The next day, Jack joined Kayla in the kitchen as she was polishing off a powdered sugar donut.
Her lips were dusted with sugar, and he felt an overwhelming urge to lick it off.
Instead, he acknowledged her with a nod, and poured himself a cup of coffee.
He hadn’t slept well last night and was up until the wee hours of the morning.
Kayla rinsed her mug and plate and put them into the dishwasher. “See you later,” she said.
“Wait.” Jack clasped his hand around her wrist to stop her from leaving.
Scowling, she said, “I have to get to work, Jack.”
“This will only take a minute.”
Kayla pulled her hand away and glanced at her watch. “I’m timing you.”
“I have an idea,” he began.
“If you want to practice kissing again, I think we have a good handle on it.”
“It’s not that.” Jack wanted to kiss her again, and so much more.
“Hurry. Your time is up.”
“Pretending to be a couple has put a lot of strain on us.”
“Agreed.”
“I’d like to remedy that, by getting back to basics.”
“This sounds like school,” Kayla joked.
“We had a lot of fun together before you moved in, right?”
She slowly nodded.
“And we were really good friends.”
“Yes.”
“So let’s get back to that. Jack and Kayla. Best buddies.”
Kayla eyed him suspiciously. “Best buddies don’t swap spit.”
“Charming description,” he teased.
“Your time is up. What is your idea?”
“Do you ice skate?” he asked.
Kayla furrowed her eyebrows. “Yes, and no.”
“What does that mean?”
“The last time I skated, I was a kid. It’s been a long time.”
“Are you opposed to it?”
“Only if I fall on my ass.”
Jack burst out laughing. He always appreciated her sense of humor.
“Are you asking me on a friend date?” she questioned.
“Yes. We’ll go ice skating, grab some lunch, and pop into Barnes and Noble.”
Kayla slapped her hand over her chest. “Be still, my heart. You know how much I love bookstores.”
Jack smiled widely, glad he’d suggested it. “Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes with conditions.”
He’d expected this. “Lay it on me.” Or lay yourself on me. That would be even better.
“If this is truly a friend date, that means no touching, hand holding, or kissing.”
“I accept your conditions with one minor change.”
“What is it?”
“I’m allowed to touch you if it prevents you from falling on your ass.”
Kayla laughed, and the joyful sound and her accompanying smile lit up the room. “I accept,” she said. “Now, I really have to go or I’ll be late for my first appointment.”
“You … Late?”
She rolled her eyes. “Goodbye, Jack.” She swept past him and went out of the kitchen.
“Mark your calendar for our date tomorrow,” he called after her.
“Friend date,” she corrected him.
“Right,” he muttered as the door closed behind her.
Jack filled a travel mug with coffee, grabbed a granola bar, and left for work. He was deep in thought about tomorrow’s date, when his phone rang, and Eileen’s name appeared on the Bluetooth. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. Am I getting you at a bad time?”
“No. I’m just driving to work.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah. Why?”
Eileen sighed. “I felt so bad about last night. I had to call you this morning.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Don’t worry about it.” If Eileen hadn’t popped in, he and Kayla might have had sex last night, or at the very least, continued their heated make-out session on the couch. He’d replayed the scene at least a dozen times since then.
“I could tell I interrupted something,” Eileen persisted.
Jack didn’t want her to feel bad, but he was tired of lying. He’d done enough of that to last a lifetime. “You sort of did interrupt, but it’s okay.”
“It won’t happen again. Next time, I’ll call first.”
His phone beeped, and Ryan’s name appeared on the screen. “I’m getting another call, Mom. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” After they hung up, he greeted Ryan. “Hey. What’s up?”
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Ryan asked.
“I have a date. Why?”
“With Kayla?”
“Yes. Who else would it be with?”
“Is this a pretend date or a real date?”
“It’s a friend date,” Jack explained.
“A friend date with your pretend girlfriend. I’m so confused,” Ryan grumbled.
“We’re going ice skating,” Jack said.
“Sounds fun. Can Josie and I tag along?”
Since Jack and Kayla had introduced them, Ryan and Josie had been inseparable. It was an odd pairing, but it was working, at least for now. “No offense, but I just want it to be me and Kayla.”
“If it’s a friend date, it shouldn’t matter if we come too,” Ryan argued.
Ryan could be tenacious, and Jack decided to just get it over with. “We made out last night,” he blurted out.
“It’s about damn time!”
“My mom showed up and interrupted us,” Jack added.
“Damn!” Ryan said.
“Exactly.”
“Did you continue after your mom left?”
“I wish. Crap! Did I just say that aloud?”
Ryan chuckled. “Congratulations on your first make-out session with your pretend girlfriend.”
“Thank you?”
“Was it okay? You don’t sound happy.”
“It was great,” Jack said.
“But?”
“But Kayla kind of freaked out afterward.”
“What about during? Was she into it?”
Jack recalled Kayla pressing her body against him, kissing him passionately and letting him fondle her breasts.
“Jack? You still there?”
“Yes. She was into it,” he replied.
“What’s the problem then?”
“The problem is she still thinks of us as friends, and that’s all she wants.”
“How do you know? Have you asked her?”
“Not exactly. But when I suggested we go out as friends tomorrow, she seemed all for it.”
Ryan chuckled. “Of course she did. She’s following your lead, Jack. If you had asked her out on a real date, she would have agreed to that too.”
Jack furrowed his eyebrows. “You really think so?”
“You two are hilarious. You’re the only ones who can’t see what’s right in front of your faces.”
Jack almost hated to ask. “What do you mean?”
“You’re perfect for each other. Everybody knows it except you two. It’s exhausting!”
Jack pulled into the parking lot of his first appointment. “I have to go. I’m late for a meeting.”
“Have fun on your pretend date, or friend date, or whatever the hell it is. But, if you want my advice—”
“I don’t,” Jack interrupted him.
Ryan continued anyway. “I wouldn’t wait too long to tell Kayla how you feel. She’s the whole package, and someone else is liable to snap her up while you’re playing pretend.” Ryan hung up before Jack had a chance to respond.
Jack sat there for a moment, trying to get his head on straight.
He was already a few minutes late for his meeting, so what was another minute or two?
Oh no. I’m adopting Kayla’s bad habit! Was that what happened to people who spent a lot of time together?
If so, it was a small price to pay. He’d rather see Kayla every day and be late to things than not see her at all.
In fact, living with Kayla was much more fun than he’d expected it to be, and he didn’t want it to end.
Despite their ambiguous relationship, he wanted to be with her all the time, not just temporarily or for the sake of his parents.
Ryan’s warning nagged at Jack for the rest of the day. Someone else is liable to snap her up while you’re playing pretend.
Jack was still confused, but he knew one thing for certain. He didn’t want Kayla to be with any other guy but him.