12. Solomon
TWELVE
SOLOMON
“This is not what I want to be doing at the ass-crack of dawn on a Saturday morning, Solomon. You get that, right?”
I ignore Jay. He’s bitching because he’s tired, but he would have been pissed if he found out where I’d gone and I hadn’t told him.
“Seriously, man. I should be warm in my bed right now.”
“It’s nine o’clock,” I point out. “Hardly dawn.”
He gives a long-suffering sigh from the passenger seat. “Just don’t say I never did anything for you.”
I roll my eyes as I come to a stop at a red light. “I bought you a coffee,” I tell him. “And I edited your paper last week. And let you borrow my Trig notes. And drove you to—”
“Fine, fine,” he says, grumbling. “Didn’t realize our friendship was a competition.”
I’m relieved when he quits his bitching for a while to drink his coffee. I’m already feeling on edge enough as it is without trying to soothe Jay when he’s being a baby.
I’ve changed my mind about this idea at least a dozen times. What in the hell had I been thinking, requesting to spend an entire day with Cecelia Ransome?
It’s not that I’m dreading her company. The opposite, actually.
I’d been shocked by how easy it felt to eat dinner with her on the intramural field the other night.
And playing soccer with her was probably the most fun I’ve had in months.
I knew that she was good, but fuck, she kicked my ass.
And it was so satisfying to watch her do her thing that I didn’t even mind losing.
But spending several hours roundtrip in a car with her? Without sports to distract me from the way her hair smells? That feels like a much more difficult prospect.
“Wait,” Jay says when I turn into campus, apparently awake enough now to pay attention to his surroundings. “This doesn’t look like the way to the highway.”
“It’s not,” I tell him, stomach clenching with nerves. “We’re stopping at the athletic complex first.”
“Why?”
I didn’t tell Jay about the addition to our party. I probably should have. But I knew he’d give me an endless amount of shit about it, and I was already feeling conflicted enough.
Now I can feel his gaze on the side of my face and I shift in my seat, bracing myself. “Something’s up with you,” he says and I almost laugh. I guess this is what I get for having the same friend for the past fifteen years. He knows me too damn well.
“We’re picking someone up.” I’m careful not to look at him.
“Picking someone up for what?”
“To come with us. To the ranch.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see his jaw drop. “You’re bringing someone to the ranch? Like, your grandfather’s ranch?”
Yeah, I definitely should have told him. He’s going to freak the fuck out.
“It’s Cecelia Ransome, okay? And it’s not a big deal.”
There’s a long beat of silence. And then Jay yells, “holy shit!” so loud it hurts my ears.
“Jay,” I grumble, rubbing the side of my face. “Come on, man. Enclosed space.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he says quickly, lowering his voice. “But oh-em-gee, Sol! You invited her to Red’s place?’
“You sound way too fucking gleeful about this,” I mutter, and the idiot actually bounces in his seat. “It’s not a big deal. And it’s not anything personal. This is about her rehab.”
“What the hell does meeting your grandpa have to do with her rehab?”
“It’s not about meeting him,” I argue, even though there’s something about the thought of Cecelia meeting Red that makes my stomach feel weird, and not in a bad way. “It’s about the horses.”
“Ahh,” he says, understanding hitting him. “You think she’s got a mental block?”
“Definitely not your business.”
“Oh, come on. CeCe is my friend, she won’t care.”
“She’s basically a patient, Jay. I’m not telling you about her treatment. I just think she’d benefit from some time at the ranch.”
“Fine,” he grumbles. The dude likes gossip way too much. Then he brightens. “Just because this is for her treatment doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the company, right?”
“This company isn’t my biggest fan,” I remind him. And I don’t mention that the night we played soccer together felt like maybe that wasn’t as true anymore.
“You can win her over,” he says breezily, like it’s the easiest thing in the world for a socially awkward, painfully quiet idiot with anxiety issues to win over a girl like Cecelia Ransome.
“Wait a second.” He straightens in his seat. “Why am I here?”
“Because I love you so much,” I say drily, and he snorts.
“Seriously. Why?”
“Because she knows you,” I tell him. “You guys are friends. I figured she’d be more comfortable with you here, rather than stuck with a virtual stranger for hours.”
“You wanted a buffer,” he says, sounding smug. “You were afraid you’d be so overcome by your lust for this woman that you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself from making a move.”
“Yeah,” I say, voice flat. “That sounds exactly like me.”
“It’s probably a good idea,” he goes on, ignoring me like always. “To have a buffer, I mean. This is a pretty romantic move, man. Taking her to your favorite place on earth. Your refuge. To meet the most important person in your life. That’s like, tenth date behavior.”
“Which you would know how?” I shoot back. “When in your life have you ever convinced a girl to see you ten different times?”
He waves his hands, grinning. “I’m just saying. Girls fall all over you when you’re just standing silently at a party, brooding and grumpy. Taking her to the ranch? That’s the big guns.”
“I’m taking her somewhere she’ll have to be careful to avoid stepping in horse shit,” I argue. “I wouldn’t call that romantic.”
We pull into the athletic complex parking lot and I try not to think about how badly my stomach hurts. There’s a woman standing next to a Jeep parked up near the front door, and I’m pretty sure it’s hers.
“You’re so nervous,” Jay crows. “I love this.”
“I’m regretting bringing you.”
“Nah, I got your back.” He hits my shoulder. “I’ll make sure your girl is comfortable.”
I want to remind him that Cecelia is most definitely not my girl. I also kind of want to punch his face for the suggestive tone he used when he said he’d make her comfortable.
I haven’t even put the car in park and Jay is already jumping out, running over to Cecelia and wrapping his arms around her, lifting her feet off the ground to spin her like a moron. The urge to punch him intensifies.
I take a deep breath, trying to center myself before I have to go greet her. I have a feeling this is going to be a long freaking day.
To my surprise, Cecelia is excited when Jay tells her where we’re going. “A horse ranch?” she asks, eyes bright. “Like, real live horses?”
“Yeah,” Jay says, laughing. “It’s where we grew up.”
“Wow.” Her eyes dart over to me before flicking away again. “That’s pretty cool. I didn’t peg you guys as ranch people.”
That makes me smile. “What are ranch people like?”
“I don’t know.” She looks me up and down in a way that sends heat to my gut. “More cowboy boots, I guess.”
“Sol totally has cowboy boots,” Jay cuts in helpfully. I glare at him, which of course doesn’t stop him in the slightest. “And a hat.”
Cecelia looks delighted. “Do I get to see that this afternoon?”
“Absolutely not,” I mutter, and she laughs. Which makes me feel way too good. “We should probably get going,” I hurry to say. There are several camps scheduled at the ranch today, and I figure if I’m going to start bringing random soccer players to Red’s place, I may as well put some work in.
Jay makes a big deal about letting Cecelia sit shotgun, winking at me in a way I’m sure he thinks is smooth but is, in fact, completely obvious. I’m starting to wonder if bringing him was a big mistake—he’s definitely going to do or say something to completely embarrass me in front of her.
But once we hit the freeway and they start chatting, I relax a little.
The two of them have been casual friends since her freshman year, and they know a lot of the same people, making conversation easy.
Jay makes sure to drag me into their chat a few times, but I honestly don’t feel left out.
Nine times out of ten I find social situations unbearable—it’s nice to just sit here and listen without being on the spot.
I try not to think about how much I like the sound of her voice in my car.
Cecelia and Jay are both big fans of theme parks, and they spend a good chunk of the time talking about their favorite rides.
Jay, who loves roller coasters and thrill rides, makes the case that Six Flags is the best park in the area, but Cecelia is adamant that there’s no place better than Disneyland.
“No way,” he groans dramatically. “I thought you were cool!”
“Disneyland is cool!” she argues, laughing at his theatrics as he dramatically buries his face in his hands. “It’s nostalgic, the food is great, everyone is happy—”
“Except for the two million kids having a complete and utter breakdown.”
“Two million?” I ask, raising an eyebrow at him in the rearview. “You really think two million kids can fit in Disneyland?” Cecelia giggles and it feels like I just won a race.
And yes, I know how stupid that is.
“Of course you’re taking her side,” Jay grumbles. “Well, you’re both wrong. Disneyland sucks.”
Cecelia turns in her seat to look at Jay. “How do you not like Disneyland? It’s the most magical place on earth.”
“That’s actually Disney World,” I say without thinking. “Disneyland is the happiest place on earth.”
She turns to me, eyebrows raised, and I want to groan. Why did I have to join in on this conversation?
I clear my throat. “I mean. Those are their slogans. For uh, marketing and stuff.”
“How did you know that?”
Behind us, Jay cackles. “I was trying to spare you by not bringing him into it. You just discovered one of Solomon’s special interests.”
I glare at him in the rearview.
“Your special interest?” Cecelia asks.