Glass Jaw

Chapter 10

"How about this?" I asked Jules as I dug another top out of my closet.

"Where is Dallas taking you?" she responded from her spot on my bed. She looked at the shirt upside down, as her head was currently hanging off the side of the mattress as her feet were propped on the wall.

"Out to eat," I said as I nibbled on my lip. "He didn't say where... just that it was his favourite."

Jules sat up and tilted her head as she looked at the top again. "Not that one I think. You need something casual enough to wear to a diner but cute enough to pass in a nicer restaurant."

I blinked at her as I tried to wrap my head around what she meant. In my old world, that would have been blasphemous. Everything—and I do mean everything—had a dress code. "Care to elaborate?"

"Like..." Jules drew out the word as she stood and walked to my closet. "Something like..." she flipped quickly through my hangers, "this!" Jules pulled out a dainty summer dress.

"Are you sure it's not too..." I struggled to find the word I was looking for.

"Virginal?" Jules suggested.

"Well, I was going to say cutesy, but sure," I laughed as Jules sighed and put it back.

I tried on a few more combinations before I finally settled on a dress. It was hidden at the back of my closet, probably from a lingering fear of Aunt Felicity snooping. I distinctly remembered buying it at the mall and then sneaking it upstairs to my room before anyone could see it.

Putting it on now, it definitely wasn't as scandalous as I remembered. But it pushed me just far enough out of my pink floral comfort zone that I felt older and more mature. The thin black material slipped over my waist and hugged my hips. The little cut-outs around my ribs felt way sexier than I could pull off, but I quickly hid them with my jean jacket.

"He's going to be eating out of your palm," Jules grinned as she watched me struggle with my hair. "You should leave your hair down. It helps make everything look more casual."

I parted my hair down the middle and shook out the waves to help them fall more loosely. Taking a peek at my bare legs I grimaced. "If he takes me to a Denny's there is nothing that will make this casual enough."

"Look," Jules said practically, "most guys would have texted you to come watch a movie at their dorm—and it probably would have been after 10 pm. The fact that he called you and gave that little speech... boy, he better not waste all that on a Denny's."

"I have always wanted to try a breakfast from Denny's..." I said thoughtfully. "They always looked good in commercials."

"You've never eaten at a Denny's before?" Jules practically spat in shock.

The wild look in Jules' eyes, like she couldn't believe I'd never stepped foot into America's diner, set my heart beating faster. I was practically the freaking bubble boy. I'd never done anything. I could show you which fork to use for each stage of a full course meal, but I didn't know what a Grand Slam tasted like.

"I can't do this," I panicked. "I'm not ready."

"Hey, hey," Jules sat up on her knees and held her hands out like I was a spooked horse. "It's just Denny's... most of their food gets cooked in a microwave."

"It's not that," I slumped onto my bed and leaned helplessly against the headboard. "I just feel like I'm years behind everyone. Who has their first date in college? I'm a freak."

"Okay, I'm dying to know. Are you sure you didn't grow up in a cult?" Jules asked.

I laughed even as my heart thumped in my throat. My face dropped to my hands and I groaned as I peeked through my fingers at her. "Not quite."