Rain or Shine (UnWilling Roommates book 2.5)

Date Night

(A/N: As a gesture of appreciation to Sakurano_Toon for kindly agreeing to provide the cover for my upcoming book (among other things), she gets to go on a date with Will!)

Will steps out of his comfort zone for an evening.

(Will's POV)

Nervously, I straightened my bow tie for the eleventeenth time in the bathroom mirror.  Gripping the sink with both hands, I sucked in a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves.  Or at least keep from passing out right then and there.

"W-why did I agree to do this again?" I whined when I came upon Bill and Y/N at the table, staring intently at each other over a pile of poker chips.

"Because you need to be more social.  Now stop breaking my concentration, I think he's bluffing," Y/N growled as she threw another pile of chips into the pot.

Bill grinned evilly.  "Read 'em and weep, my dear."  He spread his cards out and Y/N groaned in anguish.

"How do you keep doing that?" she demanded, her face hitting the table with an audible thunk.  "It's almost like you can still read my mind."

"Because he's the best liar you'll ever meet," I pointed out, rubbing her shoulder blades in sympathy.  "Y-you really should know better than to play poker with him by now."

"I'm a sucker for humiliation," she said ruefully as Bill shoveled the chips into his pile, cackling with glee.

"No, you're just a sucker," he corrected.

Shaking her head, Y/N abandoned the card game and stood up from the table.  She eyed my outfit with a raised eyebrow.  "Well, don't you look snappy.  Are you ready for your big date?"

I gulped. "N-no."

"Aww, sweetie, it'll be great!" she said, bumping my shoulder encouragingly.  "You like her, don't you?"

"I g-guess," I mumbled.

Bill came around the table and elbowed my other shoulder.  "And you think she's hot, don't you?"

"Bill!" Y/N objected.  "That's none of your business."  She paused.  "Wait, do you?"

I felt myself blush.  "Um... Yes." 

"Excellent!" Bill clapped me on the back, making me cough.  "Now go have a wonderful time, and fall in love or something!"

Y/N gave him a sidelong glance.  "Since you apparently think dating is so great, then why don't you do it sometime?"

"I thought that would be obvious," he said with a straight face.  "Because I'd rather spend all my time with you, of course."  I couldn't detect even a trace of sarcasm in his earnest expression.

Y/N was speechless for a moment.  "That's... really sweet actually."

The doorbell rang, making me jump.

"Oh, she's here!" Y/N yelped excitedly.  I stood frozen in place.

Y/N gave me a shove.  "What are you waiting for?  Go!  Have a good time!"

I stumbled a step, then hesitantly approached the front door.  Heart pounding, I slowly opened the door.

"Hi, Will!" Toon said cheerfully.  I let out an involuntary squeak.

She frowned with concern. "Um, are you okay?"

I fumbled for the cheat sheet that Y/N had written for me.  "H-h-hello, Petunia.  You l-look lovely."