We were watching John Tucker Must Die – Alice’s choice, not mine – when suddenly I got a phone call from Luke. I excused myself from the others and answered it on the front porch.
“Is everything all right?” I asked firstly, hoping there’s nothing wrong with Oliver. He’s staying at his house for the meantime – for real this time. “Is Oliver okay?”
“I know I’m also superbly hot like my friend, but would it kill you to ask if I’m okay too?” Luke joked.
I smiled slightly. He’s joking, so everything must be all right. “Okay, you’re hot too, Luke.”
“Wait, did you just say that?” he asked, entirely shock. “I never heard you call me hot! Wait ‘til I tell Oliver and Chris!”
I laughed. “So why did you call me? And I’m pretty sure it’s not because you want me to tell you you’re hot.”
“Oliver’s going home and he’s going to throw a party. He wants to know if you want to come along,” he said. “Would you want to go?”
“Uh… my brother’s visiting me for the weekend,” I said apologetically. “I can’t just ditch him to be in a party…”
“Well, bring him with you then!”
“But there’s underage drinking. He’s an adult. Plus, he always had this effect with girls. He’d go to jail if he’s going to sleep with a teenager.”
“Ask him to bring a girl friend. He can do that, can’t he?”
“Um…” I glanced at my brother from the window, flirting shamelessly with my roommates. They were all adults, so he could bring one of them. “Okay. I’ll ask him. How about Chris and Jane?”
“Ahead of you. I already asked them.”
“Fine. See you in the party,” I said and hung up without another word.
I walked back to the living room, where Dianna and Thalia were snuggling with my brother. He looked up and grinned at me. “Who was that?” he asked.
“Luke,” I replied. “Oliver’s throwing a party, apparently, and he invited me.”
“Would you go?”
“Sure, if it’s okay with you.”
Michael shrugged. “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
“You could go with me, if you want,” I suggested.
He considered this. “Well, I never went to a high school party before…”
Thalia’s head perked up. “Seriously? You’ve never been to a high school party before?”
“Nope. They invited me, but I didn’t go because I was the kind of guy who rather studies or read a book,” he said, chuckling nervously. “And then I wanted to change senior year, because it’s the last year already. But my parents died and so I stopped going to school and worked odd jobs to support my sister and I.”
“Well, you have to go!” Dianna insisted. “I’d go with you but I have the evening shift in the diner…”
“I’d love to go but I can’t because I’m finishing my novel,” Alice said. “My agent’s coming tomorrow and I’d have to have the draft done.”
“I’m free,” Thalia said, nodding slowly. “You want me to go with you?”
Michael shot her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Thalia.”
“Well, that settles it then!” I said, grinning broadly. “We leave in an hour.”
***
“Rebecca, I don’t think that is appropriate,” Michael said, frowning at my outfit. “That’s just too… skimpy.”
YOU ARE READING
Where He Stands
RomanceWho says only guys could protect girls? Rebecca Georges is one example. When Harold Hoffman, owner and founder of Hoffman Incorporated, appointed her as the personal bodyguard for his son, she is far from thrilled. But what could she do? Thirty-thou...
