Down To Earth: A Zac Efron Character X Reader Novel

Chapter 3: Tease*

Zac, out to dinner with his friends, nearly dropped his phone in his plate, juggling it a few times, when he saw (Y/N)'s name flash across the screen.

"Whoaaaaa, settle down over there," his friend Tomik teased him.

"Who is that?" Ryan asked with a knowing smirk. "(Y/N)?"

"Possibly," Zac blushed as he unlocked his phone.

(Y/N): 8:07 PM
I really had a great time today.  Thanks for stopping by.

"I knew you guys would hit it off," Ryan replied confidently while he pushed his food around on his plate. As Zac locked his phone without responding, Ryan pressed, "Um...you're not going to respond?"

"Later...I don't want to come across as too eager." Ryan locked eyes on him before shaking his head back and forth. "What?"

"That," Ryan gestured towards Zac's phone, "Is a woman who is used to being pursued."

"Oh, I'm sure she is," Zac took a drink of water.

"My advice?"

"Unsolicited advice," Zac said sarcastically.

Ryan paid him no attention as he continued, "If you like her? If you're interested in her? I'd make that known. The shy, timid routine? Not going to work with her," he shook his head.

"You really think so?"

"Trust me. I've known her since we were teenagers. If she has to question your feelings, or wonder if you're into her or not, she's going to cut you loose. She's not going waste her time," he took a bite of his dinner, "She doesn't have to."

"Right," Zac replied. "Right," he replied more confidently as he stared down at his phone, considering how he should respond.

Ryan and Tomik both smirked. They cared about their friend, they wanted him to be happy- they knew he deserved it more than anyone. That didn't mean they weren't going to find amusement in watching him have to work at it a little bit. They knew he was out of practice when it came to dating. The truth was, he never had to be good at it in order to attract plenty of girls.

As Zac continued to stare blankly at his phone, Ryan gently suggested, "I'd maybe start with telling her you had a good time, and you'd like to see her again. Maybe suggest getting dinner or drinks...something not related to her job."

"She's going to come to Palm Springs," Zac said confidently and they couldn't contain their laughter. "What?" he asked, completely clueless.

"I don't think staying in a house with a bunch of other people sends the message you're interested in getting to know her."

"Right. You're right," Zac unlocked his phone, and there was another message from (Y/N). He took Ryan's advice.

Y/N 8:10 PM:
Sorry we got interrupted and had to cut things short. I was having a lot of fun 😉

Zac 8:17 PM:
I was too! I know we said we'd see each other in Palm Springs, but why don't we keep the fun going? Do you have any plans tomorrow night?

Ryan laughed as he watched the color drain from Zac's face before he nervously locked his phone and flipped it upside down on the table.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"What the fuck is happening? Since when do I get nervous about asking a girl out?"

"It's because you know she's a catch, and you're not wrong. Relax. Take a breath. She'll say yes," Ryan said with confidence before taking a drink of his beer. "She really likes wine and her e-," Ryan stopped himself. "She enjoys good food. So, when she says yes," he glanced down at Zac's phone, "Suggest going to A.O.C. It's in her neighborhood, you guys can get some wine, share some tapas. And suggest an earlier time...like 6 o'clock. It's sexy and fun, but a little more relaxed than dinner."