None of your business, I thought. But I just pretended not to hear and punched Jeremy in the leg.
“You’re a wimp,” he muttered.
Time to prove him wrong.
I took a slow sip of Diet Coke and stood up.
“Okay, I’ll be right back,” I announced.
“Where is she going?” I heard Dad say. But I didn’t wait to hear Jeremy’s answer. I was on a mission. I could do this.
Most of the group had finished their meals and were just watching Honey Braids. She was still talking, her hands waving wildly in the air.
“And all of a sudden, this bear was in our tent. And we were like, aaaaaaaaaah!” she recounted with a syrupy Southern twang.
“Whoa!” said Drew, leaning back in his chair.
I stepped up to the edge of the table. “Um, Drew?”
“Yeah? Oh, hey, Sam!” Was he excited to see me? I couldn’t tell.
“Hey. I just wanted to say … hep!”
“What?”
“Sorry, I have the hiccups. Hep! I just wanted to say … hey.”
“Hey,” he said again. He gave me a slight smile, but didn’t say anything else.
I obviously hadn’t thought this through too far. Was that it?
Quick! Think, Levy, think. Use the noggin.
I sucked in my breath. “Jeremy and I did the Pine Bluffs trail this morning. Hep!”
“Really? How did that go?” He nodded his head like he was impressed. At least, that’s what I hoped it meant.
“Good! I mean, really awesome. Hep!”
“That’s what I’m talking about.” He gave me a high five. Not exactly romantic, but at least it was physical contact, right?
“Hey listen, Sam. I’m glad you found us. I have to get back to class, but a bunch of us were going to go to the Fondue Pot tonight. This place in town. If you want to come, they have these big pots in the middle of the table with cheese and chocolate. It’s crazy good. And they have a special on hot toddies Tuesday nights.”
“Mmmm,” said Honey Braids, patting her stomach.
“What do you think?” Drew’s eyes narrowed on me now, and his voice was quiet and close, like it was just for us to hear.
“Sure!” I said, maybe a little too fast. “Hep!”
“Sweet. I’ll pick you up at the inn around 6:30. And bring your brother, too, if you want.” He winked at me and turned back to the table. “All right, folks. Who’s staying with me for the afternoon? Let’s hit it.”
Wait. Was I just invited out on a date with my brother? And was Honey Braids coming, too? But I couldn’t think about that now. I had to think positive and remember the way Drew’s eyes looked like dazzling blue marbles and his lips came together, smooth and shiny and the way that — hep! Ugh. Still had those hiccups.
I made my way back to our lunch table in the back.
“Hey, guess who found us,” Jeremy said, barely moving his lips. Liz was standing next to him in her white furry jacket. She had a new, long scarf in pink and red, and her cheeks were the same colors, warm and rosy.
“Heard you did PB!” she said.
“Huh?”
“Pine Bluffs,” explained Jeremy.
“Oh, yeah,” I said.
“Wow! Would you be up for doing it again with me this afternoon? Heidi and Dina were lame-o’s and stayed back at our hotel.” She looked from me to Jeremy, so hopeful. I felt a little bad for her. I knew what it was like to want to be liked.
“Sure,” I said, and hooked my arm through hers.
No answer.
I speed-dialed again. Straight to voice mail.
Where could she be? I needed to check in with Phoebe before Drew picked me up. I was outside on the front steps of the inn, stamping my feet to keep warm. Under my jacket all I had on was a clingy black cardigan and jeans. I know, yawn. But it was the only thing I could come up with. I also blow-dried my hair upside down and did the electric socket dance. That’s when I run around shaking my head and arms as fast as I can like I’ve just been electrocuted. It’s the only way I know how to get my hair to look like it has some body to it. It never stays bouncy for very long, but it’s still fun to dance around in my underwear.
And now I really needed some Phoebe advice. What if Drew had gone home and decided he didn’t want to kiss geeks with long ears anymore? Honey Braids had looked much hipper than me. Or what if he did still want to kiss me, and do everything else, too?
I speed-dialed Phoebe again. Nothing.
I heard the front door open behind me and then a dog raced across the front lawn. I love dogs. We used to have a mutt named Simon when I was little — part terrier, part golden retriever. This one was black and tan and looked like it was some sort of mix, but I couldn’t tell, maybe Labrador, maybe husky. Anyway, he was really beautiful. And fast.
“Hey,” came a voice behind me. It was what’s-his-face — Eric.
“Hey.”
“How did skiing go today?” he asked.
“Good. We did the Pine Bluffs trail,” I said.
“Nice! That’s tricky.”
“Yeah.”
Eric threw a stick out into the snow. We both watched as the dog tore across the lawn to retrieve it, then brought it back to Eric’s feet. He threw it out again.
“Hey, listen. I just wanted to say thank you for sticking up for me this morning in front of that lady.”
“Sure, whatever.” I was thinking of reminding him that he was the one who lectured me about my temper just a few days ago, but I let it go. New Year’s Resolution: no more grudges. Except for Kathy. Okay, fewer grudges. I had a few more days before New Year’s Eve. Agh! Would I still be a virgin next year?
“So, are you, um … going out?” Eric asked.
“Yeah,” I bit my lip to keep from smiling too goofily. “Any minute now, actually.”
“With your friends from last night?”
“Yeah, some of them.”
“Drew?” Wait, how did he know Drew?
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Sounds like fun. Hot Toddy Tuesdays?”
“Yesss,” I said slowly. What was this, twenty questions — the unfun edition?
“Listen, Sam. This is none of my business, and I shouldn’t be butting in but — well, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way. But Drew is kind of … well, he goes out with a lot of the vacationers, and uh …”
He kicked at a small chunk of ice on the walk.
“What are you saying?” I said. My mouth felt dry and thick.
“Well, I mean, it’s none of my business —”
“Yeah, you said that already.” Now I was getting angry.
“But I’ve just seen him … oh, never mind.”
What was with this guy? Who did he think he was? And what did he know about Drew? He had no idea what Drew was like! I’d bet Eric had never even slept with someone. What a jerk! And then I thought about Drew that afternoon with Honey Braids. I remembered her patting her belly. Mmmm. I wasn’t about to tell Eric that she was probably coming out tonight, too. Whatever. She was just one of his students, right? I wasn’t about to get jealous after one night of kissing. We weren’t even dating yet, were we? Agh! For the second time, this strange guy had rendered me completely speechless, and I was pissed.
“Well, yeah, that’s it.” He whistled and the dog came bounding over. “I just wanted to warn you because … I don’t know, you were really nice to me this morning and …” He puffed out his cheeks. “Now I feel like an ass.”
“Oh, really? Well, that’s probably because you just acted like an ass,” I said. His forehead pulled into a frown. But I kept going. “Listen, I’m kinda sick of your little lessons on family values and dating. I’m not about to marry this guy, I’m just going out to have hot toddies and fondue and I don’t need you to tell me whether that’s a good idea or not! And if you think —”