“So, you’re not mad at me for cancelling our plans?”
“No, of course not,” I say. “We’ll definitely reschedule.”
“Good. I really wanted to hang out,” he says.
Hearing him say this brings a smile to my face.
“Me too,” I admit. “Soon?”
“Absolutely,” he insists.
We continue chatting, and I notice neither of us makes the first move to get off the phone. It’s certainly not going to be me.
“Don’t forget about the escape room excursion next Saturday,” I say.
“Yes, I saw the group chat,” he says. “Are you going?”
“I think I need to,” I tell him. “Ariel and Jess would be upset if I bailed on the evening.”
Honestly Jess would probably never forgive me if I skipped it.
“You’re going, right?” I ask, chewing on my lower lip while I wait for his answer.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” I exclaim. “No sir, that’s not acceptable.”
“Oh really?” he retorts.
“Yep,” I reply boldly.
My heart is racing with excitement. I can’t wait to tell Eliza about this conversation.
“Ms. Black, are you forcing me to enter a life-threatening situation in which I’ll be trapped with my fellow staff members for an extended period?”
“I sure am.”
He laughs. “So, I have no choice in the matter?”
“Exactly.”
“Fine, I’ll go,” he says with a dramatic sigh. “But my life is in your hands, so be prepared.”
“Challenge accepted,” I reply.
“Okay,” he says. “I can’t wait to get together. Soon?”
“Yes, I’ll double check my schedule.”
Ha, there isn’t much to check. Most of my schedule consists of school days and recovering from school days. I pause for a few seconds to keep up the stupid façade.
“Hey, Serena, I need to grab this call,” he says. “Can I call you back?”
“Sure.”
As soon as we’re off the phone, I groan. That’s what I get for trying to pretend I have a busy social life.
I let out a frustrated sigh as I make my way back to the table and Jess.