Page 50 of Love Me Not

He knew the boy better than I did so I took his word for it. I also considered asking for more detail, but that was probably Aiden’s story to tell. As we crossed the lot to my car I pulled the keys from my purse and tried to think of a reason not to leave right away.

Twice over the weekend I’d felt the urge to talk to Trey. First, during my six-hour visit with my sister, niece, and nephew at the zoo, I not only volunteered to pet the camel, but I fed a one hundred fifty-year-old tortoise. That was adventure, right?

Then I saw a commercial about discounted flights to Seattle and remembered him saying one of his siblings lived out there. I even pulled out my phone before remembering that I didn’t have his number. Jacob would share if I asked, but the girls would never believe that I only wanted to tell the man about cheap flights to go see his sibling for the holidays.

Rarely, if ever, did I have the urge to talk to a man, so even I realized this milestone for what it was. The crush thing might have gone both ways.

“Since you seem open to suggestions tonight,” he said, “I have one.”

“Let’s hear it,” I said, happy for a reason to linger.

I unlocked my car doors as we approached my car, and without a word, Trey took the bag off my shoulder and set it on the back seat. “I was talking to Leo about this set design he’s come up with.”

“The spinning one?”

“Yeah, I think we can make it work.”

Leo was brilliant, and I had no doubt that with more time and resources he could bring his vision to life, but we were just over three weeks away from opening night. That time needed to be spent perfecting the performance, not building a set we lacked the manpower to move.

“I would love to have that set, but there isn’t enough time now.”

“Maybe not for the club members to make it, but what if we had help?”

Did he have little set-building fairies in his pocket? “Help from where?”

Trey turned and leaned his backside against the car. “I talked to Ethan Johansson and he’s willing to make our backdrop a class project.”

“You want the kids in wood shop to build our set?” I realize he wasn’t wearing a coat and before he could answer I asked, “Where is your coat?”

“In the truck.” As if that was a rational answer to why he’d be out here in the freezing cold without one. “Ethan looked at the plans that Leo drew up and he says they could build the bottom with the mechanics, and then all we have to do is paint the backdrops before they assemble everything on the stage.”

Painting something that massive would also take time, but there was another problem.

“Even if we managed all of that, who would turn a set that large? Timing is everything in a live production, and we can’t stop the play every time the scene changes.”

He shook his head. “That’s what my players are for.”

His players? “Football players?”

“That’s right. The guys will be happy to help out.”

Since when? “They’ll be happy to or you won’t give them a choice?”

Trey chuckled. “Are you accusing me of abusing my authority?”

“Either that or you’re a miracle worker.” I blew into my hands to warm them up. “I’m still not sure how you convinced Burke and Aiden to join.”

He shifted off the car and stepped between me and the wind. “There was no convincing. I announced the play was looking for new people, and they both came to me after practice to say they were interested.” Opening my driver’s side door, he said, “You need to get out of the cold.”

Yes, I did. Climbing in, I asked, “Are you saying they volunteered without any coercing?”

Placing his body in the opening between the car and the door, he leaned forward. “Doing a play is scary. I wouldn’t push anyone into joining if they didn’t want to do it.”

A play was scary? Had he paid any attention to what football players did to each other on that field?

“If you aren’t in a hurry,” he said, “there’s a little diner down the road. We can firm up the set so I can get Ethan started.”

“Delta’s?”

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