Page 30 of Mixing Drinks For Tipsy Weasels

"Right, yes, that makes sense." I look at the bouncy ball I'm still holding between my fingers and consider what he's saying and what the best way of approaching the conversation is going to be. I don't want Erica to feel pressured into anything.

Then again, maybe telling her how I feel now, when there's an entire summer where we definitely won't see one another if we don't want to, is the best course of action.

Sami leans in. "I'd suggest doing it now. Once the dancing starts, it'll be harder to talk."

"Right, yes." I stand up and slip the bouncy ball back into my pocket. I should have known this was going to happen the moment I decided to bring it with me tonight. There was really no reason for me to do that. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Good luck," Sami says.

I give my friend a nervous smile and head across the room to where Erica is sitting.

My stomach is all tied up in knots, but I can also feel that this is the right thing to do, and not just because Sami told me it was. The idea of not having Erica in my life has already been a difficult one to face, but now I'm thinking about whether we could be something more to one another, I'm finding it impossible to ignore that. And there's only one way that I'm going to be able to find out if I'm the only one feeling this way.

Erica looks up as I approach and smiles, causing my heart to constrict and everything to feel all kinds of different about the world.

"Hey," she says. "Everything all right?"

"Erm, yes. I was just wondering if we could talk."

"Sure. But it better not be about how you lost the bouncy ball," she jokes. "It's on you this time."

I let out an amused chuckle. "I still have it." I dig into my pocket and pull out the bouncy ball.

"You seriously brought it with you?"

Some of her friends are giving the two of us a strange look, but I ignore them. I'm sure she'll explain it all to them later.

"I wanted to show you that it matched my bow tie." I hold it up next to the material.

"I know, you sent me a photo."

"But I thought it would be better in person. Wow, that doesn't sound logical at all, does it?"

She laughs. "Not really, but I like it all the same. It matches your bow tie perfectly. What are the chances?"

"Probably low. I don't imagine that the bow tie and bouncy ball manufacturers talk to each other very much."

"Maybe they should," Erica responds. "There's probably an untapped market for people who want the two to match. I suspect the average age of those people is probably seven, but I can still see the appeal." Amusement dances on her face as she says it, lighting up her eyes and making her seem even more beautiful than normal.

"Or maybe not. It would be fun if everyone here was sporting a bouncy ball in their pocket. Fun never has an age limit."

"True, true."

"Erm, but I actually came over to ask if you had a minute. To talk." I expect the nerves to get worse after I've told her what I want, but they haven't. If anything, they've actually settled down a bit.

"Sure. I need a new drink anyway." She gets up and grabs her clutch from the table.

"Are you going to be okay, E?" one of her friends asks.

"I'm fine," she assures her. "I'll be back soon. Probably. If not, I'll message you."

"I'm sorry for taking you away from your friends," I say as we start to make our way over to the bar.

"You're my friend too." Her words send a painful stab through my heart even though I know she doesn't mean them precisely the way I've heard them.

And that's just one more reason why we need to have this conversation sooner rather than later.

Chapter 15

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