Page 56 of Why Not Now?

She blinks for a moment. “Lacey?”

“I didn’t get the wrong house, did I?” I ask, taking a step back to check the house number.

“Derek!” Lacey saves me, coming to the door behind the woman.

“Hey, Ace. You ready to go?”

“Almost. I left my bag in Jess’ room upstairs.”

“Run and get it, Lacey,” the woman says. “I’ll keep Derek company.”

I almost call Lacey back, but she rushes up the stairs and the woman gestures for me to come inside.

“I’m Cathy, Jess’ mom.”

She holds out her hand for me to shake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Derek, a friend of Ava’s and Lacey’s. Offered my ride services since the weather is shit today.”

“That’s so kind of you. A friend, you say?”

“Yep.”

“It’s so nice to have friends.” She places her hand on my arm.

I watch the stairs, hoping to see Lacey come down them and get me out of here. It occurs to me that Cathy is an admittedly beautiful woman and yet I am not attracted to her at all. Her hair is a little too short and a little too blonde. Her eyes are a little too brown and don’t have enough gold flecks to make them hazel. She’s a little too tall and isn’t wearing enough green. Long story short: she’s not Ava.

“So have you known Ava and Lacey long?” Cathy asks, drawing my attention back to her.

“Uh. Yes. Sort of. Ava and I were friends in high school. We recently reconnected.”

Finally, Lacey returns and I’m able to step away from Cathy.

“Got everything?” I ask Lacey. She’s followed down the stairs by another girl.

“Yep.”

We escape outside and I open the car door for her. She slides in with a grateful smile. When I get in the driver’s side and start the car, I say, “I have a question for you. Do you have homework?”

“Some,” she says hesitantly.

“You got it with you?”

She nods.

“You want to go back to your place, or come with me to my mom’s?”

She blinks at me for a minute. “You want me to come with you?”

“Sure. Ava’s coming over after work, though she doesn’t exactly know it yet. And my friends and my sisters will be there.”

“Why?”

“It’s my birthday on Tuesday. Today is my party.”

“Happy birthday,” she exclaims. “Does Ava know?”

I think about that for a moment. “Probably. I didn’t remind her, but she might remember.” I hadn’t considered she might have forgotten what day my birthday is. Partly because I haven’t forgotten hers. A flash of memory burns through my mind. Ava’s seventeenth birthday party. Everything was over and I was about to head home with my friends. Ava and I stood outside her bedroom door, saying goodbye until she asked me, “Are you going to kiss me?”

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