Page 35 of Absorbed

Chapter Twelve

Stacey laid in bed thinking of their kiss the night before. She needed to know as much about Jessie as she could before their date without him finding out. Remembering that Mary Jo was Christian Club president and had invited her in the first place, Stacey dialed her number without hesitation.We’ve been friends since kindergarten…sort of. She’ll know.She leaned back against the giant Eeyore she kept on her bed.

“Hey MJ,” Stacey said when Mary Jo answered the phone.

“Stacey?” Mary Jo sounded surprised. “What’s up?”

“I was just wondering… how well do you know Jessie?”

“Jessie Thomas?”

As if there were a million Jessies in Christian club?“Yeah. Does he go to your church? What can you tell me about him?” Murphy laid her head on Stacey’s lap with a contented sigh. She rubbed Murphy’s soft ear fur between her fingers, staring up at the rotating ceiling fan.

“I don’t really know him. He only came a few times. I’m not sure he goes to church, actually.”

“Oh… I thought he was super religious?”

“What makes you think he’s ‘super religious’? It seemed like he wanted an excuse to play guitar at club meetings. He meta lotof girls that way. He didn’t lead prayer…ever. Or share his testimony or anything. He didn’t even know how to play Christian songs. He sort of strummed along.”

Stacey’s mind was spinning. “But what about the crown of thorns on his arm?”

“That generic tribal tattoo?” Mary Jo scoffed.

After the call, Stacey sat staring out the window, dumbfounded.Does that mean he isn’t actually a Christian?She considered all the other assumptions she’d made about Jessie.

Murphy nudged Stacey’s hand with her warm, damp nose.

Stacey looked down into her golden retriever’s chocolatey eyes. “What if he thought the same things about me?”I don’t know if I’m a Christian either, to be honest.

Murphy lifted one eyebrow without raising her head from Stacey’s lap.

“Was Christian Club Jessie’s scam to meet girls?” Stacey asked Murphy.

Stacey laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, remembering their kiss only a few hours before. The way Jessie’s hand felt pulling her to him, his teeth tugging her lip. She dragged the tip of her index finger across the chapped skin on her bottom lip. He knew just what to do. She was so awkward. A sick, excited, nervous feeling seeped into her stomach again as she thought of their date.Seriously? This is exactly what you wanted!

The phone in Stacey’s hand rang. She sat up quickly, hoping she’d somehow willed Jessie to call her. Inhaling, she pressed the on button. “Hello?”

“Hey… Stace.” There was a hesitation in Gabe’s voice. They hadn’t talked since the concert the weekend before.

“Hi, Gabe.” She hoped she didn’t sound too disappointed. She wasn’t ready to tell Gabe about Jessie. “How are you?”

“You still mad at me?”

Stacey sighed. “I wasn’t mad. I was…embarrassed. Sorry I was such a poser that day.”

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Did you have fun?”

“The show was good. But…can we forget about the rest of that day?”

“Deal.”

“Cool.”

“My family’s having a big barbecue. My mom said you should come.”

Stacey chuckled. “Glad to knowyour momwants me there.”

“Shut up. I called, didn’t I?”

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