Page 30 of With a Little Luck

“Pru’s boyfriend would wear swim trunks to a Sadashiv concert,” she points out. “But I have an idea. Follow me.” She pivots, heading to her bedroom. Penny is there, sitting on the upper bunk bed, headphones plugged into her tablet. She pulls them off when she sees me and Lucy.

“Oh, Jude! You look so handsome!”

“No, he doesn’t,” says Lucy, throwing open her closet door. “But he will.”

I make a scared face at Penny, who rolls her eyes behind Lucy’s back.

“I still can’t believe you won tickets to the Sadashiv concert,” Penny says, slumping onto the mattress so that her arm hangs dejectedly over the side of the ladder. “And you’re not takingus? Life is not fair!”

I bite my tongue. I haven’t told them yet that they aren’t just any tickets, but VIP tickets. Backstage passes. Maya and I might actually get to meet him.

Lucy and Penny would lose their minds if they knew.

And then probably murder me and steal the tickets for themselves.

“Bring me back some cool merch,” says Lucy, pulling a jacket off a hanger and tossing it at me, “and all might be forgiven.”

I look at the blazer. It’s black with velvet lapels. It takes me a second to recognize it as the tuxedo jacket I wore to our cousin’s wedding.

“I thought Mom sold this at a garage sale,” I say.82

“She tried, but Lucy nabbed it,” says Penny. “Said it was too classy to part with. Try it on.”

“No, not overthat.” Lucy stops me as I start to slide my arm into the sleeves. “You’ll look like you’re going to a funeral.”

“Well, where else am I going to perform my beat poetry?”

“You need something casual to tone it down. Somethingyou, like the shoes, but not as attention-grabbing.” She thinks for a second, her gaze sweeping up and down. “Do you still have that gray T-shirt with the weird dice?”

“The D20? Yeah, of course.”

She nods. “Perfect.”

“Try not to be nervous, Jude,” says Penny. “She’s going to love you.”

I smile, grateful for the words of encouragement. And who knows? Maybe she’s right. Maya may not have fallen in love with me before today, despite years of going to school together, but that’s because we’ve hardly spoken to each other outside of class projects. When she gets to know me, really know me …

Then what?

I’ll sweep her off her feet?

Who am I kidding? I’ll be lucky if I can get through this night without vomiting all over my hand-painted Vans.

“Sure she is,” says Lucy, without as much enthusiasm. Then she grabs me by the shoulders, staring intensely into my eyes. “But, Jude?No nerd talk.”

“Lucy!” cries Penny. “He needs to be himself.”

“I agree,” says Lucy, nodding. “Just less nerdy. You’re not going to impress her by recapping all the Avengers movies in chronological order, or explaining the intricate rules of …” She waves one hand through the air. “Wizard lairs, or whatever.”

I frown. “You literally just told me to wear my Dungeons and Dragons T-shirt.”

She holds up a finger. “Your obscure Dungeons and Dragons T-shirt. Subtle nods to your interests are fine, but keep it chill.”83

I swallow. I have no chill.

As if sensing my anxiety, Lucy sighs. “Just ask questions about her and her interests, and you’ll be fine.”

“I can do that.”

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