Page 50 of The Dating Game

“Of course.” I wave away his concern, actually a bit relieved to have some time to process my emotions. “Don’t worry, you don’t need to look after me. I’m here to help.”

“Okay.” Will nods. “But I’ll catch up with you on the bus?” I nod. “Great.” He grins. “I’ll save you a seat.”

He walks away and I watch him go, forcing myself not to squeak until he’s out of earshot.

We’re sitting together on the bus!

Chapter 19

Will

Iaminwayover my head with this woman. The whole time I was checking in students and answering last minute questions from basically every parent, my mind was elsewhere, thinking about Brooke, wanting her near me, hating that I came so close to kissing her.

Hating it even more that I didn’t actually get to kiss her.

And now I’m on the bus, our departure time quickly approaching, still thinking about how close I came to kissing her.

That was not part of the plan.

Stop being annoying on purpose and just let things play out between us like they would have without a bet hanging over us. That was the plan.

Except I didn’t anticipate things playing out like this. Didn’t expect to feel so much for Brooke so fast.

My feelings and growing attraction for her have taken over and consequently I’m spending hours talking to her on the phone, staying up late to look up random facts about water and wild animals only to turn around and get up extra early so I can stop and get her favorite beverage for her, and, as if all that weren’t enough, almost kissing her in a parking lot full of teenagers and their parents. The latter of whom fully expect me to be a responsible trip leader—not one that’s completely wrapped up in the woman who just stepped onto thebus, a purple backpack slung over her shoulders and the travel cup of electrolyte water I brought her still in hand.

I straighten in my seat, resisting the urge to pat the seat next to mine. I already told her once I’d save her a seat, no need to be too eager.

Which is why me waving at her a second later like she’s a celebrity is going to be filed away in my mind under: unfortunate occurrences in my life.

I’m in the second row from the front. She didn’t need the wave to see me.

Thankfully she waves back, stepping forward to join me in my row.

“Thanks for saving me a seat,” she says with a dazzling smile.

“You bet.” I smile back automatically, her smile setting off a chain reaction. She settles into the seat. For the first time it occurs to me that we’re about to spend the next 17 hours together. Well, ten hours today, seven tomorrow, but still. That’s a lot of hours to sit next to someone.

I’m suddenly very glad that I’m not doing that ‘be annoying’ stuff anymore. That would be a lot to keep up for such a long period of time. Plus, I’ve developed this very persistent inner desire for Brooke to like me.

It’s something of a problem and, in an ironic twist, if I’m not careful it could end up making me annoying.

Nobody likes a brownnoser.

“Okay, Will,” Brooke declares as she unzips her backpack, “we’ve got some long hours ahead of us, so I think it’s best we make sure we’re on the same page about something.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Nerves churn in my stomach. What could she possibly be about to say? Is she going to warn me off staring at her for the whole trip?

Because I have been worried I’ll end up doing that. She’s just so pretty.

Brooke rifles through her backpack for a second before emerging with a colorful book and looking me square in the eye. “In your opinion,” she says with mock seriousness, “how many Mad Libs should we do per hour?”

I chuckle, and I swear my heart expands a little in that moment, trying to make space for all the room Brooke is taking up in it.

“I’ll have to defer to you on that one,” I tell her. “It’s been a while since I’ve done a Mad Lib.”

“Really?” Her smile turns playful. “Well, in that case, we’ve got some lost time to make up for.” She pulls out a pen. I notice that it’s the same shade of purple as her backpack. Somehow in all our get to know you conversations we never discussed favorite colors. It’s kind of more fun to have figured it out this way, though. Like I’m a detective and Brooke is very much a mystery I want to solve. Favorite color: purple. Up next to discover…how her mouth tastes. Wait, no. Favorite parts of speech. That’s next. On account of the Mad Libs. Yup. Detective Will is on the case. Focus.

“Alright, first word needed: female in room.” She frowns thoughtfully, the end of the pen resting on her full bottom lip. “Or I suppose in our case, you should name a female on the bus.” She seems to focus on the paper in front of her as she adds lightly, “You know, like me or Sarah Bochman.”

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