Page 38 of Three Rules I'd Never Break

“Can’t complain.” Something clinked in the background. “Sorry for the noise. I’m cleaning up after making dinner.”

“You cook?”

“Not like Jeffrey, but it’s edible.” Eli laughed. “With Joji next door, I don’t cook much. She likes to feed me, and she’s a fabulous cook.”

“I miss having a kitchen. But soon. I’m counting the days.” I flopped across the bed, settling in for a long conversation.

We talked about family, pets, and favorite Christmas memories.

Then caught up in the delight of the conversation I said something I immediately wanted to retract. “Tell me about your most embarrassing moment.”

He chuckled. “You’re going right for the jugular, aren’t you?”

If he hadn’t been laughing, I would’ve been more concerned. “We can skip it.”

“I was quarterback my senior year. During the pep rally before a big game, I was on stage. Then the head cheerleader hopped on stage to lead everyone in a cheer.”

I could already see where this story was headed. “Did you like her?”

“Back then I thought she was adorable. Anyway, she did her cheer and at the very end, I was supposed to say Go Cowboys. But she touched my arm, and I just stared at her. Until people started laughing. Then I walked off the stage.”

“Aww. Did you ever ask her out?”

“Nah. Later that day, I heard her mocking me with her friends. I might’ve deserved it, but she didn’t seem so cute after that.”

“That’s awful.”

“It was a long time ago. People only bring it up every month or so now.” The humor in his voice had an edge to it.

“Downside of living in a small town, huh?”

“Yep. Especially since I stayed in the same place I grew up. Now, what about you?”

“Um.” I did not want to tell Eli this story. Why had I opened my big mouth?

“Delaney?”

“I was a freshman. I was not the head cheerleader. I was a nobody. Then after completely humiliating myself and being whispered about in the halls, I wanted to go back to being a nobody.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“It was horrible. We were on the bleachers for group photos. The school was big enough that you didn’t really know everyone, but small enough that the entire school could take a picture together. Somehow, I ended up in the back on the very edge. Just as the photographer told us to say cheese, I toppled off the end. If I’d fallen backward, it wouldn’t have mattered. But I went headfirst over the side, and I wanted to die. My dress succumbed to gravity and left me completely exposed.”

“Yikes. Most people were probably too busy posing for the picture to notice, right?”

“That was the photo that ended up in the yearbook. The entire school and me, not my face... just my underwear.” I sighed. “You can laugh.”

“That sounds pretty embarrassing. Did that have any sway on your career choice?”

“Quite possibly. Because what I’d chosen that day was not picture-ready.”

“Picture-ready?”

Warmth flooded my face, and I fumbled for an answer.

“Are you blushing?”

“How am I supposed to know? I’m not in front of a mirror.” I gathered my wits. “You know what I meant. I don’t want you to think...”

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