Page 11 of Operation Prom Date
Since Kate still looked concerned, I added, “But I understand that it’s important to you, and I won’t let you down, okay?”
“Okay,” she said with a nod. She gestured over her shoulder. “Want a Dr Pepper? I was about to grab one.”
“That’d be great, thanks.” I followed her as she walked into a cozy kitchen that was vastly different from the large, ultra-modern one in my house—it was stainless steel and hanging pots over a massive granite island, all function. The decorations in this room had no rhyme or reason. A clock with colorful owls but no numbers sat over the stove, teacup-covered curtains hung over the window at the sink, and a wooden shelf held an assortment of ceramic figurines. Things like colorful roosters, cats, and a split in half Scooby Doo van. A closer glance revealed them to be salt and pepper shakers.
Every inch of the white fridge was covered in pictures, some newer ones of Kate and her mom, and some older of them with her dad. He wore Air Force fatigues in most, and several had him in his uniform. I knew he’d passed away a couple of years ago, right before Kate started at AA, but I didn’t know enough to broach the topic.
The cool can Kate handed me felt nice against my palm, and the crack of the tab and hiss of the bubbles were all that filled the air for a moment.
When Kate pulled the tab on hers, she groaned. “Thanks to the horrid training schedule you’re forcing on me, even opening a soda hurts.”
I grinned at her. “You love it.”
“I love the lake. The rowing—especially the kind required to go fast—I could toss right in the water. I’d just watch it sink, happy as could be.”
I put a hand over my heart like an arrow had hit me. “You wound me and my sport with your words.”
Her laughter echoed through the colorful room. “You’re too much.” She took a swig of her soda and gestured toward the hallway. “My notebook’s in my room. Let’s go put together a full game plan for Operation Prom Date. I always feel better when I get my strategies down on paper.”
I wondered if her dad used to speak in all military code, and if that was why she talked in terms like that and insisted on naming our operation. But again, it was above my clearance level.Great. NowI’mdoing it.
The uniquely decorated kitchen had nothing on Kate’s room. Bright blue paint on the walls, colorful paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and the black fan had white polka dots. A beaded curtain hung over her window, sending flashes of colored light around the room and across her dresser, where several framed pictures sat. The bursting-at-the seams bookshelf on the opposite side also had bigheaded figures lining the shelves. Oh, and a giant lizard wearing a tiny, yellow knitted scarf sat in the middle of her bed. It cocked its head at me, making the spiky parts on its neck stick out.
“That’s Klaus,” Kate said. “Don’t worry, he’s got a much better temperament than his namesake.”
“Oh? And who is he named after?”
“An original vampire. From the showThe Originals? Technically he was onThe Vampire Diariesfirst, but they did a spin off, and anyway…” She scooped up the creature as she sat on her bed. “Klaus kills for fun—the vampire. This Klaus is too lazy to do much of anything.”
I sat next to her on the bed, still taking in her collection of figurines.
“That’s my Funko Pop collection. I paired them up the way they should be on the shows.” She gestured at one in a green hood and the blond figure next to him with the glasses. I realized it was fromArrow.
“I ship Olicity the hardest.”
“‘Ship’ them?”
“I want them in a relationship. Like I’d put them in a ship together so they’d be forced to see they’re perfect for each other, bribe the writers to get them together, ship them. Partnership, friendship,please-God-put-them-in-a-relationship-already ship them.”
“Oh-kay.”
“It’s a common phrase. Oliver and Felicity are totally my OTP, which means one true pairing, if you haven’t somehow heard of that, either. I also ship Alexa and Clarke onThe 100a crazy amount, and I was pretty mad at the writers for a while, but something happened and…well, I won’t spoil it, but Imight’veteared up. Then of course there’s Stydia and Captain Swan”—she pointed at a blond figure wearing a red jacket and a goateed dude with a hook for a hand—“I used to be all about Damon and Elena, but there toward the end, I shipped her and a coffin. Which sounds mean, I know, but vampires don’t technically die, so a bit nicer?”
“I’m still judging you too much for saying ‘ship them the hardest’ to judge you for the vampire stuff.”
She smacked my arm and I laughed. Honestly, I was also trying to keep up with all the words she’d spouted, trying to make sense of them. We’d spent the past few afternoons on the boat, and the more time I spent with her, the more amused I was by her, even though I only understood about half of what she said.
Klaus crawled higher on her lap and she rubbed his chin. I never knew a lizard could smile, but damned if the thing didn’t grin. Kate caught my eye. “Just call me Khaleesi, mother of dragons. Or dragon, as it were. Please tell me you at least get that reference.”
“Game of Thrones. I’ve only read the first book, though. Okay, half of the first book, but I meant to pick it back up. But then I sort of just watched the show instead.”
She glanced around like someone might be listening and then leaned in. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve never read the books.”
I leaned a few inches closer, until I could see the different shades of green in her eyes. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“You’re starting to have a lot of my secrets, so I certainly hope so.”
Unexpected warmth swirled through my chest. I’d never thought I would want to be a secret keeper, but there was something about having Kate’s trust that made me proud to be one.
