Page 206 of Coach
M. Ricci:I know this is going to sound weird, and feel free to say no, but I have a group of friends getting together to do trivia night tomorrow night. It’s not exactly second date material, but it is fun, and I kinda want to see you again.
M. Ricci:Want to join us?
M. Ricci:My friends aren’ttotallyscary.
“What? Talk to me. I need to know.” Stevie’s voicewas insistent.
I handed her my phone. It was easier than trying to recap. Besides, I didn’t trust my voice. For some reason, I was caught between disappointment, relief, curiosity, and abject terror.
And for a guy who shied away from feelings in general, that was a lot.
Stevie let out a whistle.
“Meeting the friends? Holy shit. Dude, he likes you. I mean, shit.”
“He’s just being nice because he had to cancel. It’s nothing.”
She slapped my shoulder. “Don’t be an idiot. He’s goofy over you and your big-ass chest. I bet he jerked off thinking about—”
“Stevie!”
She laughed. “Bet he did.”
I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. “Now what do I do?
“What do you mean?” She sounded like I just asked if the Earth should continue to spin. “You go meet his friends like a normal person.”
“But I’m not—”
“Oh, I know you’re not normal. You’ll have to pretend.” She winked. My goth witch weirdo bestie winked at me. It might’ve been the most horrifying thing I’d ever seen. “Better text back quick or he’llthink you don’t want to go.”
I grunted. Fuck my life.
Me:Friends? Trivia? I’ll be useless.
M. Ricci:Then we’ll be useless together. Besides, Mike is a trivia god. The rest of us are just there to look hot and share the prize he wins.
Me:Mike?
M. Ricci:Teacher at school. He’s my work wife. You’ll get to meet his husband, Elliot. You two are a lot alike. Big, beefy, look like you want to chew on a two-by-four. You’ll like him.
Me:I prefer smaller pieces, you know, if I’m going to chew on them.
The dots danced. Then stopped. Then danced again.
M. Ricci:Dear God, thatwas a joke.
Me:I can be funny.
M. Ricci:THAT was funny. Shit, doc is here. Gotta go. I’ll text directions and time later or tomorrow am.
Me:Okay. Great.
Okay. Great.
Stevie beamed as she slipped out the door without a word. She’d been hovering over my shoulder the entire time. I half worried she’d snatch the phone out of my hands and type something I’d regret. Thankfully, she was in more of a looming mood.
I stared at the screen, reread the texts, searched for some hidden meaning, some indication that Mateo was just being nice or polite or . . . that he didn’t want to get together and this was his way of letting me down easy.
