Page 61 of One Week Wingman

“Hotter than Jason?” Lottie asks, not-so-innocently. Perched on a stool on the other side of the table, she’s already finished her first rosette. Is there an origami club I don’t know about?

“No, of course not,” Daisy says quickly. “No offense!”

“None taken,” I say, hoping to change the subject.

“Of course, it’s not about how hot a guy is, but what he can do with it…” Nita smirks, mixing herself a drink.

I try to kick her under the table. Not helping!

“Ooh, I take it things are getting sexy with Stefano,” Daisy beams.

“I don’t think I need to talk about this with my little sister,” I groan.

Daisy throws some popcorn at me. “Come on! I’m not so little anymore. Anyway, you were the one who told me about sex in the first place.”

“Me and the late, great Judy Blume,” I correct her.

“Wait, you told Daisy… and I’m guessing you taught Jason, too,” Lottie coos. “Isn’t that hilarious?”

Daisy’s smile drops. Hilarious.

“How are these rosettes supposed to look?” I blurt, quickly changing the subject. We need to talk about anything other than Jason’s dick right now. “Because this is more like a blob!”

“That must be so weird for you Daisy,” Lottie continues, looking delighted. “Like, every time he does a special move, do you wonder if he did it with Roxy first? You’ve been talking about how amazing he is in bed… Maybe you should thank her.”

My poor sister looks like she wants the earth to swallow her up—and I know how she feels.

“Who are you dating?” Nita speaks up, narrowing her eyes at Lottie. “Didn’t I hear something about you and Miles Einbaker? No, wait, that can’t be right. He’s married, and that would make you a cheating bitch. I must have it all wrong.”

Lottie looks furious. “Now, wait a minute—”

“How about we do more folding, less chatting, OK?” I ask loudly. “Perfect. Like a silent meditation. Good for the soul. And… Go!”

Silence falls, and I look around the table. Ten rosettes down… Two thousand to go.

It’s going to be a long afternoon.

When I get backto my parents’ house a couple of hours later, my fingertips are stinging from all that folding, and my cheeks are too, from having to smile at Lottie’s little digs.

It was either that, or slap her, and I don’t think Daisy would have appreciated a catfight right in the middle of her ‘dark academia-meets-Scandi cool’ living room.

I’m ready to hurl myself into a bath, and then have an early night in front of the TV, but when I step through the door, I find Mom, Phil, and Seb in the kitchen, decked out in yellow and blue from head to toe.

“No,” I say, taking it in. I know those colors. They’re school colors: Ashford Falls High, to be exact. “Absolutely not.”

“Where’s your school spirit?” Seb laughs, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. Of course, he looks like a dream, even in a blue and yellow beanie.

“How could you forget?” My mom asks, packing up a huge cooler. “It’s the big game against Woodvale.”

“I’d really rather sit this one out,” I try to protest, but Phil just shoos me out.

“Go and get changed. You better hurry if we want good seats.”

“It’s a high-school football game,” I sigh. “There are no good seats.”

“Cheer up,” Sebastian grins at me, as I pull my jacket out of the coat closet. “It’ll be fun.”

I blink. He’s actually excited, dressed in one of Phil’s yellow scarves and a navy peacoat. “You really weren’t kidding about your love of Americana, were you?”

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