Page 70 of Only in Your Dreams

Iwasfine at prom, to be fair. The lead-up sucked hard. That I’d been the only one out of our friends not to get asked. But then Zac’s date fell through at the last minute and the entire night ended up being an incredibly fun friend-date along with Parker, Summer and their dates.

But I’m not letting Parker off the hook that easily.

“I was—I was a virgin until Connor!” I hiss as Wynn drags his feet passing Parker on his way behind the counter. Surveying our scene with interest befitting a gossip at heart.

“Yup, definitely awkward,” Summer says under her breath.

“So? You could be a virgin today and there wouldn’t be anything wrong with it.”

I try again with the bar rag. “That’s not the point, Parker. None of that was my choice. You turned me into a pariah with all the guys I ever interacted with.”

“I said I’m not proud of it!” he says, hands held out in surrender. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll set you up with someone—”

“Oh, I think you’ve done more than enough—”

“I might be able to help. I came by Parker’s place to find you, Mels,” Summer pipes in. She motions to her messy bob, the honey strands she showed off when she popped by Parker’s just yesterday. “As you can see, I’m all about shaking things up these days. Any bit helps when you’re in a dating rut like mine, and based on the scene in your bedroom, it looks like we’re on the same page.”

At last, I turn my glare away from Parker, who’s suddenly become engrossed with the glass pastry display and the assortment of donuts behind it. “I assume you’re referring to the clothing explosion littering my bedroom floor?”

“Are you replacing all of it?”

“Once I can properly afford to—I’m saving everything for a deposit on an eventual apartment. The second job is supposed to help.”

Summer claps her hands together. “Well, it never hurts to check out what’s out there, and I’m currently on the market for a shopping buddy. I have my eye on this guy I met at work the other day. He’s quite a bit younger, but he seems really promising.”

Like most residents of Oakwood Bay, Summer works at the college, in the same athletic rehab center as Parker.

“Aw, I’m honored, Sum,” Parker says, tucking her under his arm. “But you know I have a strict policy against messing around within the friend group.”

Shit.

I freeze in the act of adjusting my ponytail, and it tumbles out of my grip, spilling over my face.

I knew it. I knew there was no chance of him taking it well that I was hanging around Zac. It’s why, for the past couple of days, I’ve made sure to sneak out of the apartment after Parker goes to bed. I down Zac’s waffle breakfast at warp speed to sneak back into the apartment before my brother gets up. It’s a shame, actually. I could get used to the mornings on Zac’s porch, drinking coffee while staring at the water, listening to him talk game strategy.

I shove the hair off my face. “Anyway,” I say loudly. “I’m assuming I’m the shopping buddy in question, Sum?”

“Well, that’s just rude,” Parker says. “What if she came here to ask me?”

“Yeah…” Summer says slowly. “I’m not inclined to take advice from the guy who owns a collection of Hawaiian shirts.”

“I wear them ironically.”

“No, you don’t,” we counter in unison.

“Fine,” he says, crossing his arms. “Fine, I see how it is. Melody comes home and suddenly I’m the unfavorable Woods twin.”

Summer gives him a sweet smile. “That would assume you were at some point favorable—”

“Get out of here, the both of you. I refuse to take this kind of abuse at Sheffield’s, of all places,” Parker says, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.

I grimace at Parker. “My shift ends at four.”

“Perfect, I’ll wait for you.” Summer plucks a menu card from a stand by the register. “I’ll just have a late lunch.”

“Fine, then I’ll go,” Parker grumbles. “But if you happen to come across an interesting Hawaiian shirt while you’re out shopping, I will accept it as penance.”

Chapter 17

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