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“Good, then it won’t bother you that he left his phone number for Mara.”
“He what?”
“Oh, honey,” she said. “Mara didn’t give him or the number a second glance.”
My chest puffed just enough to completely embarrass me. Was I really going to walk around jealous of every guy who found Mara attractive? I’d be jealous all the damn time.
“Do you want to come by for lunch on Wednesday?” Mom asked. “I could put something in the slow cooker and the three of us can have a meal together?”
“Sure,” I said, not thinking twice. “I just pulled into Waldo’s, so I should probably let you go.”
“Love you,” she said.
I said it back and then hung up, going into the diner.
Cohen and Steve were already sitting in a booth with Chester, Birdie’s grandpa, who owned the diner. I slid into the seat next to Chester, and Cohen gave me a curious look.
“How’d it go with Mara this weekend?”
“Did you...” Steve raised and lowered his eyebrows.
Chester only chuckled like an old man amused by the immaturity of the boys around him.
“We almost...” I raised and lowered my eyebrows. “But I couldn’t go through with it.”
“What?” Steve asked. “Why not? You couldn’t get your eyes off of her at Collie’s. If I didn’t know you two were together, I’d be worried about you murdering her.”
Cohen laughed so hard he nearly choked on his coffee, and Chester’s shoulders shook with mirth. Meanwhile, my cheeks were just as hot as the steam rising from Cohen’s mug.
“I can’t do that with her when she thinks we’re just together so I can get my mom dialysis.”
Chester’s thick eyebrows drew together. “You made a deal with Mara?”
I nodded. “She needed a boyfriend for public appearances, and I needed someone to give my mom dialysis at home, so we swapped.” I let out a sigh. “Now my parents are in love with her, and I’m not too far behind.
Chester shook his head. “There are two kinds of people you shouldn’t make agreements with.”
“Who’s that?” Steve asked.
“Pretty girls and the devil.”
Cohen and Steve laughed, but I didn’t. I was already in over my head.
“I have to wait, right?” I said. “Wait until her movie comes out and then ask her out for real? I don’t want her to just think I’m doing it for the sake of a handshake agreement.”
Chester waved his hand. “It’s the way of youth to make everything so damn complicated. Just ask her out.”
“Ask her out,” I echoed.
“Exactly. Take her out to a nice restaurant. Like La Belle. Buy her the fanciest dish on the menu, order up some red wine, and tell her you think the stars shine in her eyes.”
“And if it goes badly?” I asked. “We have an awkward six months, and she ditches me as soon as humanly possible. And then my mom...”
Chester waved his hand. “Karen can sit with your mom. She volunteers for stuff like that all the time.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “You have nothing to lose.”