Page 51 of The Love Interest

“Dropping it? What is this, a Pitbull song?”

“Move past the bad segue, Caden.”

“I do as you command, Juliet. But wouldn’t I be intruding?”

She shakes her head. “Dude, they both love you. And I… I like you a lot, so it’d be awesome if you came. No one is being sympathetic by inviting you over. We like spending time with you because you’re funny and cool, so it’s for our benefit as much as yours. Plus, we may even have a couple drinks before. Mom is cool about alcohol as long as we don’t get drunk, so she got us a bottle of wine. It’s going to be really fun, and I want you to come. So are you in?”

Am I in?I’m as in as it is possible for me to be. I thought for a second that I’d ruined everything, but maybe the few times the real me emerged he didn’t do as much damage as I thought. I still need to be very careful about how much I let my personality come through, but it’s not as grim as I previously imagined. I’m not out of the running yet.

“Lead the way,” I say.

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

Juliet’s house is only a couple hundred yards away from the school, so the four of us are walking there, following the paved pathway beside the road. As we pass under the school gates I recall the e-mail Kaylee sent me last night. She thought it’d be a good idea to take advantage of my friendship with Juliet in order to damage her relationship with Dyl. Kaylee said that Juliet would listen to me as long as I didn’t come across as a “possessive fedora-wearing asshole.” Those were her words, obviously, but I agree with the sentiment.

I turn to Juliet. “So how much of Dyl have you been seeing?”

“Not much. Why do you ask?”

“He seems to like you a lot. It’s kind of creepy.”

“Liking me is creepy?”

Oh boy. Wrong tack.

“No, of course not—I mean, you barely know him and he seems kind of obsessed. Liking you isn’t creepy at all. It’s the most obvious thing in the world.”

“Barf. But I get what you’re saying. He’s intense. I think that’s just how he is.”

I could tell her so many things about him. But my feelings toward him are too strong, and I know if I say anything else it’ll come across as self-serving and bossy. I may as well start whining about how nice guys never get the girl, so I shut my mouth.

We walk around a large lake. In the middle of the water is a fountain that looks like a leaping goldfish vomiting water from its mouth. The lake itself looks sludgy and slightly green, partly covered with rotting leaves. The path we’re walking on is cream-colored concrete that’s filled with cracks. Juliet’s shoes make a satisfying clicking sound with every step.

“Do you like anyone, Caden?” asks Juliet. “You’ve been here awhile, so have you spotted anyone you could see yourself dating?”

She’s giving me her best doe eyes and her arms are swaying, her fingers curling inward, making a semi-fist. This is a test. She’s mining for information about my feelings. This is a good sign. It means she cares.

I shoot her a sly grin. “Maybe one.”

“You aren’t going to tell me who it is, are you?”

“I might,” I say. “I just want to make sure she likes me back first.”

She skips ahead to catch up with Natalie and Trevor. When she reaches them she stops and looks back at me. “Caden, she’s probably waiting for you to do the same thing.” She shrugs. “Just saying.”

She turns around and falls into step with Natalie and Trevor. I tuck my hands into my pockets and start whistling. Juliet just told me what she wants: she’s interested, but wants me to make the first move. I think about what the LIC taught me about that. One of the best Nice strategies is a big romantic first date. It’s settled. Tonight, at the party, I’m going to ask her out.

At her house, her mom opens the door. She’s dressed in a sleek black pantsuit but her blondish hair is ruffled, like she’s been running her fingers through it a lot.

“Caden,” she says as I step into the doorway. “No injuries this time?”

“None at all.”

“Great. Now, I’ve known you for a long time so I don’t feel bad asking for help. Richard’s in the kitchen preparing some snacks for you guys. Can you go and help him? Juliet, set the table.”

Juliet puts her hands on her hips. “Mom, I told you this is a casual thing.”