look like next to other guys, and I'll tell you right now, it's freaking good. I winked at my own reflection in the glass of our kitchen cabinets as I reached for a glass. I was just being silly checking myself out because I knew Josh was looking at me. He was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal when I came out of the bedroom in my new tux.
"What are you smiling at?" Josh asked.
"I'm just thinking about what a stud I am."
Josh laughed. I loved that he knew how to take my personality. "I don't know any studs that go to a Valentine's Day banquet without a date," he said.
"Shut up, fool. You know I could have a date if I wanted one. All I have to do is say the word."
"Why aren't you taking anyone? You know those charity things always have good food. You'd have her begging for it tonight just based on the quality of the food alone. Forget about it if you'd stay in one of those nice hotels in L.A. Girls do love hotel rooms."
"I'm not going to L.A. with another girl, no matter how much I like some good begging. If it were another city, sure, but if I'm going to L.A., I'm seeing Emily."
"Emily, huh?" Josh said. "Why isn't she going with you to the black tie thing?"
"Because she's a Laker Girl, and they have a home game tonight."
"Can't she take the night off for a big-time charity ball? Doesn't she know you're the shit?"
"I was just wondering that myself." I said, laughing. "They only have like thirty something games a year, so no, she can't take off. I think she should definitely be notified about me being the shit, though. I think that might have slipped by her."
"Are you saying you two haven't—"
"No. We haven't."
"What? You've been up to L.A. like three times. You really haven't—"
"No." I said.
"Christ, Ethan. There better be gold in there. What do you guys do the whole time you're together? Play video games?"
"Basically," I said, smiling. "No, we do all kinds of stuff. She's living in the place behind Joel's house in Calabasas. It's nice. She's got a really cool dog. We just hang out. She's fun."
"Oh my God, you're in love. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ethan Erickson is in loooove."
"I'm not in love , stupid. I just said we have fun."
"You've never had fun with any other girl who wasn't willing to…" Josh made a gesture with his fingers that made it clear what he was referring to.
"Oh, please. I just like hanging out with her."
Josh gave me a look that told me he was all together convinced I was head over heels for her. I just rolled my eyes at him.
"Are you going to try to see her?" he asked.
"I'm planning on trying to catch the end of the game," I said.
"You're gonna be in pain tomorrow morning." Josh said. He knew I usually trained on Saturday morning, no matter what I did or how late I was up on Friday night.
"I'm off tomorrow," I said.
He gave me a confused look, knowing how hardcore I was with my training routine. I shrugged. "Coach wanted me to go to this thing tonight to rub elbows. He said it was an honor that I'd been invited, and I shouldn't miss it. He knew it would be late by the time I drove back home. Anyway, he told me to take the day off tomorrow. Of course, the next day was supposed to be one of my Sundays off, and he's making me go in to make up for Saturday."
Josh laughed. " I should've known he'd make you make it up," he said. "So, are you spending the night up there?"
"Hope fully," I said. "The other times I've gone up there to see her, I didn't have the option of spending the night since I had to work the next day."
"But, tomorrow…" Josh said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Tomorrow I do not have to work," I said.
"Did you already ask her if you could stay at her place? Because if not, Collin won't care if you stay with him and Rachel."
"I didn't ask her yet, but I'm not staying with Collin. She'll invite me to stay at her place."
"What if she doesn't? Do you have a back up plan?"
"I won't need a backup plan," I said. "I've got a new tux and
"What are you smiling at?" Josh asked.
"I'm just thinking about what a stud I am."
Josh laughed. I loved that he knew how to take my personality. "I don't know any studs that go to a Valentine's Day banquet without a date," he said.
"Shut up, fool. You know I could have a date if I wanted one. All I have to do is say the word."
"Why aren't you taking anyone? You know those charity things always have good food. You'd have her begging for it tonight just based on the quality of the food alone. Forget about it if you'd stay in one of those nice hotels in L.A. Girls do love hotel rooms."
"I'm not going to L.A. with another girl, no matter how much I like some good begging. If it were another city, sure, but if I'm going to L.A., I'm seeing Emily."
"Emily, huh?" Josh said. "Why isn't she going with you to the black tie thing?"
"Because she's a Laker Girl, and they have a home game tonight."
"Can't she take the night off for a big-time charity ball? Doesn't she know you're the shit?"
"I was just wondering that myself." I said, laughing. "They only have like thirty something games a year, so no, she can't take off. I think she should definitely be notified about me being the shit, though. I think that might have slipped by her."
"Are you saying you two haven't—"
"No. We haven't."
"What? You've been up to L.A. like three times. You really haven't—"
"No." I said.
"Christ, Ethan. There better be gold in there. What do you guys do the whole time you're together? Play video games?"
"Basically," I said, smiling. "No, we do all kinds of stuff. She's living in the place behind Joel's house in Calabasas. It's nice. She's got a really cool dog. We just hang out. She's fun."
"Oh my God, you're in love. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ethan Erickson is in loooove."
"I'm not in love , stupid. I just said we have fun."
"You've never had fun with any other girl who wasn't willing to…" Josh made a gesture with his fingers that made it clear what he was referring to.
"Oh, please. I just like hanging out with her."
Josh gave me a look that told me he was all together convinced I was head over heels for her. I just rolled my eyes at him.
"Are you going to try to see her?" he asked.
"I'm planning on trying to catch the end of the game," I said.
"You're gonna be in pain tomorrow morning." Josh said. He knew I usually trained on Saturday morning, no matter what I did or how late I was up on Friday night.
"I'm off tomorrow," I said.
He gave me a confused look, knowing how hardcore I was with my training routine. I shrugged. "Coach wanted me to go to this thing tonight to rub elbows. He said it was an honor that I'd been invited, and I shouldn't miss it. He knew it would be late by the time I drove back home. Anyway, he told me to take the day off tomorrow. Of course, the next day was supposed to be one of my Sundays off, and he's making me go in to make up for Saturday."
Josh laughed. " I should've known he'd make you make it up," he said. "So, are you spending the night up there?"
"Hope fully," I said. "The other times I've gone up there to see her, I didn't have the option of spending the night since I had to work the next day."
"But, tomorrow…" Josh said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Tomorrow I do not have to work," I said.
"Did you already ask her if you could stay at her place? Because if not, Collin won't care if you stay with him and Rachel."
"I didn't ask her yet, but I'm not staying with Collin. She'll invite me to stay at her place."
"What if she doesn't? Do you have a back up plan?"
"I won't need a backup plan," I said. "I've got a new tux and
Similar Books
