I let out a sigh. “Yes, it’s Pete.”
“So is he your guy?” he asks. For a second, I have to think about what he means by that before I realize he’s asking if he’s my admirer.
“I don’t know,” I say.
“You don’t seem to know much these days.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I meet his eyes. It looks like they’re searching for something.
“Forget it. If you’d rather we leave, we can,” he says. “I was just telling Sarah about the class and we thought it would be a cool experience.”
The mention of Sarah makes me stand up straighter. I suddenly realize how ridiculous I must look. Andy said this was a class that anyone could attend. Sure, he was volunteering to leave, but how will it look if I actually take him up on that?
It definitely would give the impression I care.
Do I?
It doesn’t seem like he’s here to get under my skin. He and Sarah just think it would be a cool experience. But since when do they hang out outside the library? Are they even friends? More importantly, I have to consider Pete. If he sees Andy and Sarah leave after I’ve been talking to them, he might think there’s something going on—and there isn’t. The only reason I started hanging out with Andy is because he was willing to drive me places.
And then you started enjoying his company a little too much, I think, but I shove the thought back into my head.
“No! You guys should of course stay. Enjoy!”
“Great,” Andy says, giving Sarah a wide smile. They gaze at each other longer than friends would, but then I realize I’m the one staring at the two of them having this moment, which is even weirder. Andy turns back toward me.
“Thanks, Ella,” he says casually.
“Er…no problem,” I say, and head toward the table Pete is stationed at.
I watch Pete’s head whip around, like he’s been caught spying.
“Friend from the library,” I say, taking my place next to him. We share the table with two other couples.
“I’ve seen that girl before,” Pete says, glancing behind us at Sarah. “Aren’t you friends with her? I feel like I know her somehow.”
I shake my head. “Not really, but she goes to our school.”
“Oh,” Pete says, but he stares back again confused. I’m glad we’re sitting far enough away that he and Andy won’t be able to talk.
This class is way more complicated than I imagined it would be. The teacher passes out ingredients I’ve never heard of and starts demonstrating in front, instructing us to follow along. The organized girl in me wants to be able to take notes, but you can’t take notes when your hands are covered with chocolate and everything is on the fly.
I know Pete’s a competitive guy when it comes to basketball, but I didn’t realize his intensity would also apply to cooking. The second the teacher says there will be a contest for the best chocolate ball, he has this look in his eyes like he’s going to win. I’m actually glad he’s getting into it, because there’s no way I’m going to let Andy beat me.
There’s a bunch of steps in a row, but once I’m done carefully pouring our bowl into the chocolate mold, I peer over my shoulder to see how Andy and Sarah are doing. I watch Andy scoop his finger into the bowl and then poke Sarah on the nose, getting a spot of chocolate on it. She covers her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. When she turns away to get the chocolate off, he spins her back around and wipes the chocolate right off for her. For a second I think he’s going to lick his finger with the chocolate that was on her nose, but thankfully he wipes it off with a towel. Even so, the whole interaction is nauseating.
Why are you even watching them? I ask myself. Get it together.
“It’s a good thing you’re better at basketball than these chocolate balls.” I laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
“You’re one to talk,” he teases. “I’ll still give you an A for effort.”
“So, uh…what are you reading right now?” I ask, resisting the urge to look back at Andy.
“Who has time to read with school?” he answers. “Not to mention I have basketball practice every day.”
“Oh right,” I say, which could be true, but I notice he doesn’t ask what book is on my nightstand right now. There’s an awkward pause instead.
“What about for school then?”
“You mean, what am I reading?”
I nod.
“Sparknotes.com.” He grins like it’s an inside joke between us, but I’m very much on the outside.
I smile, but inside my heart drops. I was really hoping that today would be a game changer for Pete and me. But so far I care more about knowing what Andy’s doing than talking to Pete, who is sitting right next to me.
If Pete’s my admirer, he’s so romantic and kind and all of the things I want in a boyfriend. Shouldn’t that count for something? Who cares if he doesn’t like to read? That’s just one quality about him.
Right, I tell myself. But right now, my heart feels as muddled as the chocolate in front of me.
“Excuse me. I have to use the restroom,” I say to Pete. Really, I just need some fresh air. Maybe the heat from the oven is what is making my head feel like it’s spinning.
“Okay, but hurry back. We can take the balls out of the freezer in four minutes. Then game time. We can start dipping these suckers.”
“Of course…,” I say, trailing off.
I really do like how into this chocolate class he is. For some reason, though, I can’t be the same….
The second I’m out of the test kitchen, I can breathe again. Still, I go to the bathroom so I can put my hands under cool water. When I see my reflection in the mirror, I’m glad I looked. I quickly reapply my lip gloss and put a little concealer on my cheeks so I don’t look so red. I shouldn’t have worn such a thick sweater to a cooking class. Once I run my hands under the cool water again, I shake my hands dry before pushing the bathroom door open.
My timing couldn’t be worse. There in front of me are Andy and Sarah, standing so close to each other their bodies are practically touching, looking right into each other’s eyes. They’re definitely more than friends. So much for Andy being jaded.
“Uh, hi, guys,” I manage to say.
“Oh, hey,” Andy says, grinning at me. Then he turns back to Sarah. “Told you I could find the bathroom.” But she’s already rushing toward the door. As she passes me, Andy turns his eyes back to me.