“You already asked me to be your girlfriend and there’s no takesie-backsies.”
I laughed. “Get in the car.”
She turned around. “What are you doing driving in the city? There’s a subway. And taxis. And no reason to own a car. It’s one of the best parts of being here.”
“Do you want a ride?”
She smiled. “Yes. I was just kidding. I hate the subway, it smells like pee. And taxis are for people who aren’t assistant coaches.”
I laughed and opened the passenger door for her. “The team has a bye this week. But next week be ready to take that title seriously.”
“Oh, I’ll take it very seriously. I promise.” She smiled at me and ducked in.
We were quiet as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“It’s too weird,” she finally said, breaking the silence. “We can’t date.”
“You already said no takesie-backsies.”
She smiled. “Fine. But we need a test drive. Where are we going for dinner?”
Oh. Shit. “I have dinner with a friend tonight. But tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.” But her face didn’t scream “it’s fine.” She looked worried. Like she’d just made a deal with the devil. Yesterday I’d had a business dinner. Today I had dinner with a friend. I knew what was going on in her mind. And she didn’t have a thing to worry about.
“Tomorrow,” I said more firmly. “It’s a date.”
She smiled up at me. “Okay then.”
“Our first official date. The pressure is on,” I said.
“Don’t make it even weirder.”
I smiled over at her. “I promise there will be nothing weird about our date tomorrow. It’s going to be the best date of your life.”
Normally when I said stuff like that, women would practically swoon.
But Kennedy just laughed. “More like the best date of your life. Because you’ll be eating dinner with the best assistant coach in town, and I’m not even planning on trying to set your dick on fire.”
I really shouldn’t have told her about that.
Chapter 34
Thursday
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I walked toward the romantic restaurant Tanner had picked. The rose petals all over the marble floors in the entranceway didn’t bother me. And I didn’t care that the hostess practically forced me to take a complimentary rose for my date. Or the fact that the dim lighting was dangerously close to being erotic instead of romantic. Honestly, this was probably a great place for a Club Onyx event. Tanner would be pleased.
The hostess rearranged her bucket of roses to accommodate the missing space, then checked her book for the reservation.
This was going to be epically gay. But I was too happy to care. I’d play along with Tanner’s restaurant scouting tonight to apologize for making him worry two nights in a row. And he could celebrate my good news and commiserate with me on my bad news. I just couldn’t stop smiling. Fuck Poppy. I didn’t even care about that. But I was hoping Tanner would have some advice on how to delicately explain my relationship with Poppy to Kennedy. He was good at stuff like that. Finagling his way out of a crunch. I needed to figure out a way to tell Kennedy that wouldn’t result in her dumping me. I really liked her. I just needed to sort out this mess.
“Right this way,” the hostess said.
Tanner was already seated at our table.
I knew he’d reprimand me if I didn’t pretend we were on a date. For the sake of leaning into the role and tricking the waiters into giving us the full treatment, I handed Tanner the rose that the hostess had made me take. “Your rose, monsieur,” I said in a terrible French accent. Hopefully that was good enough.
Tanner stood up. “You magnificent, secretive beast! I knew it! You’re in love, you’re in love, and you don’t care who knows it!” He grabbed both sides of my face and planted a kiss right on my lips.
What the actual fuck? I made a gagging noise.
Tanner ignored it. He pulled back and patted my cheeks. “I knew it, you scoundrel. Tell me everything.”
I swatted his hands away. I’d seen him mouth kiss random people at bars when he was excited. I preferred he did that instead of planting one on me. I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand. Sometimes I forgot that he grew up overseas. Or went to school overseas. Or did something overseas for some vague period of time he’d never tell me about. Had I somehow reminded him of those memories? It was probably the French accent. I’d have to make sure never to speak a foreign language in front of him again.
“You’re speechless,” Tanner said. “I understand. Love makes people lose their thoughts.” He leaned forward and hugged me super tight, practically lifting me off the ground.
At least he wasn’t kissing me again. “Tanner, I’m pretty sure you sold the whole dating act to everyone in the restaurant. Let me go.”
“What?” He released me from his embrace. “Sold what? Matt, we’re celebrating the fact that you’re officially in a relationship again.” He picked up a magazine off the table and waved it in the air.
I grabbed it to see what he was talking about. Poppy and I were making out on the front page. Or at least, it looked like we were. I’d gagged as much during that kiss as I had when Tanner just planted one on me. “It’s not what it looks like.”
“I’m going to give you two a moment,” the hostess said and quickly walked away.
“Damn,” Tanner said. “Now she’s going to think we’re not together.”
“Tanner everyone in the fucking restaurant thinks we’re together. You just kissed me.”
“I didn’t kiss you,” he said and sat down like he hadn’t just put his lips directly on mine.
I sat down too and leaned forward, hoping that a lower voice would make everyone stop staring at us. “What the fuck do you mean you didn’t just kiss me? I spoke in French and you literally tried to put your tongue down my throat.”
He laughed. “Gross. I don’t want my tongue anywhere near your tonsils. I was simply congratulating you with a platonic celebratory peck. And I feel sorry for you for never having received one in your few years on this earth.”
“You are so weird.”
“You’re weird,” he said, even though he didn’t look very insulted by my comment. “Americans are so basic.”
I laughed and shook my head. He was technically an American too.
“Next time I won’t congratulate you then. I’ll just sit here brooding eating my pastrami and bagels,” he said in an overexaggerated New York City accent, that sounded very mobstery. “Actually, I don’t think they have either of those things. Maybe a New York City style cheesecake for your basic ass.”
“Okay, I get it. I’m basic. Don’t kiss me again.”
Tanner sighed. “Don’t make it sound so gay. It wasn’t a gay thing. Now pretend we’re on a date so the waiters treat us the right way.”
“So don’t be gay? But be gay?”
“What? No. You’re just not getting it. We’re straight men on a fake gay date. Now let’s talk about your actual kiss. I thought you said you didn’t like Poppy? But you’re on the front page of a dozen tabloids right now giving her an un-congratulatory kiss. I need to meet her immediately. Please tell me you haven’t sealed the deal yet.”