“Chase better like croissants,” he muttered back.
I hadn’t even thought of that. I bit my lip and made a show of crossing my fingers.
“Hi,” Gideon and I both said in unison.
Chase and Damien sat down with us. We were on an official double date.
“It smells amazing in here,” Chase murmured when he leaned over to give me a quick kiss.
Were we casually kissing in public now?
“You’re in for a treat.” I casually shifted back to put a little more distance between us.
A humorous light flickered in his eyes.
Play with me, it seemed to say.
My traitorous body heated, like Chase was the fire keeping me warm all the way down to my toes. His usual spicy scent curled around me and my eyes fluttered shut as I inhaled. Why couldn’t he make it easier for me and not smell so good?
I rose from my seat to order our food.
“Pain au chocolat?” I asked. Gideon squinted at me in confusion. “Ugh. It’s French for chocolate croissant.”
“I take Spanish,” he said.
Chase lifted his hand. “German.”
“Merci, Ember. Je voudrais un pain au chocolat,” Damien said in flawless French.
I smiled at Gideon. “I’m keeping him. You heathens can wait outside.”
I spun on my heel to find the end of the line snaking its way through the tables and leading toward the door. It was like waiting in line at a theme park. A guy twice my size stepped back to let another customer pass and knocked into me.
“Ow!” I yelped as his boot came down on my toes.
A warm hand settled on the small of my back and another shot out to stop the guy from encroaching any farther. “I leave you alone for ten seconds and you’re nearly run over,” Chase said.
My cropped sweater left the smallest patch of skin exposed just above my jeans and I couldn’t think past the point where his thumb touched my bare skin. “I believe I left you alone,” I said with as much dignity as I could muster, wiggling my toes to make sure nothing was broken.
His thumb moved a centimeter in the tiniest caress before he pulled it away. I wanted to reach out and grab it back, then tie his arm around me so we’d never stop touching.
Calm down, creeper.
“Do you have any tips on what I need to say to win Gideon over?” Chase asked as he studied the menu. He squinted just the tiniest bit and pulled out a pair of glasses from his pocket. They were black plastic frames that, when paired with his letter jacket, guaranteed his casting in Grease as Popular Hot Guy #1.
“Since when do you wear glasses?” I completely ignored his question. Proof positive that he was less than perfect in some way was the kind of thing I would have noticed.
“Umm. Always? I don’t usually wear them at school, but my eyes get tired by the end of the week. Why? Do you like them?”
“I do. They look good on you.”
I felt like I’d taken a step closer to him without moving, like some part of me was being drawn out. Chase searched my face and I could see he recognized that something was happening to me. Maybe he knew what it was and could explain it.
“So, no tips for me with Gideon?” he asked again.
I looked back at Gideon, who was chatting with Damien. He looked more relaxed, happy even. Gideon caught my eye and smiled like he could read my mind and totally agreed with my assessment.
I turned back to Chase. “No. You don’t need any. Whatever side I’m on, he’s there with me.”
“Are you on my side?”
“More and more every day.”
When our turn came, I ordered four coffees and four pains au chocolat. Chase helped me carry everything back to the table and I passed out plates like a carb fairy. Gideon and Damien watched in horror as Chase dumped an unconscionable amount of cream and sugar into his coffee.
Chase took his first bite of croissant and groaned in pleasure. “This is the best thing I have ever had.”
Gideon met my eyes and we waited for Damien to try his.
He took a generous bite. “Incroyable!”
I gave Gideon a wink. All clear here.
We ate and talked and laughed. Damien told us stories of his favorite quirky regular and what surprised him most about college. All the while, I kept sneaking glances at Gideon, who looked more enamored by the second. It was perfect. Not even the looming specter of my meeting with Haley could darken the morning.
“What are you up to the rest of the day?” I asked Chase.
“I’m just watching my sisters. My mom’s working today.”
Ahh, yes. Chase the Manny. I would pay good money to see how much his little sisters had him wrapped around their fingers.
“You?”
“Just some errands,” I said.
He shook his head. “Nothing as ordinary as errands for you. You’re probably working ahead in all your classes or running a marathon or something.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Or something.”
While we’d been eating, an idea was starting to fully take root. Gretchen’s claim that she wanted to be part of something great made more sense now. The Red Court was great—powerful and influential—but if someone else was leading it, could it be good, too?
If I could figure out who the Queen of Hearts was, could I replace her?
CHAPTER 31
HALEY WAS WAITING in the theater room for me, lounging on the slouchy couch as always.
“You’re late.” She shifted so she was staring up at the yellowing ceiling tiles, obviously not in the mood to reward me with eye contact.
My temper flared, but I kept it in check. Now was not the time.
“I’m sorry.” I cast my eyes down. Good. Now keep laying it on. “I know what I did wasn’t ok.”
“Which part?” she asked.
“The part where I went behind your back and took care of Matthew myself.”
A deep breath steadied my resolve, and I continued, “But I’m not sorry for making the hit on Gideon go away.”
“That’s not how it works, Ember. You can’t interfere like that.”
“Seriously? All we do is interfere. We manufacture feelings, grades, Homecoming crowns.”
Haley stalked toward me, a predatory edge to her gait, but I didn’t dare budge. This was another hand in our game, and I was bluffing this round.
“What am I supposed to say when the Queen of Hearts asks about Matthew pulling his request? We could need his help in the future. The Red Court isn’t powerful because of the twelve of us running jobs. We’re powerful because we have eyes, ears, and hands all over the school. Everyone is part of our game whether they know it or not.”