Delaney
“What you need is a fresh start with a rebound guy,” Skye says with a toss of her long red hair as we sit inside Buffalo Bills, a rowdy restaurant and bar near campus. We’re in the back in a leather booth, munching on peanuts from a pail as we wait for Tyler and my—shudder—blind date to show up. We came a bit earlier than the guys so we could catch up, and so I could get my nerve up with a drink. I haven’t been on a date with anyone but Alex since freshman year, and it feels weird.
I take a deep breath. “Tell me more about this Bobby Gene guy—which is a really weird name, by the way.”
Bubbly and eager, she waves me off and starts in. “Just ignore his name. You’ll love him. He’s on the baseball team but not a horn-dog. He’s nice—like you requested. No athlete floozies chasing him, no fetishes that I know of.”
“Key words being that I know of.” I smirk.
“You’re just anti-guy right now. At least he isn’t a football player.”
That is true.
She straightens her red halter top, which matches her hair. “Plus, Bobby Gene’s Tyler’s friend, so this is important.”
“Of course,” I murmur, but I’m feeling ambivalent. I mean, she’s put a lot of effort into arranging this, so I don’t want to be negative, but…Tyler’s a bit of a jerk. I’ve noticed him checking out other girls when they’re together then playing it off when she calls him on it. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe I’m just in a funk because my boyfriend cheated on me.
Whatever.
I just hope Bobby Gene is nice.
Skye gets a thoughtful look on her face. “You know, I wanted to tell you that I saw Alex on campus today and he looked…I don’t know…sad.” She sees my face and holds her hands up. “I mean, yes, he’s a major douchebag and I’ll hate him until the end of time for you…” Her voice trails off as she grimaces, giving me a please don’t be mad at me look. “But, I don’t know, maybe someday you guys can be friends again?”
I stare down at my drink. That’s the rub—we were all three great friends. I also adore Alex’s family in Texas, and now I’ll never get to see them again. Ugh. I don’t want to think about him right now.
A noncommittal shrug is my answer.
She sighs. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even mentioned it.”
I nod. I know she misses him too since he was over at the house a lot. Before she met Tyler, we spent lots of nights hanging out, cooking, and watching movies together. There were even times I was a little jealous of the camaraderie she and Alex had, but I knew she wasn’t interested in him that way and he loved me. Ha. Right.
Paging Princess Leia. Where are you?
My happiness level goes up a notch as I read the text and quickly tap out a reply. Skye doesn’t notice as she orders another round of drinks from our waitress, who’s stopped by the table. I don’t know why I want to keep He-Man a secret, but I do, as if he’s all mine and I need that for some reason.
On a blind date.
Oh. Where?
I’ll give you two hints: there are beers and peanuts on the table.
Ah, Buffalo Bills. Do you want me to rescue you? I can call and pretend I’m your aunt who’s terribly sick.
I giggle. That’s AWFUL! I’m disappointed you’d encourage a lie.
Okay. Hey, I saw you at the library last night—nice dare completion. I was digging the buns on your head.
Oh my God. He was there.
My heart thuds, racing back through every single face I encountered.
I recall how at precisely eight, I stood in the middle of the study area and yelled out, “Princess Leia is a badass!” I’d even put my blonde hair up in little fluffy buns on the sides of my head before work. I’d also gone all out with my clothing choices, wearing a fitted white shirt and a pair of white jeans—in February! Deep red lipstick completed the look. If I do a dare, I do it right. The shy girl in me loved letting loose and knowing it was for a dare, which gave me the courage to do it. My eyes scanned the place, but I was so nervous, it was hard to take a good inventory of who was there. It was at least most of the football team since they do study sessions there on Mondays, and several baseball players saw it along with some guys in fraternity jerseys.
Everyone stared. A few clapped. Some whistled.
Did it feel good to do the dare? he asks.
Yes, I reply. It was fucking empowering, especially when Alex stared at me with a forlorn look on his face, obviously missing me.
I saw Maverick there too, surrounded by a group of girls at a table. His response to my outburst? A simple smirk and a head nod.
I chew on my lip, wondering once again who He-Man is.
Hey, you’re not the skinny hipster guy who hangs out in the romance section looking for dates are you?
He sends a whole string of laughing/crying emojis.
If I stood in the romance section, I’d never make it out alive. I’m already irresistible, but put Twilight in my hands and girls will piss themselves.
“Why are you giggling?” Skye asks, and I raise my head. Her gaze goes to my phone.
“Just a meme someone sent me,” I say as I take a sip of the new beer the waitress apparently set down without me even noticing.
“It must have been a funny one.”
“Yeah, it was a cat.”
Any mention of my love for cats has her rolling her eyes. She and Han have a love/hate relationship. She gets up and straightens her skirt. “I’m going to head to the ladies’ room to freshen up. You’ll be okay till I get back?”
I nod. “Sure.”
She heads off, and I look back down at my phone as it pings.
Where did you go? Is your date there? Are you riding a bull? Don’t ride the bull because I want to be there when you do.
He-Man, I’ve been thinking…I need to know who you are, I send.
Why? Don’t you like being anonymous? Don’t you think we’re opening up to each other more?
Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.
I get nothing but silence in return. My hands clench my phone, waiting to see those telltale little dots, but he isn’t responding.
Why doesn’t he want to tell me? Is it someone I hate? Is it Alex with a burner phone? Is it Maverick?
I take a deep breath and text, Are you a football player?
Yes.
My heart flips over. Is He-Man really Maverick? God, I want it to be.
I don’t do football players anymore, I text.
You’d do me. It’s going to happen.
I squirm in my seat as a bolt of electricity zips through me and my entire body heats up. My skin gets goose bumps, and I know it’s because I’m picturing Maverick on the other end of this conversation.
You’re cocky, I send, my fingers sweaty.
I know when a woman wants me, and I want you too, Princess Leia. I have for a long time.
I want to ask more, but I’m scared of…dammit, I don’t even know. Being hurt? Being lied to?
I spend the next minute staring intently at my phone, trying to think of a response, and I’m still staring when Skye gets back from the restroom. I finally put my phone away when Tyler arrives, along with my blind date.
An hour later, I’ve met Bobby Gene and we’ve finished a round of beers and a plate of cheese fries. Handsome with a lopsided grin and cropped brown hair, he’s rather engaging. He’s made me giggle with his talk of growing up on a pig farm in Iowa, but He-Man is all I can think about.
Each minute I’m here with Bobby Gene feels like an hour, and I’m anxious to get home and text him so we can figure things out.
But is there really anything to figure out?
How can I ever trust a football player again?
My phone rings, surprising me, and I battle down a sneeze when I see He-Man’s name on the screen.
“Who’s He-Man?” Bobby Gene asks, leaning over and peering down at my phone where I left it sitting on the table.
“Just a friend,” I say.
“Well, you gonna get it?” he asks with a grin. He’s obviously easygoing and doesn’t seem perturbed that I have someone calling me while I’m on a date.
I pick up the phone, excitement curling. “Hello?”
“Hey, I thought you might need a rescue phone call.” I can’t make out the voice because he’s whispering, but it heats every inch of my skin.
I’m talking to He-Man! I want to shout it out to everyone, but that would be weird, so I don’t. Instead, I clear my throat, injecting concern into my tone. “Yeah, what’s wrong?”
“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“Oh, no. What happened?” I infuse my voice with drama.
“Truth: I was studying and kept thinking about you on your date. Does it suck? Is he ugly? An asshole?”
I glance over at Bobby Gene, who grins.
“No,” I say, and I get silence from the other end.
“You mean you like him?” There’s an incredulous tone to his voice.
I do like Bobby Gene—as a friend—but I can’t answer something so specific with the detail it needs. Too many people are listening to me.
Skye is shooting me a quizzical look, and Tyler is eyeing me suspiciously.
“Uh, yeah? It’s great,” I answer.
There are several ticks of silence, and I imagine I can feel his unhappiness with my response.
“Are you still there?” I ask, chewing on my bottom lip.
“Yes. I shouldn’t have called you. Obviously I’ve interrupted a good time. Have fun on your date.”
Click. He ends the call without even saying goodbye, and I’m surprised.
“I’m so sorry. That’s just terrible!” I say to the silence, clutching the phone tighter as I lean over the table. “Yes, of course, I’ll go home and call her right away and let you know.”
I get off the phone and send a regretful look at Bobby Gene. “Sorry, my aunt is sick—”
“But aren’t you from Charlotte?” Tyler asks, a slight curl to his lips. Skye is giving me a pointed look, and I know she knows I’m trying to get out of the date.
I blink. Oh, God. Lies truly are a sticky web.
“Yeah, but I just need to check in on her, not actually catch a plane to go see her.” I try to sell the lie again. “I should go home and call her.” There, it’s final: I am a terrible person.
Bobby Gene, bless his heart, gives me a shoulder squeeze, and I feel even worse. “I got ’cha. They don’t have to be direct family to be important to you. Maybe we can get coffee and donuts sometime?”
Coffee and donuts?
Bobby Gene just went up another notch on my like list.
I agree and we exchange numbers. With a hasty goodbye and a bit of a glare from Skye, I exit Buffalo Bills and head for the house.
It’s not until I’m home and lying on the couch with Han on my chest, purring in my ear like a motorboat that I decide to text him.
I’m home, I say.
Alone?
Yeah. You?
Always, he says.
Were you jealous tonight?
Yes.
I stare at the one-word response, my stomach jittery with excitement even though my head is yelling at me that he’s a football player.
Biting my lip, I change the topic. This is random, but do you like cats?
I’m more of a dog guy.
We can never text again, I quickly type out and send.
Okay, fine, I like them—just for you, Princess Leia.
A pang strikes my heart. He’s just…perfect. Everything he says makes me feel fluttery inside, and even though my head is warning me, my heart wants to put a face to the code name of the person I’ve been texting with.
But for now…I wait.
Good night, He-Man.
As you wish.