The Golden Lily

Trey scoffed. "Between you and me, Brayden's probably the last guy in the world you have to worry about. I think he's as clueless as you are. If I didn't care about your virtue so much, I'd actually probably give him a lecture on how to try something."

"Well, thanks for keeping my best interests at heart," I said dryly. "I always wanted a brother to watch out for me."

He studied me curiously. "Don't you have, like, three brothers?" Oh no.

"Er, I meant figuratively." I tried not to panic. I rarely slipped up on our background story.

Eddie, Adrian, and Keith had all been passed off as my brothers at some point. "None of them are really that concerned about my dating life. What I'm concerned about, though, is getting into air conditioning." I opened my car door, and a wave of heat rolled out. "I'll talk to you tonight and help you with the lab."

Trey nodded, looking like he wanted to get back inside as well. "And I'll help you if you have any more questions about dating."

I hoped my scathing look told him my opinion on that, but once he was gone and I was blasting the car's air conditioning, my arrogance faded. Anxiety took its place. The question I'd asked myself earlier repeated in my head.

How on earth was I going to get through this date alive?

Chapter 5

WORD OF MY UPCOMING DATE spread fast.

I could only presume Trey had told Kristin and Julia, who had in turn told Jill and Eddie and God only knew who else.... So, I shouldn't have been surprised when I got a call from Adrian just after dinner. He started talking before I could even say hello.

"Really, Sage? A date?"

I sighed. "Yes, Adrian. A date."

"A real date. Not, like, doing homework together," he added. "I mean like where you go out to a movie or something. And a movie that's not part of a school assignment. Or about something boring."

"A real date." I figured I wouldn't give him the specifics on the Shakespeare play.

"What's the lucky guy's name?"

"Brayden."

There was a pause. "Brayden? That's his real name?"

"Why are you asking if everything's real? You think I'd make any of this up?"

"No, no," Adrian assured me. "That's what's so unbelievable about it. Is he cute?" I glanced at the clock. It was time for me to meet my study group. "Gee, maybe I should just send you a picture to review?"

"Yes, please. And a full background check and life history."

"I have to go. Why do you care so much anyway?" I finally asked in exasperation.

His answer took a long time, which was uncharacteristic. Adrian was usually ready with a dozen witty quips. Maybe he couldn't decide which one to use. When he finally responded, it was in that usual sarcastic way of his - though the levity sounded a little forced. "Because it's one of those things I never expected to see in my lifetime," he told me. "Like a comet. Or world peace. I'm just used to you being single."

For some reason, that bothered me. "What, you don't think any guy would ever be interested in me?"

"Actually," said Adrian, sounding remarkably serious, "I can imagine lots of guys being interested in you."

I was certain he was teasing me and had no time for his jokes. I said goodbye and headed off to my study group, which, thankfully, was pretty dedicated and got a lot of work done. But when I met up with Trey at the library later, he was less than focused. He couldn't stop going on and on about how brilliant he was in getting Brayden and me together.

"This date hasn't even happened, and I'm already tired of it," I said. I spread Trey's lab paperwork out on the table before us. The numbers and formulas were comforting, far more concrete and orderly than the mysteries of social interaction. I tapped the lab assignment with my pen. "Pay attention. We don't have a lot of time."

He shrugged off my concerns. "Can't you just finish it?"

"No! I left enough time so that you could do it yourself. I'll help, but that's it." Trey was intelligent enough to figure out most of it on his own. Using me was just another way for him to dodge looking smart. He let the date go and focused on the work. I thought I was free of Brayden interrogation until, just as were wrapping up, Jill and Micah came strolling by, hand in hand.

They were with a group of other people, which didn't surprise me. Micah was easygoing and popular, and Jill had inherited a large circle of friends by going out with him. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as someone in the group told a funny story that made them all laugh.

I couldn't help a smile myself. This was a far cry from when Jill had first come to Amberwood and been treated as an outcast for unusual looks and odd behaviors. She was thriving with this new social status. Maybe it would help her embrace her royal background. My smile faded when Jill pulled Micah away from the group and hurried over to our table. Her eager expression worried me.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Do you have a date?"

"For the love of - you know it's true! And you told Adrian, didn't you?" I gave her a pointed look. Their psychic bond wasn't active 100 percent of the time, but something told me she knew about his earlier phone call to me. When the bond was "on," she could see into his mind, observing both his feelings and actions. It only worked one way, however. Adrian had no such insight. She turned sheepish.

"Yeah... I couldn't help it when Micah told me..."

"I heard it from Eddie," Micah added quickly, as though that might get him off the hook. He had red hair and blue eyes that were always cheerful and friendly. He was one of those people you couldn't help but like, which made it harder to undo the tangled web Jill had woven by dating him.

"Hey, I did not tell Eddie," said Trey defensively.

I turned my gaze on him. "But you told other people. And they told Eddie." Trey gave a half shrug. "I might have mentioned it here and there."

"Unbelievable," I said.

"What's this guy like?" asked Jill. "Is he cute?"

I thought about it. "Pretty cute."

She perked up. "Well, that's promising. Where's he taking you? Somewhere good? Night on the town? Fancy dinner? Micah and I had an awesome time at Salton Sea. It's so pretty.

You could go there, have a romantic picnic." Her cheeks turned pink and she stopped for breath, as if realizing she was talking too much. Rambling was one of Jill's most endearing traits.

"We're going to see Shakespeare in the park," I said.

That got me silence.