“Oh, yeah?” Justin’s voice echoed inside the bathroom. “You’ve been on my mind a lot too.” His voice sounded different. Lower. It made me stop knocking.
“What are you wearing?” Naomi continued.
“A pair of tube socks. What about you?”
“Just some lacy nighty I found in a gutter somewhere.”
I slid against the door, putting my face in my hands. This was a nightmare. He’d never talk to me again.
“Wow,” he said. “That’s hot.”
“You should come over and check it out.”
“Sure—on one condition.”
“Anything.”
“You take me off speakerphone and give Drea her phone back.”
“You’re no fun,” Naomi said in her normal voice. “And that’s technically two conditions.” She opened the door.
“Sorry, Drea’s yelling in the background kind of gave you away. Plus, you’re a shitty impersonator.”
“Hey, I was the prank call queen in junior high. I could do anyone’s voice.”
“It was her idea to call you,” I said. “I didn’t want to bother you again.”
Naomi raised her eyebrows at me. “Again? Oh, my.”
“Did you finish watching your movie?” Justin asked.
“Not yet,” Naomi answered. “We’re getting antsy because our pizza hasn’t shown up yet. Seriously, you should come over. My boyfriend is taking us to a race tonight, and Drea needs a buddy.”
“I’m not going,” I said.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re going. Can’t punk out on me now.”
“A street race?” Justin asked.
“Yeah,” Naomi said.
“Where is it?” he asked.
“Why—you wanna race?”
“No, I just didn’t think it was possible to drive more than twenty-five miles an hour in this town.”
Naomi rolled her eyes. “Oh, I know—people are, like, allergic to their gas pedals here.”
Justin exhaled a laugh. “Anyway, can’t go. I’m babysitting my niece.”
She scrunched up her nose. “Sounds riveting. You going to bake cookies for your grandma too?”
“Probably.”
The doorbell rang, and Naomi’s eyes widened. She tossed the phone at me. “Pizza’s here!”
“Um, hi,” I said.
“You want to take me off speakerphone now?”
I pressed the speaker off button. “Sorry if we bothered you. It… it really wasn’t my idea to call.”
“I know.”
I pictured him with that half smile. “So—”
“Hey, if you don’t want to go tonight, don’t go.”
I watched Naomi take the pizza into the kitchen. “I don’t want to be stuck in a car with her boyfriend,” I whispered. “He’s a creep.”
“Is he a bigger tool than Roger?”
“Yeah.”
“She needs better taste in guys.”
“No kidding. Maybe
He chuckled. “Does that mean I have your seal of approval?”
“I like you. I mean—better than Scott.” I rolled my eyes. Why was this so hard?
“Don’t worry. You had me at
Naomi poked her head out of the kitchen. “Say bye to Prince Charming. Pizza is getting cold.”
“Sounds like you need to go again.”
“Yeah.”
Naomi ran a hand through her hair, tilting her head back. “Oh, Justin! Your voice is so sexy.”
