I checked myself out in the mirror, shocked at the transformation but not entirely convinced it was a good one. Now I’m Sandy the slut.
Reese strode into the room, planting a big kiss on Jaime’s lips and wrapping his arms around her. I turned the other direction, trapped in their private moment.
“Look at Anna. Doesn’t she look great?”
I turned and Reese stared, a strange expression on his face. “She looks like a prostitute.”
My mouth dropped.
“She does not!” Jaime said, her tone indignant.
“Anna, no offense, but that looks terrible.”
I didn’t disagree, not that I’d say it out loud.
“That’s exactly what I use on my face, Reese. She looks good!” She snatched up her pack of cigarettes, lit one and puffed explosively, throwing her lighter on the table with enough force to send it hurtling into the wall instead.
At that, he wisely said no more.
Silence engulfed the room. My throat went dry. I didn’t know where to look.
“What’s up with you and O’Reilly?” Reese asked.
I shrugged. “He’s mad I’m a cheerleader.”
He chuckled. “He’ll get over it. Hey, let’s double date tonight—dinner and a movie.”
“You need to ask him. I’m not sure he’s even talking to me.”
“You better make sure your own girlfriend wants to go out with you,” Jaime said.
“Babe...c’mon. Don’t be like that.” He reached for her and she batted his hands away.
I stood. Being around them was uncomfortable, and they needed to talk or something. I could easily walk home. “I better go. Thanks for everything, Jaime.” I hugged her and whispered, “Give him a chance.”
Reese winked at me behind Jaime’s back. “I’ll work things out with Pete. Don’t you worry.”
Reese came through. Pete picked me up at six o’clock. I’d scrubbed my face clean—no small feat after the amount of cosmetics Jaime had applied—returning to my natural self. I endeavored to be my cutest and make Pete remember how much we meant to each other.
“Hi,” he said after I opened the front door.
“Hi.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been a jerk.”
I hugged him. “Are we okay?”
He nodded.
I yelled goodbye to my parents, who called out a greeting to Pete. My father told me to mind my curfew, as if it wasn’t etched into my brain. He could be such a broken record.
We drove to Jaime’s, piled into Reese’s black Mustang and headed to Berkeley. I didn’t sense any tension between Reese and Jaime. I guess we’d all worked our issues out.
We ate dinner at Salerno’s, my favorite Italian restaurant. The decor embodied old world charm, and a big map of Sicily painted on the wall reminded me of where my family originated.
I ordered beef raviolis, one of their house-made specialties, which came topped with a creamy marinara sauce. Pete chose the lasagna. Reese and Jaime had different entrees but ate off each other’s plates like an old married couple. We all shared warm bread and good conversation.
When we had stuffed ourselves to blissful satisfaction, we headed over to the Rialto Cinemas to see The Jerk. Steve Martin performed brilliantly as Navin Johnson, a total idiot looking for his “special purpose,” which got misconstrued for sex. We laughed through the entire movie and long after, discussing scenes and repeating the best lines.
Pete and I cuddled in the back seat while Reese drove back to Jaime’s house. We thanked them for a fun night out and I winked at Reese, my unspoken thanks for getting our double date together, and Pete and me back on track.
Pete drove me home and parked. We still had twenty minutes to kill.
“That was such a funny movie.” I giggled, remembering a scene where Navin dragged his dog, Stupid, by the leash, while saying his faithful dog led the way. “He doesn’t like these cans!” I said, pulling a line from the flick.
“Classic Martin.”
I touched his arm. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Dinner, the movie, the date.”
“My pleasure. It was nice to be together without fighting.”
I smiled. “Can I talk to you about something?” Not that I wanted to start another fight, but I had to ask.
“Sure.”
“Jaime thinks Reese is cheating on her. Is that true?”
Pete paused. “Yeah, he cheats on her.”
“Plural? You mean more than once?” I couldn’t believe it.
“Yup.”
“We should tell her!” Why didn’t he seem upset? I was ready to scalp Reese!
“It’s none of our business.”
“But she knows! She just doesn’t have proof.”
“And I’m not going to give it to her. Neither are you.” His eyes got that flinty look.
“But why? We’re like…secret collaborators or something. It’s not right!”
Pete’s jaw twitched. “Reese is my friend, and I’m not ratting him out, whether he’s wrong or not.”
“What do mean, or not? Of course he’s wrong.” Wrong-o-rama! As plain as the nose on my face!
“Like I said, that’s his business. Not mine, and not yours.”
“So you think what he’s doing is okay?”
“No.”
Thank God for that. “Wouldn’t you want to know if the roles were reversed and your girlfriend was being unfaithful?”
“Are you?” His eyes flashed, the hazel tint turning darker like it did when his mood changed.
“No!” I said, insulted he would even ask. “Answer my question.”
“Maybe. Yes, I guess. But I’m not going to do that because Reese is my brother. I get it sucks for Jaime, but I can’t do that to him.”
I glared. “It makes me a total traitor and a bad friend.”
Pete softened a tad. “She’ll figure it out soon enough. Then it won’t matter.”
“Maybe. I hope she doesn’t find out we know about it.”
“She’d be pissed off, but she’d understand.”
Doubtful. I had no more words.
“I don’t want to fight, Anna. We’ve done enough of that lately. Come over here, please.”
I moved toward
