Second String (In Too Deep #3) (4 page)

"I hope so," I said
after an indrawn breath. "Thanks though. I feel good about it too. I'm working for it, that's for sure."

"We're all
behind you. We know you're gonna do it," Rachel chimed in. Emily didn't say anything. She just cozied up next to me, wrapping her hands around my arm, just above my elbow.

"I'll walk you out if you want," she said.

"Of course I want. In fact, you can just get in the car and come to San Diego."

"Tempting, but I have a game tomorrow night." We looked at each other for a few seconds before remembering we were still in a crowded room. Even though some were now
walking off, we still had a few people who were unintentionally eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Thanks again for having me," I said to the
room at large. One last wave, and Emily and I were on our way to the front door.

"I'm getting in for a minute," she said as we approached my car.

"That's great, but if
either
of us want to get in, you're gonna have to help me," I said.

"How?" She
asked.

"Either hold these plates for a second, or reach in my pocket for my car keys." She was already starting to reach for the plates when she thought twice about it and
let her hands drop.

"I think I'll dig for your keys," she said. She looked at my waist, and I stepped forward with my left foot so she'd know which one to go for.

She was extremely gentle with the whole process, which meant it took forever for her to inch her hand into my pocket. By the time she was done fishing around in there, my Johnson was standing at attention, or at least partial attention. Suddenly, she gasped and jerked her hand out of my pocket. "Was that? Did I just touch your…? Oh my God, was that your…?"

I couldn't help but let out a little laugh at her shocked expression. "You don't have to be so
freaked out," I said.

"I'm not
freaked out. It's just that I didn't expect to run into that… what's it doing way over there? She looked at me with a totally serious expression.

"Emily," I said, "it's time you and I had a little
talk about the birds and bees." I handed her the plates and retrieved the keys from my pocket. It was no wonder she'd taken so long—since the keys were in my right pocket. I unlocked the car, and we settled ourselves in the front seats.

"
Duh, I know about the birds and the bees," she said defensively. "I've had sex before, you know."

That bit of news was actually a little sur
prising to me. She seemed completely innocent when we were together in Vegas, saying things like "I'd love to hang out, but I want to warn you… I don't have sex."

I shook off the jealous thoughts that were now crossing my mind
as a result of this news. "Well, if you've had sex, then you should know that happens to a guys piece."

"Yeah, but I just can't imagine it being long enough, you know, to make it all the way over there to your pocke
t."

"Oh baby girl, I'm sorry yo
u can't imagine that. I hate to break it to you, but what you felt right there wasn't even… well never mind. But if
that
felt alarming to you…"

"Then w
hat?"

"If
that
was alarming to you, then you've obviously been with guys who were, let's say, challenged—"

"
I never said I had sex with,
guys
."

That wasn't the part of the statement I thought she'd latch on to.
And what was she saying exactly?

"
I told you I
don't
have sex," she continued. She looked at me and lifted one finger into the air. "There was a time when I
did
have sex, but now I don't. I've only been with one guy."

It could have been
the way she said it, but the thought of there having only been
one
guy to have the honor made me feel more unsettled than if there'd been a few unmemorable ones.

Chapter 5

Emily

I knew Ethan needed to get on the road for San Diego, but I couldn't resist checking out his car. Okay,
so it wasn't the car. Maybe I was a little tempted by the idea of being alone with him for a few more minutes before he left.

"So, I'm totally cool with having to earn the right to put the moves on you, but I'm warning you… I'm
gonna be extremely busy for the next eight months." Ethan almost seemed regretful. I must have given him a defensive look, thinking he was already trying to blow me off, because he continued, "The trials start at the end of June, and hopefully, I'll have the Olympics after that. If I want a shot at making the team, I have no choice but to work my ass off between now and then."

"No, I don't want you to feel like you have to come up here all the time or anything. I've never been to San Diego.
Maybe I'll drive down there sometime. We can try to see each other when it works out, and both be okay when it doesn't."

"Oh, so we're all
casual
now?" he asked, mocking me.

"From what I hear, you're the
king
of casual, so I thought that'd suit you just fine," I said.

"I am the king of casual," he said, "but I'm accustomed to the girl
being a little heartbroken about it."

"Don't worry about my heart. It's already taken." I didn't say it out loud. I thought it, and I
almost
said it, but I didn't, I kept it secret. Thinking about my heart and the person who I'd given it to years ago made me absentmindedly wonder if Ethan might be right about Jeremy having a small willy.

"No heartbreak for you, I guess," Ethan said. He was talking about my smile. I'd been smiling at
the thought of Jeremy's little male parts, and Ethan had taken it as a reinforcement of just how
casual
I was.

I decided to let him think I was bulletproof.  "No. I'm like you. I don't have enough
time
to be heartbroken. I have no idea how I'm going to fit Gretchen's project in between the Lakers and the dance studio." Mentioning Gretchen's project made me want to vent about something that had been bothering me since Joel asked me to help out at the art center. "To be honest, I'm nervous and might even be having second thoughts about agreeing to work with them at the center."

"Why?" Ethan asked. He seemed genuinely concerned.

"Well, one of the main reasons I wanted to move to L.A… aside from wanting to work for the Lakers, was to try to put myself through college. I feel like my parents might even be willing to help financially once I get to a place where I can approach them with a plan."

"What do you want to study?" he asked. He knew I was a dancer, but he had no idea that dance was my life.

"Dance," I said. "Right now, I'm teaching little kids a bunch of routines that someone else made up. I'm fine with that level of responsibility, but the job they're talking about giving me at Gretchen's place is more than I'm worthy of, I'm afraid."

"Aw, come on. Don't say that," he said. "You'll do great. They wouldn't have asked you if you weren't capable of it."

"That's just the thing. They have
no idea
what I'm capable of. They just asked me because I'm a dancer, and maybe they thought it'd be awkward if they didn't ask me. How am I supposed to know what to teach these kids if I haven't gone to college?"

"How long have you been dancing?" he asked.

"Twelve years," I answered, after a slight hesitation.

"Doesn't that count for something?"

I sighed. "I guess it does. I'm just going to feel like a big poser if I try to head up a dance program. I'm nineteen with no immediate college plans. I just don't see how anyone would take me seriously."

"I
think people aren't usually as harsh as we expect them to be," he said. "In fact, most of the time, people perceive us as whatever we project. You won't have any problems getting people to take you seriously, but if you really want to go to school, you should make it happen. Fill out the application. Who says you can't take classes part time on top of your, what is it,
three
other jobs?" He may have been joking about my job situation, but I could tell he was serious about me pursuing the idea of going to college.

"I should just be honest with Gretchen about everything. She was a theater major, so I'm sure she'd have some advice. The news of the art center is still so new to her, though. I think I'll give it a little time to sink in before I go sharing all my doubts and goals."

"I think you're closer to having it
all figured out
than you think," Ethan said. "You're lucky to know what your passion is. Some people go their whole lives without figuring that out. Now all you have to do is sort out the details."

"You make it sound so easy," I said.

"Why make it complicated?" he asked. He looked at me with that easy smile and my heart sped up a little at the sight of it.

"Thanks for letting me get that off my chest," I said.
I glanced at the center console to avoid staring at him for too long. "I think you're right about me being lucky to know what my passion is."

"I'm the one who's unlucky
when it comes to your passion," he said.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"I'm getting the short end of the stick here. I think I'm the
only
one of my friends who hasn't seen you in action. You know, shaking that money maker."

"
Well you'll have to get tickets to a game," I said, acting a little coy.

"I was hoping for something a little more private, if you know what I mean," he said.

I laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you were… but it'll take more than a few trips up the coast to get something like that."

"How many trips exactly?"
He was looking at me with a teasing grin, so I knew the question was only half-serious.

"For a private dance?" I contemplated for a few seconds. "Five trips." I didn't even think about it really. I just said the first number that
popped into my head. I knew he'd scarcely be able to come see me since he was training so hard.

"You know I'm
gonna hold you to that, right?"

"Sure," I said.
It came out more sarcastic sounding than I intended. But really, I didn't expect him to come up at all. I knew he'd probably only driven up here today because of the shock and novelty of learning I was here with his friends. Most likely, he just wanted to see if it was really me.

"
I really should be getting on the road," he said. "I'm already going to be paying for the way I ate today. I definitely can't add tired to the list."

"I hear you. I have to work tomorrow too," I said.

"Are you planning on spending the night here?" he asked.

"No. In fact, I'm right behind you. I just need to go in and get
Sal and my things together."

"Are you glad you
spent Christmas up here?" he asked. "Seems like Sal had fun."

I let out a laugh. "Sal's had more people food in the past two days than he's had in his whole life." Gretchen's little nephews keep sneaking it to him when I'm not looking."

"I hate to tell you, but I think
everyone's
sneaking him food when you're not looking. I saw at least three grown ups feeding him too."

"That explains why he's comatose in there," I said, rolling my eyes. "I hope I can get him to walk to the car when I'm ready to leave in a few minutes."

"You want some help? I didn't know you were planning on leaving right away or I would have just waited for you. I can still wait if you want to stay together on the interstate as far as L.A."

"No, I'm fine.
Thanks anyway," I said. "It'll take me a little while to get my stuff together and tell everyone goodbye."

Ethan thought about pressing the issue for a second, but decided to do the logical thing and get on the road.
I was glad, because my car was starting to act funny, and I'd be embarrassed to have it crap out in front of him. He turned the key, and the ignition revved to life. He looked at me and flashed that irresistible smile. What a freaking hottie.

"Collin was saying that his parents might do something in San Diego for New Year's. Do you think you might be able to come down?"

I had been so preoccupied by his face, that I hadn't exactly heard the words he was saying. Thankfully, my mind held on to the sounds it had heard, and I was able to replay the statement in my head.
Can you come for New Year's
was what I thought he said.

"New Year's?" I said, testing the waters to make sure I'd
heard right.

"Yeah, you think you could make it to the party at the Blake's house?"

"In San Diego? No. I mean, I don't think so. I heard them ta
lking about it, but no. I don’t think I'll be able to do that. I have off the three days before, but we have a home game on New Year's Day."

"Really? I think you should be able to make it back to L.A. for your game that night. It's only a couple of hours."

"Actually, I haven't even given it any thought. I'd hate to leave Sal, but I guess he'd be okay for one evening," I said. I paused for another second before saying, "I'll think about it. I'll give you a text to let you know if I think I can make it."

"
Would a trip to San Diego count toward the five visits?"

"No way!" I said
instinctively. I was so accustomed to keeping my distance with guys that giving them a hard time was standard operating procedure for me. It wasn't until after I'd said it that I realized
I
may want to speed up the process for this private dance. Ethan stirred feelings in me that before now, were only reserved for Jeremy. Part of me was scared that I'd end up falling for
yet another
player, but the other part of me was relieved I was finally feeling attracted to someone other than Jeremy.

But b
efore I could eat my words and say, "I guess it counts toward the five visits," Ethan leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "Well, it'd still be cool if you'd come," he said. "You should try."

Was that my goodbye? A kiss on the cheek that was over before it even started? We made out for hours in Vegas. You don't go from hours of making out to a peck on the cheek.
Ughhh, I knew I'd gone too far with the good girl routine. He was too scared to even kiss me now.

"You okay
Em?"

I focused on his face, zeroing in on the lips I so desperately wanted on mine. "Fine," I said.
Two can play at this game.
I was calm and collected when I said, "I'll text to let you know if I think I can make it next week." Ignoring the nagging urge to lean in and kiss him, I reached for the handle and pulled it, letting the door pop open just a crack. "I'm glad you came," I said. I leaned over and put an equally chaste kiss on his cheek before climbing out of the car.

"I'm glad I came too," he said, leaning over to look at me through the open door.
"See you soon, I hope," he added.

"Yeah, me too," I said. "Oh, and tell your family merry Christmas."

"I'm headed for the apartment, but I'll tell Josh."

"I can't believe I forgot about Josh," I said. "We should have
sent some food for him."

"No, no, this is plenty. And
I'll tell him you say hi."

"
Please do. And tell him I tried my best to send a plate for him."

"I'll share, I promise," he said. I closed the passenger's side door, and walked around the front of the car. He rolled down
his window as he began to slowly creep out of the parking spot in reverse. "I hope Sal's not too shot-out to make it home."

I laughed at the way he used the phrase. Sal was pretty
shot-out right now. Ethan was smiling at me out the window, and again, I had to stifle the urge to run up to his car window and kiss him goodbye. I just waved and blew him a kiss.

****

"That was fun," Rachel said as I walked back into the house. It was more of a question than a statement, and I knew she (and everyone else) wanted the scoop on how things had gone.

"Yeah, I'm glad he came," I said, still going for
discrete. "We'll probably try to hang out again sometime if we can. Both of us are just so busy, and with the distance and everything it's hard to—"

"Oh, totally," Rachel said, letting me off the hook from any further details. "I'm glad you two had fun catching up, though."

"You guys are talking like she didn't just sit on his lap for the past six hours," Collin said. Rachel punched his thigh. "What?" Collin asked, looking injured. Then he looked at me. "I thought you two hit it off." He gave me a wink, and I knew he was thinking about how I'd told him I could never fall for Ethan since my heart already belonged to Jeremy. I got nervous thinking about the possibility of him sharing my secret. He must have picked up on my shift, because he gave me a sincere expression that said I shouldn't worry and everything's okay. I smiled at him and he smiled back. This whole exchange happened without Rachel noticing, which I was really grateful for.