Jake stepped forward to wrap an arm around my waist. He looked toward Rango and said, "Is there a problem?"

  Rango's jaw tightened. He gave me a hard look.

  "Hey," Jake said. "I asked the question, not her."

  Glancing from Jake to Rango, I felt my temper rise. Was that kiss merely a setup? A sham? Was Jake marking me as his territory or something?

  Had I just been metaphorically peed on?

  Even amidst all the chaos, one question echoed louder in my brain than the rest. Had Jake known Rango was there? Was that the reason for that kiss? Earlier, Jake had claimed that tonight was for me. Was this what he meant?

  My stomach, dancing with butterflies just a few seconds ago, was sinking like a stone and fast.

  In front of me, Rango remained silent, but the look on his face was all too familiar. It was the same look I'd seen at the last party we'd attended as a couple. Throughout the night, he'd mostly kept his cool, until we'd gotten into his car anyway.

  A half hour later, his Beamer was smashed, and I was hiding out in the back of an all-night coffee house, calling for a cab.

  In front of me, Bianca's gaze narrowed. "I thought your name was Luna," she said.

  "It is," I said. "Sort of. It's complicated."

  She rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

  Bianca was the least of my concerns. I looked from Rango to Jake as they sized each other up. The way it looked, my name wasn't the only thing complicated around here.

  Jake was giving Rango a hard look. "You got something to say?" Jake asked.

  Rango's gaze shifted to me. "So you're with him now?" he said.

  Oh God, this was so embarrassing. Not that I cared one bit what Rango thought, but something about this whole scene was way too primitive, like I was a piece of meat being tossed from one guy to the next. And here, I wasn't really with either one of them.

  "No," I told Rango in my calmest voice, "I'm not with anyone. But that doesn't mean I want to be with you."

  He made a hard scoffing sound. "Like I asked."

  Color flooded my face. Talk about humiliating.

  Jake looked down at me. "Baby," he said. "You don't need to be nice to him." He turned to Rango. "What Luna's trying to say is 'fuck off.'"

  Rango's face froze.

  I pushed away from Jake. "That's not what I’m trying to say." Oh sure, the sentiment fit, but the last thing I needed was more trouble.

  "Sorry," Jake said. "My mistake." He turned to Rango. "What I meant to say was that I think you should fuck off."

  I glared up at Jake. "That's not what I meant."

  Rango still hadn't moved. I snuck a quick glance in his direction. That vein in his forehead was pulsing in a way I knew all too well.

  But when he spoke, his voice was a lot calmer than I'd have ever anticipated. "I don't know what you've heard," he told Jake, "but I don't want your girl." His gaze shifted to me. "I've moved on, Jenna. Get over it."

  Next to him, Bianca gave a half-laugh, half-snort. "Jenna."

  "Oh shut up," I said.

  I returned my gaze to Rango. Had he really moved on to someone new? If I was lucky, he was telling the truth. But that didn't make anything less humiliating when he added, "And stop calling me, alright? My girlfriend doesn't like it."

  "Me?" I said. "Call you?" I'd literally changed my phone number to get rid of this guy. I'd had to move out of my apartment. I'd had to replace most of my stuff. Correction – I still had to replace my stuff, someday, when I wasn't broke and semi-homeless.

  Jake, which his free hand, reached up to stroke his chin. He looked at Rango. "You know what you need?" Jake said.

  Rango's answer was a clipped, "What?"

  Jake pointed to Rango's shirt. "A new tailor."

  Rango's shirts were hand-made, a distinction he was overly proud of. Rango looked down. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

  "Nothing," Jake said, "I just figured you'd want to know."

  Rango gave Jake the squinty-eye. "Are you messing with me?"

  "I don't know," Jake said. "Am I?"

  Rango looked around. After a long moment, he gave a shaky smile. "I know who you are." He forced out a laugh. "Alright, you got me. Where's the camera?"

  "I dunno," Jake said. "Have you checked your mom's room?"

  Rango's smile faded. "What the fuck's your problem?"

  "No problem here," Jake said, before adding under his breath, "Dipshit."

  Rango's gaze narrowed to slits. "What'd you just call me?"

  Jake's brow wrinkled. "What'd it sound like?"

  "It sounded like you called me a dipshit."

  "Did it?" Jake said. "No kidding?"

  Rango gave another shaky laugh. "Yeah."

  Jake nodded. "Good hearing."

  I grabbed Jake's elbow. "You know what?" I said. "I think there's some painting or something we wanted to see." I gave the elbow a tug. "Right?"

  He grinned over at me. "But we're not done talking to Ringo."

  Rango's vein gave a special little jump. "It's Rango," he said.

  Jake looked at him. "Dingo?"

  "No," Rango said through clenched teeth. "Rango."

  Jake was nodding. "Wasn't there some movie about a slug named Rango?" He turned to me. "It was a cartoon or something, right?"

  I knew what movie he meant, some animated thing from a while back. "I think it was a lizard," I said. "Now come on, let's go."

  "Oh for God's sake," Bianca said, "it was a chameleon."

  Jake and I turned look.

  "I saw it with my nieces," she said. "Jeez."

  "Well, there you have it," Jake said. He held out a hand toward Rango. "Nice meeting you, Dongo."

  Rango's face was red, and that vein looked in danger of exploding. He looked down at the hand. He didn't move.

  "Aw come on, man," Jake said. "Don't leave me hangin' here."

  Rango still didn't move. Neither did Jake. I gave another tug on Jake's elbow. He didn't budge. Finally, with obvious reluctance, Rango reached out a hand. But just when it almost reached Jake's, Jake pulled back his own hand and said, "Gotcha." He shook his head. "Man, I can't believe you fell for that. Dumbass."

  I gave the elbow another tug. "Yeah. Ha ha. Let's go." I gave him a pleading look. "Please?"

  Jake hesitated. And then he grinned down on me. "Whatever you say, Jenna."

  Chapter 27

  Rango said nothing as I practically dragged Jake away from the alcove. I was fuming and confused, and desperate to get the two guys away from each other. Just before Jake and I disappeared into a mass of people, I gave one final look over my shoulder.

  Bianca and Rango were still there, watching us with twin expressions of malice. If looks could kill, we'd have been dead twice over. Was it because of that kiss? It had to be.

  A sickening thought drifted to the forefront of my brain. Was I kept clueless to make the seduction look real? Kiss me, Jake had said.

  I hadn't required much convincing, had I?

  Turns out, I was just like all the other girls – eager for whatever he offered and too stupid to realize I was the only one being swept away. Probably, Jake was trying to do me a favor. I should feel grateful. I was grateful. But I was something else too – disappointed.

  When Jake and I ducked into a side hall, I whirled to face him. "What the hell was that about?" I said.

  He looked down at me. "What?"

  "Oh come on," I said. "Don't play dumb. You knew Rango would be here tonight. Didn't you?"

  He shrugged. "Maybe."

  "How?"

  "Rumor was he had an invitation." Jake grinned. "V.I.P. too."

  My gaze narrowed. "Did you invite him?"

  "You mean did I call him up, and say, 'hey Dingo, you wanna party?"

  "You know what I mean," I said.

  "Okay." His voice lost any trace of humor. "Yeah, I made sure he had an invitation."

  "So he was here because of you?"

  "No," Jake said. "He was here because of you."

  I glared up at him. "Meaning?"

  "Meaning," Jake said, "he knew you'd be here."

  "How?" I asked.

  He reached up to rub the back of his neck. "Bianca might've mentioned it."

  My gaze narrowed. "At your request?"

  "Maybe."

  I made a sound of disgust. "Unbelievable. Why on Earth would you do that?"

  "Look," Jake said, his voice softening, "you're gonna run into him sooner or later. You know that, right?"

  "So?"

  "So better with me than alone."

  "And what was your plan?" I said. "To let him think we're a couple? And just hope he just goes away?"

  I wanted to laugh. And cry. Me and Jake? A couple? It was an adolescent girl's fantasy. Supposedly, I'd grown up. Apparently not enough.

  At the memory of that kiss, my stomach clenched. It had felt so real. To me, it had been real. Achingly real. But apparently, it had been real only to me. How pathetic was that?

  "No," Jake said. "The plan was to piss him off."

  "Why?" I asked.

  "Why else? So he'd swing at me."

  I squinted up at him. "Why?'

  Jake shrugged. "So I could kick his ass."

  "You can't be serious."

  "Why not?" he asked. "You said you were cool with it, as long as Rango swung first. Remember?"

  "No, I don't remember. And if even I did say that, it's not what I meant."

  "Eh, close enough," Jake said.

  "No, it's not," I said. "That's insane."

  He said nothing.

  "Well?" I said.

  "Well what?" he asked.

  I looked around. "So all of this? The dress? The champagne?" I swallowed. "That kiss? It was all about Rango?" I looked toward the entryway. Somehow, I summoned up a hollow laugh. "Well, I guess that's done. Time to head out, huh?"

  All along, I had known tonight wasn't real. But somehow, I'd been telling myself I could enjoy this little game of make-believe and walk away when the story ended. God, I'd been such a fool.

  His voice softened. "Luna, what's wrong?"

  "Nothing," I said. "It's just time to go, right?"

  "You wanna go?" he said. "We'll go. But we don't have to."

  "Look," I said, "I know you were trying to do me a favor, and I appreciate it. Honestly." I sighed. "But, I dunno, I guess it's been a long day."

  When disappointment darkened his face, I realized something incredibly stupid. He didn't want to leave, and I couldn't exactly blame him. I looked around. Music was still playing, the crowd was still pulsing, and if I wasn't mistaken, those two scantily clad girls near the archway were just waiting to make their move.

  "Oh. Sorry," I said. "You're probably not ready to go, are you?" I summoned up what I hoped was a cheery smile. "That's okay." I glanced around. "I'll just, uh, call a cab or something."

  "You think I'm gonna let you leave alone?"

  "Sure. Why not?" I bit my lip. Except, where would I go? Did Jake really want me hanging around his place when he wasn't there? Or worse, what if later on, he brought home one of those girls? Or both of those girls?

  Last night, I'd listened to him with Maddie. That had been bad enough. If I had realized it was Jake eliciting those sounds, it would have been a million times worse.

  And what about tonight? How awful would that be? When I had just kissed him? When I'd felt his lips pressed to mine? When I'd felt him hold me close? When I'd allowed myself to believe he was actually kissing me back?

  Suddenly, my lips felt cold and dry, just like my thoughts. Again, I glanced toward the entrance.

  "You okay?" Jake said.

  "Sure, I'm fine."

  His eyebrows furrowed. He pulled out his phone and started tapping at the screen.

  "What are you doing?" I asked.

  "Texting Henry," he said. "Now come on." He took my arm. "Let's get you back."

  I almost wanted to argue. The night was young, and part of me wished I had the stamina, or whatever, to stick around. But I hadn't been lying. It had been a long day. And somehow, I just didn't have the energy to pretend anymore.

  The fairytale was over. Closed. The End.

  What I needed now was a moment to regroup, before I lost it right here in the crowd. "I need to hit the ladies room." I said. "Can I meet you out front?"

  "No."

  "No?" I gave a hollow laugh. "So you're denying me bathroom privileges? Is that it?"

  "No. I'm not letting you walk there alone."

  "Why not?"

  "Because Rango's still around someplace."

  "I can handle Rango," I said.

  "Uh-huh." Jake took my arm. "Now come on."

  I couldn't decide if I was flattered or annoyed. Probably, I was both. This whole evening was turning into a mind-boggling mix of contradictions. It was enough to make me crazy.

  Near the rest room entrance, I turned to Jake and said, "I'll be out in a few minutes."

  "If you're not," he said, "I'm coming in after you. And I'm not kidding."

  I stared up at him. "You wouldn't."

  "Wanna bet?"

  Actually, I didn't. So I turned around and headed into the ladies room.

  Of course, the place was packed, with a long line of girls waiting for stalls, and a handful of others clustered around the wide mirror. If Jake weren't waiting just outside the door, I'd probably turn around and head right back out. But at this point, I'd only look stupid.

  Reluctantly, I made my way to the sink, waited for an opening, and then pretended to wash my hands. As the warm water ran over my fingertips, I looked up, catching my reflection in the mirror. Who was I, anyway? A pretend-date in a borrowed dress?

  I was so lost in my own thoughts that it took me a moment to realize something. Just over my shoulder, another face had appeared in the reflection. It was the face of Bianca.

  And the way it looked, she was griping up a storm.

  Chapter 28

  I stared at Bianca in the mirror. She was still talking to me. But over the sound of the automatic hand-dryer, just a couple feet away, I could hardly hear a thing.

  I turned around to face her. "Excuse me?" I said.

  She raised her voice. "I was saying," she said in a voice of overblown patience, "that if you're going to be so sulky, you might as well give me back my dress."

  "Hey, you were the one who begged me to take it," I said. "Remember?"

  She lifted her chin. "That was then. This is now."

  I glanced down at the dress I'd borrowed. "You want it back?" I said. "Fine by me." At this point, I hardly cared. Besides, I was leaving anyway.

  She wrinkled her nose. "Not after you've sweated in it."

  I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. That's me. Sweaty."

  "You said it. Not me."

  I gave her a hard look. "So what are you being paid to do, exactly?" I said. "Other than hassle me, I mean."

  "You wouldn’t understand."

  "Oh yeah? Try me."

  Earlier, she'd called herself an event planner. If we were on friendlier terms, I would have loved to hear more about her career. Did she, like me, have a degree in hospitality management? Or had she come up the ranks a different way?

  "Well, tonight," she said, "I'm apparently being paid to wear your hand-me-downs and suck up to your ex-boyfriend." She made a sound of disgust. "I can't believe I went to college for this."

  "Why are you so hostile to me?" I said. "I never did anything to you."

  She made a point of looking down at her – correction, my – schoolmarm dress. "Are you sure about that?" she asked.

  "Hey, that wasn't my doing," I said.

  She gave me a dubious look. "Right."

  "And besides," I said, "you're the one who picked that thing out."

  I didn't even know why I was bothering. She'd sabotaged me. She'd lied to me. She'd probably do worse if I ever let down my guard.

  Stepping back, she cocked her head to give me a good, long look. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Oh my God," she said. "I just figured out what your problem is."

  "Oh yeah?" I said in a bored tone. "What's that?"

  She gave a little laugh. "You thought that kiss was real. Didn't you?"

  Before the question died on her lips, my face was already warm. Still, I made myself say, "What kiss?"

  "Awww, that's so cute," she said. "You did." She pursed her lips. "Jake's gonna love that."

  I almost wanted to slap her. But instead, I stepped toward her and hissed, "Did you come in here for a reason? Or just to give me a hard time?"

  "Actually," she said, glancing toward a stall. "I was in here already." She smiled. "Your lucky day, huh?"

  On the nearby wall, the automatic dryer suddenly stopped, leaving the restroom a whole lot quieter. Slowly, I realized that no one else was speaking. I glanced around. So did Bianca. One girl – a cute blonde in a blue micro-dress – was staring openly in our direction. But she wasn't staring at me. She was staring at Bianca.

  Bianca gave her an annoyed look. "What are you looking at?" Bianca said.

  The girl glanced down at Bianca's dress. "Your costume," she said. "Are you like, part of the show or something?"

  Bianca's gaze narrowed. "What show?"

  "I dunno. Isn't there some historical reenactment or something? I mean, it is a museum, right? Are you like playing a prairie lady?"

  Bianca glared at her. "Do I look like a prairie lady?"

  "Yeah. Kind of," the girl said.

  "Well I'm not!" Bianca said.

  "Jeez, you don't have to be all snippy about it," the girl said, "I was just asking."

  I couldn’t help it. I snickered.

  Bianca whirled toward me. "What are you laughing about?" she said. "It's your dress."

  "Not anymore." I gave an exaggerated eye-roll. "Not after you've sweated in it."

  Through clenched teeth, Bianca said, "I am not sweaty."

  I leaned forward and gave a little sniff. "Are you sure?"

  "Oh grow up," she muttered, turning toward the door. "That's it. I'm outta here."

  She'd gotten just a few feet before whirling back around toward me. "And just for the record," she said, "This dress sucks! There! Are you happy now? If you wore this thing in New York, they'd mug you for the fun of it. And you'd deserve it. When I get home tonight, I'm gonna burn it." Her voice rose. "And send Jake the bill!"

  She turned away and wrenched open the ladies room door.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24