I studied her smooth, tan color for a second before moving my eyes back to hers. I flicked my thumb across my nose. “What did you have in mind?”
“It’s a surprise. Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up and drive us there. One in the afternoon. Be ready.” She began walking away from me, and then she spun around, holding the straps of her backpack. “Oh, and Satan?”
“Yeah?”
“You did really great today during rehearsal,” she said before she turned and walked away. As she did, something happened to my heart in my chest. It tightened. It skipped. It beat in overdrive?
I wasn’t used to my heart doing anything other than following its mundane pattern. Then along came Shay Gable, and she went ahead and messed up my rhythmic cycle all because of a nice compliment.
Was she being sarcastic? Was her comment genuine? Was she screwing with my head?
Open your damn book for me, Shay.
Damn... Was my heart falling for my sworn enemy?
What the hell was that?
* * *
What the hell is that?!
I sat in Shay’s car as we pulled up to the location of our date. I should’ve known there would be some kind of dramatic crap when Shay asked me out on a date. I just didn’t think it would have been this.
Of Reps and Men was the clever name of the building sitting in front of us. It was a building filled with animals I had no interest in. Through the window, I saw a guy holding a snake around his shoulder blades.
“What the hell is this?” I barked out, my skin beginning to itch from the thought of walking inside that place.
“It’s like a petting zoo for reptiles and things. I thought it could be fun.” Her tone was so matter-of-fact, and I swore she could see the fear dripping down my forehead. “A little birdie told me you loved reptiles.”
“A little bir—” I stopped my words and groaned. “I’m going to kill Raine.”
“Oh, come on. She owed me after she told you about the auditions for the play. It’s only fair I get a fact about you, too.”
“Well, good for you. You know I hate reptiles. Awesome.” I slow-clapped. “But there’s no way in hell I’m taking one step inside of that place.”
“What’s the matter, Satan?” she cooed, pursing her lips together. “Scared?”
“No. I’m just not an idiot who finds enjoyment in playing with creatures that aren’t meant to be played with. That’s not a damn black poodle in there; it’s a boa constrictor, an animal that can physically squeeze a person to death if it pleases.”
She smiled. “Sounds exciting. Come on, let’s go.”
She opened her car door, climbed out, and I stayed exactly where I was. There was no way in hell, heaven, or any other made-up location that I was going to unbuckle my seat belt and climb out of that car.
Shay laughed when she saw me. “Are you telling me the bad boy of small-town Raine, Illinois, is really deathly afraid of a little spider?”
“Those are tarantulas! There is nothing little about a freaking tarantula, Shay.”
She giggled. “You’re sweating.”
“I’m not,” I replied, knowing it was a lie. The backs of my knees were sweating, my toes were sweating, and my balls were pretty much sitting in a puddle of my damn nerves.
“You are. I’m amazed, I guess. In an odd turn of events, it turns out I’m not the chicken in this hateful relationship, after all—you are.”
“I’m no chicken,” I barked.
She leaned in toward me and puckered her lips together before saying, “Cluck, cluck, cluck...”
The hairs on my forearms stood straight up.