I stared, mouth agape, disbelief washing over me. I shouldn’t have been surprised—it was foolish to think I wouldn't be—but the sheer audacity of it all left me reeling. To meet a guy, *and* end up in his house on the same day? A wave of clarity finally broke through the shock.
“Hey,” I managed, my voice a little shaky. “Nice to meet you. Your house is…amazing.” I glanced past him, down the hallway, where shadows danced in the dim light.
“Grand tour?” He asked, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. He followed my gaze, anticipating my curiosity.
Tanner, ever the disruptor, stepped between us, playfully punching my upper arm. “Don’t mind my nosey sister, she doesn’t exactly *excel* at hiding her expressions.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, mortified. “Totally unnecessary, especially at a party.” I caught a flicker of movement from across the room—my friends waiting for me to rejoin them. “Well, I should get back to them. Nice to meet you, Tyler.” I started to turn, eager to escape the intensity of his gaze.
“You too!” He called out over the music, his voice surprisingly loud. “See you around!”
We clustered awkwardly in the kitchen, unsure of how to navigate this new territory. Brady nodded towards the patio doors and gestured towards the coolers. A little liquid courage never hurt, right? We followed him out onto the back deck, grabbing drinks and settling into the humid night air.
•••
After a couple of drinks, the initial awkwardness began to dissipate. We decided to venture back inside, hoping to mingle with people we’d likely see in school for the next few years.
Lost in a conversation, I felt eyes on me. A prickle of awareness ran down my spine. I quickly averted my gaze, returning my head to the group, hoping to blend in. But curiosity gnawed at me. What were they looking at? *Who* were they looking at? I made the conscious decision to glance back, to investigate. And there he was.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, muscles flexing beneath a crisp white t-shirt. His ripped jeans hung low on his hips, revealing the athletic build beneath. As I stood there, taking it all in, he turned, catching me staring. Of course it was Tyler. A childish grin spread across his face, and he winked. My cheeks burned with a sudden, fierce heat as I hastily rejoined the circle. The embarrassment was mortifying.
Brett noticed my hand instinctively rise to my mouth, a nervous habit I’d developed when overwhelmed. She squeezed my hand tightly, a silent gesture of support.
“Hey, you okay?” she asked, her voice soft.
“Yeah, I just need to go to the bathroom,” I lied, desperate to escape the heat rising in my face.
“No way, I’m coming with you.” She didn’t give me a chance to protest, pulling me along as we navigated the crowded living room towards the hallway. We joined the line of drunk teenagers waiting for their turn, finally reaching the bathroom. She grabbed both my hands, her expression serious.
“What’s wrong? You went quiet, and frankly, your blushing face is giving you away. Spill.”
“Okay, so today, while I was relaxing in the pool, I got a friend request from this guy,” I began, reaching into my pocket to show her my phone. “I had no idea who he was, but Tanner, Brady, Jeremy, and a bunch of other people were mutual friends…plus he looked cute. So I accepted. He messaged me, look.” I watched as she scrolled through our short exchange.
“And when we got here, Tanner introduced me to the guy who owns the house…the quarterback at Cen—”
“It’s him!” She cut me off, her eyes wide. “This is his house!”
“Oh. He *is* hot. Look at his arms in that photo!” She shoved my phone back at me. “You have to talk to him.”
I splashed cold water across my face, trying to quell the heat rising in my cheeks.
“Oh god. I can barely talk to boys our age, let alone someone older and popular. You know how awkward I get.”
“We’ll see,” she said, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she dragged me back into the throng of partygoers.