The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

When Jack smirked, I grabbed his mini basketball and shot it at the net attached to the back of his door. I missed.

“Did you really ask her out in front of everyone?”

“I had to. She’s stubborn.”

“What’d you say?”

I shot the ball again. Damn. Another miss.

“I told her she only had to go out with me one time and if she hated it, I’d leave her alone forever. Something like that.”

He waved a hand at me like it was no big deal, but I knew the truth. Jack didn’t date, and this was definitely a date. And without a doubt, it was a big deal.

“That honestly worked on her?”

“I think she just wanted me to shut up. But it worked, and I took the win.” He shrugged. “Speaking of, when are you going to ask out that feisty little fun-sized roommate of hers?”

I swallowed hard. “Melissa?”

The ball rolled back to me, and I attempted another shot. Missed again.

“No, Matilda the Hun. Yes, Melissa.” He shot me a knowing glance. “She likes you, you know.”

“I don’t know. She’s flirty, but then she’s not. I can’t read her at all. But I got her number today, so we’ll see.”

“Good. Make sure you use it. Now get out of here so I can take a shower.”

Jack picked up the little basketball and tossed it at my head.

He didn’t miss.

Ball of Nerves

Jack yelled for me, I stopped what I was doing to go see what he wanted. But when I stepped into his room, I didn’t see him anywhere. Then his closet door popped open and he stepped out, buttoning up his shirt.

“I can’t believe she said yes,” he said as he finished getting dressed.

“Bullshit,” I said, calling his bluff. “You said you weren’t going to let her say no.”

“I know,” he said with a shrug, and averted his eyes. “But now that she’s said yes, what if she hates me and never lets me see her again?”

I snorted. “She won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’re actually taking a girl out on a date, Jack. In public. At dinnertime. I haven’t seen you do anything like that in years.”

It was true. Jack hooked up with girls all the time, but this wasn’t a hookup. This, whatever it was, wasn’t his usual MO. Everything about this was different, not to mention the fact that he actually seemed nervous. Girls didn’t make my brother nervous, but for some reason, this one did.

When he pulled a paper bag from his dresser and rolled it up to stuff it into his pocket, I squinted at him. “What the hell is that?”

He smiled. “Quarters.”

“Quarters?”

“The first time I met her at that party, she told me it cost fifty cents every time I touched her.”

“So?”