Page 54 of Just for the Plot

“Why not?” I ask as he makes a right onto a main road.

“It’s kind of like an old boys’ club, where men sip brandy and smoke cigars. Now it’s a pub for all, but it still gives off those good-old-boy vibes.”

“That is an interesting place to take a first date.” I worry my lip, thinking about what Gabby said beforehand. “Do you know anything about Cougar?”

“Not really,” he answers, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “But Graydon thought that he might be good for you.”

“Gabby was saying that he seemed like a player. Makes me a little nervous.”

“Really?” he asks, stopping at a stoplight and facing me. “Want me to take you back home, or better yet, take you to get ice cream and then take you home?”

The prospect of crawling out of this dress and right back into pajamas with ice cream in hand is incredibly appealing, but if there is one thing I know, it’s that I don’t ever want to be the person that stands someone up. It’s happened to me before and I know how bad it feels. And sure, it seemslike Cougar is the type of guy who’d bounce back pretty easily, but still, I don’t ever want to be that person.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’ll be a good time.”

“You sure?” he asks, looking like he’s willing and ready to book it the hell out of here and back to the apartment building. “Because I don’t want to be the reason why you have a bad night.”

“It won’t be your fault if I do. It would be his. After all, he’s the one who has to impress me, right?”

“Right,” Bennett says, his eyes dropping to my lips for a moment before he turns back to the road. “But just in case, do you want to have a signal that you can text me in case you need me to bail you out?”

“Oh, that’s a clever idea. Like if I send you an alert emoji, you know to call me and I’ll pretend my aunt fell off a cliff or something.”

“Jesus,” he says as he makes a left-hand turn. “Maybe something a little more believable and a little less insane.”

“Aunt falling off a cliff too much?”

“Just a little.”

“Okay, maybe you got your head stuck in something and I have to come help you get your head out or else it’s a call to the firemen.”

“Why does my head need to be stuck in something? That seems idiotic.”

“I wasn’t talking about the head that sits on the top of your neck…”

His lips flatten, which makes me chuckle. “You’re talking about my penis? What the hell would I get it stuck in?”

“I don’t know. You’re young. Are there any trends going around that would make you accidentally get your penis stuck?”

“No,” he nearly shouts. “Jesus, Bower.”

I chuckle. “Okay, so not into the penis getting stuck in something. Got it, hmm, what can you get stuck in something?”

“Nothing,” he says. “Just say that I’m sick and need your help.”

“Oh…that’s actually, huh, that’s really good. Gives me a relatablereason to leave but also makes me seem like a good person rather than someone trying to get out of a horrific date. Wonderful job, Bennett.”

“Not that hard.”

“What’s not hard? Finding a reason why you need me? Or your penis when it gets stuck in something?”

He shakes his head as he says, “There’s something seriously wrong with you.”

“Are you sure you’re good to go? I can still take you home.”

I unbuckle my seatbelt and shake my head. “No, it’s good. This is going to be fun.” I look out the window toward the pub with stained-glass windows. Really wish he chose somewhere else.

“I can stick around for a second or even walk you in if you want.”