Say You'll Remember Me(14)

“Heeeey, look who’s here,” the tallest one said. He was tan, brawny, and handsome, like the AI-generated version of a football player. “I’m Mike,” he said, putting out a hand.

“Samantha.” I shook it.

Xavier did not look happy. “This is Chris, Jesse, and his girlfriend, Becca,” he said, like he was being forced.

I lit up. “Ah, Chris. I think I took your cruise ticket?”

“Happy to give it up,” Chris said.

He was also good-looking, but in a bookworm kind of way. Becca was pretty. His whole friend group looked like a lineup of Instagram models actually.

“What are you doing here?” Xavier asked.

“Golf,” Mike said. “Maybe bumper cars, nachos—”

Xavier pinned him with a look that didn’t faze Mike a single bit.

Mike put an arm around my cranky date. “Imagine our surprise when we found out you wanted to play laser tag. We just had to see this with our own eyes. You guys want to join us?” Mike said.

I brightened. “Sure—”

“Give us a second,” Xavier said.

Mike released him and put his hands up playfully and backed away.

Xavier brought me to the side. “I’m sorry,” he said, quietly.

I laughed. “For what?”

“You didn’t sign up to meet my friends. I didn’t know they’d be here. I wouldn’t have sprung this on you without your permission.”

“Awwww. That’s very sweet to consider. But honestly, it’s fine.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“Why don’t we play a couple rounds of miniature golf,” I said. “Hand them their asses, and then take it from there.”

“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked.

“I promise you, I will always tell you if things are not okay.”

He studied me for a moment.

“So you’re not a miniature golf kind of guy, huh?” I whispered.

“No. I asked you to come because I didn’t want to take you home yet.”

“I didn’t want to go home yet.” I nodded at his friends. “Still don’t.”

His friends were hovering, waiting to see what we decided. I looked back at him. “It’s kind of cute, actually. They’re clearly obsessed with you.”

“I think they’re more obsessed with you,” he said, his voice low.

“Huh.” I tipped my head up so my mouth was just a few inches from his lips. “Well, let’s give them something to talk about.”





7





XAVIER


I HADN’T LAUGHED this hard in years. Maybe I never had.

We destroyed everyone in miniature golf. We moved on to laser tag and beat everyone there too.

We spent half an hour in the arcade, got shitty pizza, then went on the bumper cars with all of them.

Everyone loved Samantha. She slid into my circle like she’d known them as long as I had.

She was the kind of person who met strangers at a bar and was in somebody’s wedding by the end of the night. Extroverted and easy. It made it easy for me too.

I wasn’t social.

I wasn’t an introvert so much as people just irritated me. I didn’t like dealing with humans I didn’t know. I didn’t like parties unless they were intimate and I knew everyone there. I hated mingling, I hated networking even more.

When it came to meeting with my friends, I didn’t like group dates unless I’d been dating someone for long enough that bringing them around was the next step, and even then I didn’t love it because it meant I had to play the host and entertain them to make sure they were comfortable. I didn’t have to do that with Samantha. I would have, but I didn’t have to.

I couldn’t believe how much I liked her.

I kept waiting for the shoe to drop and it never did. For the conversation to fall flat or for her to seem annoyed when Jesse told one of his corny jokes or for Becca to give me that look that meant it was a no. But it didn’t happen.

By midnight everyone was going home. We were saying goodbye to them by the entrance.

I didn’t want the night to end. I was exhausted, but I’d never been more awake. I didn’t know how much longer I could reasonably drag it out though. Then when Jesse and Becca left and we were alone, Samantha turned to me. “Hey, what do you think about doing the escape room?” she asked.

My smile got bigger. It was like this night had turned the feature on and I couldn’t wipe it from my face now.

“We wouldn’t get out until one a.m.,” I said.

“I don’t care. I’m not tired. Are you?”

“No,” I said.

“So yes?”

“Let’s do it.”

The place was clearing out. There were only a handful of people still here and even fewer employees. We finally found one sitting behind the prize desk texting.

Samantha leaned over the counter. “Is the escape room still available?” she asked.

The kid looked up from his phone. “Uh… I don’t know? I don’t work that section.”

“Do you know who does?” she asked.

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I guess, like, give me a second.”