Flipping the Script by Paula Chase Page B

bridge and burn this studio time.”
    Saved by the dance, Michael thought, tapping his fist against Rob’s, his grin a mile wide. “All right. Later, kid.”
    Rob paused at the stairway. “Hey, where does that girl Kelly live again?”
    â€œFolger’s Way,” Michael said cautiously, his grin faltering.
    Rob’s eyebrows scrunched in concentration, then eased with recognition. “Oh, right.” He shrugged his jacket to his ears. “See you.”

When Worlds Collide
    â€œIt’s good to be crazy, ain’t it baby.”
    â€”Ne-Yo ft. Jay-Z, “Crazy”
    Â 
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    M ichael sent invisible waves across the table to Mina. He was pissed at her. It baffled him that it never occurred to her that there was a reason it had been three years and he hadn’t bothered to invite Rob out with the clique. He stared a hole through her, waiting for her to see him glaring. She was oblivious as she and Brian whispered, dipping in and out of the rest of the table’s chorus.
    The door to Rio’s Ria opened and Michael cracked his neck looking up, hoping and getting his wish that it wasn’t Rob.
    His heart pattered erratically.
    Even as he breathed a sigh of relief, guilt throttled him, making his temples pulsate. It made him sick that he didn’t want Rob to show up tonight. But it was what it was. Mina believed in that fairy tale ending, let’s all be friends stuff. He didn’t. Some people simply weren’t compatible. And JZ and Rob wouldn’t be. Michael knew it with a certainty that made the pounding in his head boom double time.
    JZ was leading man confident, certain laughter would follow at his every witty remark and that people would agree with him as long as he flashed his charisma. Rob was master dancer arrogant, matter-of-fact about his point of view, never doubtful that his way was the obvious “right” path.
    They were actually more alike than different, but JZ would never notice, much less ever admit it. Talk about clash of the titans.
    Michael willingly played the straight man to JZ’s Joker, his role sealed after eleven years of friendship. He rolled with JZ’s macho flow without ever giving in to it. On the flip side, he and Rob were on more equal footing. Their similar opinionated personalities meshed surprisingly well, giving their relatively new friendship an old-couple’s comfort.
    Michael slipped comfortably into either skin when he was with his two best guy friends, but until now lived blissfully ignorant of what life would be like if the two ever crossed paths.
    He had no doubt Rob would see his easygoing, low-key attitude around JZ as too side-kickish. And JZ would see his and Rob’s comfortable bond as girly. Not that it would take much for JZ to go there. Just knowing Rob was a dancer, the kind who saw beyond hip-hop dancing, would be enough for JZ to discount Rob as soft.
    Michael rubbed his throbbing temples. His eyes focused on Lizzie’s mouth moving and he slowly emerged from his fog in time to realize she was asking him for his part of the check. The clique was making moves to leave. He’d zoned out of the conversation almost from the start and now they were ready to roll.
    Relief washed over him. Rob hadn’t shown.
    Kelly’s nabe was gated. Michael couldn’t see Rob showing up in a strange neighborhood with a guard at the gate. His heart did a happy flip.
    There was the usual minor confusion as they all chipped in to pay for the food. As he placed a five on the table, Mina’s eyes finally connected with his.
    His eyebrows furrowed. “We need to talk,” he mouthed.
    She frowned, but nodded. As everyone streamed to the door, Mina hung back until Michael was by her side. They lagged behind.
    â€œWhat’s up, baby boy?” Mina linked arms with him.
    Michael slid his arm out. “Uh-uh. I’m mad at you, Mina.”
    She stopped just short of the door, looking as if