care if Michael Kingston felt bad about something? It must be basic human decency, she told herself. Or maybe she was going soft.
In any case, he let it go unaddressed, for which she was grateful. “So, ten years … That would take it all the way back to high school, wouldn’t it?”
She nodded, still very deliberately working on getting just the right amount of ketchup on her fry so she wouldn’t have to look at him.
“Wait — were you and Drew in the same graduating class?”
“Yeah.”
“Then that would mean … so you and I were actually in school together?”
“For a year, yes.”
He gave her a very thorough once-over as if trying to place her. “You and I — we never hooked up in high school, did we?”
Shannon’s mouth fell open. “No, we certainly did not!”
“So is that why you were really so mad at me the other day?”
“What?” she sputtered hotly. “You are unbelievable!”
“Oh, so we
did
hook up.”
“You — ”
A slow grin spread across his face, and she realized he was playing with her.
Taking a deep breath, she bit back a name she had been about to call him. “You get a perverse pleasure out of yanking my chain, don’t you?”
“Kind of, yes.”
“Aren’t you afraid I might back out of the deal?”
“No, I think you realize it’s in Drew’s best interest. Besides,” he added with a knowing gleam in his eye, “I think
you
get a perverse pleasure out of putting me back in my place, so we’re developing a great little symbiotic relationship here. Don’t you agree?”
“What? Oh, I’m sorry. I’m still recovering from the shock of hearing such big words come out of your mouth.”
Michael started to laugh, and Shannon felt a kind of rush go through her. He might be right when he said she enjoyed taking him down a peg. There was something exhilarating about feeling so free to speak her mind to somebody the way she did with him.
“I definitely would have remembered you if we ever did cross paths in school,” Michael said finally.
“Drew doesn’t,” she admitted ruefully.
“Drew doesn’t know you went to McKinley High?”
“Doesn’t seem to, no.”
He frowned, looking confused. “I thought you said — ”
“I knew who
he
was, but we didn’t exactly run in the same circles. I think he spoke to me a sum total of three times during our four years there. And then after that I didn’t see him again until he became a city councilman.”
“So you’ve been carrying a torch for him based on a few sentences in high school? Don’t you think you may have built your feelings for him up a little too much?”
“No! And quit making me sound like a stalker. I didn’t follow him around or anything. He was class president, for Pete’s sake. Quarterback on the football team. Prom King. He was out front and center for everyone to see along with the type of person he was. Drew never picked on any of the other kids, never cheated on a test — ”
“Sure, that you
know
of.”
She ignored him. “A lot of girls liked him. Then when he became a councilman and my boss, I just … well, I just realized that old feelings die hard, okay?”
“Okay, but why haven’t you ever mentioned to him that you went to school together? Seems like it would be a natural opener.”
“I wasn’t exactly the most popular person in high school, all right? In fact, it was kind of a nightmare for me, and one I’d just as soon not relive. If he doesn’t remember the geek I used to be, why remind him?”
“That bad?”
“Girls can be catty. Let’s just leave it at that.”
He looked like he wanted to ask her something more, but he let it drop. “High school is hell for everybody,” he said instead.
Shannon raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, right. Not for you.”
Michael looked out the window again. “You’d be surprised.”
• • •
Lunch was over. There were no more French fries to eat, and no reason to linger any longer. Still, Michael wasn’t in as big a hurry
In any case, he let it go unaddressed, for which she was grateful. “So, ten years … That would take it all the way back to high school, wouldn’t it?”
She nodded, still very deliberately working on getting just the right amount of ketchup on her fry so she wouldn’t have to look at him.
“Wait — were you and Drew in the same graduating class?”
“Yeah.”
“Then that would mean … so you and I were actually in school together?”
“For a year, yes.”
He gave her a very thorough once-over as if trying to place her. “You and I — we never hooked up in high school, did we?”
Shannon’s mouth fell open. “No, we certainly did not!”
“So is that why you were really so mad at me the other day?”
“What?” she sputtered hotly. “You are unbelievable!”
“Oh, so we
did
hook up.”
“You — ”
A slow grin spread across his face, and she realized he was playing with her.
Taking a deep breath, she bit back a name she had been about to call him. “You get a perverse pleasure out of yanking my chain, don’t you?”
“Kind of, yes.”
“Aren’t you afraid I might back out of the deal?”
“No, I think you realize it’s in Drew’s best interest. Besides,” he added with a knowing gleam in his eye, “I think
you
get a perverse pleasure out of putting me back in my place, so we’re developing a great little symbiotic relationship here. Don’t you agree?”
“What? Oh, I’m sorry. I’m still recovering from the shock of hearing such big words come out of your mouth.”
Michael started to laugh, and Shannon felt a kind of rush go through her. He might be right when he said she enjoyed taking him down a peg. There was something exhilarating about feeling so free to speak her mind to somebody the way she did with him.
“I definitely would have remembered you if we ever did cross paths in school,” Michael said finally.
“Drew doesn’t,” she admitted ruefully.
“Drew doesn’t know you went to McKinley High?”
“Doesn’t seem to, no.”
He frowned, looking confused. “I thought you said — ”
“I knew who
he
was, but we didn’t exactly run in the same circles. I think he spoke to me a sum total of three times during our four years there. And then after that I didn’t see him again until he became a city councilman.”
“So you’ve been carrying a torch for him based on a few sentences in high school? Don’t you think you may have built your feelings for him up a little too much?”
“No! And quit making me sound like a stalker. I didn’t follow him around or anything. He was class president, for Pete’s sake. Quarterback on the football team. Prom King. He was out front and center for everyone to see along with the type of person he was. Drew never picked on any of the other kids, never cheated on a test — ”
“Sure, that you
know
of.”
She ignored him. “A lot of girls liked him. Then when he became a councilman and my boss, I just … well, I just realized that old feelings die hard, okay?”
“Okay, but why haven’t you ever mentioned to him that you went to school together? Seems like it would be a natural opener.”
“I wasn’t exactly the most popular person in high school, all right? In fact, it was kind of a nightmare for me, and one I’d just as soon not relive. If he doesn’t remember the geek I used to be, why remind him?”
“That bad?”
“Girls can be catty. Let’s just leave it at that.”
He looked like he wanted to ask her something more, but he let it drop. “High school is hell for everybody,” he said instead.
Shannon raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, right. Not for you.”
Michael looked out the window again. “You’d be surprised.”
• • •
Lunch was over. There were no more French fries to eat, and no reason to linger any longer. Still, Michael wasn’t in as big a hurry
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