Her Summer Crush

While he talked, she drank her soda and tapped her red fingernails—which matched her toenails—against the bottle.

When he finished, Sylvie set her drink on a glass-topped table. “Let me get this straight. You want me to be your dinner date because you’re trying to get this Ben and Luci together, and he needs moral support.”

“Something like that.”

“And I’m supposed to be your date,” she asked.

“Think of it more as friends getting together.”

“But you want Ben and Luci to be more than friends? Cody, Cody. Everybody knows Luci’s had a crush on you since she was in high school and you were working for the Herald.”

Cody stiffened. “Maybe so, but now we’re just friends.”

“Does Luci know that? What are you trying to prove here?”

Cody set down his soda and raised both hands. “I’m not trying to prove anything. Ben says he’s interested in Luci, but he’s, well, shy, and needs a nudge. I got them talking about birds—Ben’s hobby is bird-watching—but I can tell he’s a slow mover.”

“And what does Luci think about Ben?”

Cody shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe you can find that out. You’re not hooked up with anyone right now, are you? I heard you and Eddie Lightner were quits.”

Sylvie gave an unladylike snort. “That jerk better not show his face around here again.”

“What happened?”

She folded her arms and tilted her head toward the ceiling. “You don’t want to know. Anyway, I’m off men right now. Big-time.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Sylvie. I’m not looking, either.”

“Uh-huh. I don’t know, Cody. Don’t you think messing around with people’s love lives is risky?”

“I think Ben’s a good guy and I think Luci’s, ah...” Oh, man, he was talking himself into a corner here.

Sylvie gave him a sly look. “You think she’s hot.”

“Luci is a good friend of mine,” he finished in a firm tone. “A friend I want to see happy.”

“With another guy. You don’t make a bit of sense.”

Cody set his jaw. “Hey, it’s a free meal.”

Sylvie put a finger to her cheek. “Hmm. The Beach Café, you said? I do like their seafood salad.”

“Well, there you go.”

“I guess I could meet you there.”

“Nope. I’ll pick you up. We’ll make this an official date.”

By the time he left, Cody’s head hurt. He stood outside a moment and rubbed his temples. If his plan worked, it’d be worth it. Now, all Ben had to do was ask Luci and they’d be set. He’d better not expect Cody to do that, too. The guy had to take some responsibility.

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