Secrets & Surrender: Part One by L.G. Castillo Page A

front of a beat up old car that looked like it would fall apart a stiff breeze. “Did you drive here in that?”
    She swung around, snapping, “Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
    “No, I’m just saying...uh, it’s a nice car, really.” Mandi fumed the more I talked. “Look, what I meant to say was that I’m sorry about what I did back there, but I really do want to go out with you.”
    “Oh, and assaulting me is supposed to make me fall over my feet to go out with you? Just because almost every single girl here is drooling whenever you walk by doesn’t mean I’m going to.”
    “You notice how other girls react to me?” I grinned.
    “Yes! No! Ugh!” Her face grew red. “Stop changing the subject. What you did is so not cool.”
    “I know, and I’m sorry. But I do want to go out with you. It’s just a movie.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Come on, Mandi. It’s Die Hard . Tough dude exploding things. Just one date, and if you don’t like it, I promise to lay off.” I crossed my fingers behind my back. Yeah, it was childish, but I had to keep myself covered.
    “Well...okay, but don’t pick me up. I’ll meet you there.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because I don’t want you to pick me up. I can drive myself to the drive-in.”
    “You’re going to sit in your car while I sit in mine on our date?”
    Man, oh, man. This woman was seriously nuts.
    I loved it!
    “Maybe.” Her lip twitched. “I might even park my car next to yours if you think your BMW could handle being seen with a Pinto.”
    “Really?” I glanced over at over the car. “Well, my beamer’s been eyeballing your Pinto all night. So I think he’ll be alright with that.”
    She laughed. “You’re one crazy dude, Marcelli.”
    “Me? Crazy? You’re the one anthropomorphizing our cars.”
    “Ooh, nice vocabulary there. Learn that at your fancy private school in New York?”
    “SAT vocabulary study cards. And you’re not serious about sitting in separate cars, are you?”
    Her lips curled into a sexy smile as she opened the car door. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

ELEVEN: Mandi
    “I can’t believe you’re actually taking separate cars to the drive-in on your date with Nic.”
    Cassie sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her head. She’d been saying the same thing for the past hour as she watched me get ready for my date.
    “Believe it.” I twirled a strand of hair around the curling iron.
    “Why?”
    “In case I want to make a fast get away.” I released the clip and quickly reached for the super sized can of Aqua Net.
    She laughed. “Mandi, you are too funny. You know you like him.”
    “Do not.”
    “Do too. You’re like that character in Hamlet who protests too much.”
    Glancing at Cassie’s reflection in the mirror, I scowled at the smug expression on her face. I let out a shot of spray, coughing as the room filled with a thick mist. “Yeah, well, I know for sure you like Cody, and I don’t see you doing anything about that.”
    Her face fell. “That’s different.”
    I placed the can of spray down and turned to face her. “Aww, Cassie. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m just pissed Nic tricked me into going out with him.”
    “Yeah, well, at least you know Nic likes you.”
    “Cody likes you.”
    “As a friend maybe.”
    “More than that, Cassie.” I waved a tube of mascara at her before I turned back to the mirror.
    “No, only as a friend.” She let out a sigh. “If it were more, he would’ve said something last night. I thought he was going to. It seemed like he was, but he didn’t. I think he likes Lynette.”
    “Ugh, don’t make me gag. I so do not like that girl. Seriously, Cody can do better than that. And if he’d just get a pair, he would’ve asked you out already. Actually, I should call him right now. I’ll cancel my date with Nic and go over to Cody’s house right now and help him find his balls.”
    Eyes widening, Cassie’s voice came out in shocked