“No. We both just sort of ignored that it happened and it was really super awkward. I didn’t know what to say.”
His father rubbed his chin. “She probably didn’t either. And yes, in those situations it can be awkward. You know we’ve had talks about consent. Do you think that Amanda consented to being kissed?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t really talk about it. All of a sudden we were just kissing. I don’t want her to think that I’m the kind of guy that goes around kissing unwilling girls, because I’m not. I respect Amanda, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt her.”
“Then tell her that,” his dad urged. “Talk to her. She might just have feelings for you, too.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. She had a boyfriend until recently.”
Reed had heard about Amanda’s so-called boyfriend. A guy who didn’t want to be called a boyfriend and didn’t want to be tied down to exclusivity. It would be his own loss when a girl dumped him.
“Do you think she goes around kissing guys randomly?”
“Of course not.”
“Then maybe…just maybe, she has feelings for you, too. You won’t know unless you try. Listen, why don’t you ask her out on a date? A real date. The kind where you pick her up and take her somewhere. Just the two of you. Go see a movie, go have something to eat. Maybe pack a picnic or something. Show her your interest and see what happens naturally.”
Deep down, Josh knew he would kick himself if he didn’t do anything about maybe starting a relationship with Amanda. He liked her. A whole bunch. Yes, as a friend, but perhaps in another way as well.
And she had kissed him back. He was sure of it. That didn’t mean that she liked him, though. “Maybe I’ll ask her out,” Josh said aloud. “But if she says no, it’s going to be awkward as hell this summer. I just might ruin everything.”
And that would be just plain awful. Because if she thought he was slime, they were still going to have to spend time together because of their families. He wouldn’t be able to avoid her forever.
His dad was right. Talk it out now.
Amanda and Josh had kissed.
Maddie hadn’t seen this coming. Not at all. But she wasn’t mad about it. Josh Mitchell was a fine young man, smart and ambitious with a lovely sense of humor. He was pretty handsome, too. He wasn’t the least like Derek, not wanting Amanda to say that he was her boyfriend. Maddie wasn’t going to miss him. She’d never quite understood Amanda’s feelings for the young man, and she wasn’t sad when her daughter had told her that she’d ended it.
“So…you and Josh kissed? Are you unhappy about that? Did he force you in any way?”
“No! No, not at all. It wasn’t like that.”
“Okay, so it was a mutual kiss.”
Amanda bit into her pizza and chewed for a bit before replying.
“It was. I kissed him back.”
Maddie had a million questions, but she wasn’t sure that her daughter would want to answer them. She didn’t want to be nosy, but damn, Amanda had dropped a bombshell here.
“Do you regret it?”
“I don’t know,” Amanda said with a shrug. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. I’d hate for that to happen.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. What did he say afterward?”
“He didn’t say anything. I didn’t either. We just sort of tried to ignore one another. It was weird. I don’t want it to be weird tomorrow. I don’t know what to do.”
“Are you still thinking about Derek?”
Amanda wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“Not in the least. I’m done with him. He was such a jerk. I don’t know how I didn’t see it.”
Maddie wondered that as well, but she wasn’t going to say anything. Even smart girls could make mistakes when it came to romance.
“Do you…like Josh? You know, in that way.”