Page 18 of Lonely Hearts Day

“Am I the first one here?” she asked, following me to the kitchen.

“Yes. Well, I mean, no, Jack is here. He came earlier to help set up. You couldn’t come earlier?”

“Was I supposed to?” she asked.

Crap. I’d forgotten I was supposed to invite her, not Jack. “No, no, you weren’t. My sister was here to help.” I handed her a few bags of chips and a large bowl, and I grabbed the rest of the cookies.

“No sign this year?” she asked, referring to the plate of cookies I held.

“It’s already downstairs.”

“Nice.”

The doorbell rang as we hit the top of the stairs. Sage reached for my plate of cookies. “I got this. You get that.”

“Thanks.”

On the porch were a group of three girls who came last year and two girls who hadn’t. “Hi, come in. Jackets here, shoes there and then head downstairs.”

As I was about to shut the door, Troy and another guy I didn’t recognize came bounding up the shoveled walkway.

“Troy, you’re here,” I said. “I thought maybe you found yourself a girlfriend in the last year.”

“You really thought that?”

“No,” I said.

He shoulder-checked me with a loud laugh and stepped inside. “We’ll both be eternally single.”

Apparently, hosting a singles party on Valentine’s Day made people assume you weren’t open to a relationship. At least, that’s the excuse I was going to use to explain why I hadn’t been asked out. And the reason I hadn’t asked anyone out? I needed to find someone I liked more than being single. I hadn’t found that person yet.

“I’m David,” Troy’s friend said, stepping inside as well.

“Hi, nice to meet you. Do you go to Lone Peak?” It definitely wasn’t the only high school around but it was where all my friends went.

“No, I go to Skyridge.”

“Oh, nice.” There were people from other schools here! That was the sign of a successful party, wasn’t it? I knew Micah’s party drew in all sorts of people though.

Troy and David disappeared downstairs and I decided to make a note for the front door, directing others to let themselves in. Then I joined the group.

Jack had already turned on my playlist and “Stronger” by Brittney Spears filled the room. Jack and Sage were sitting on the long sofa, talking, and a few others stood around the counter. Troy had opened the doors leading to the backyard, like he owned the place, and he and his friend stood on the patio. A cold stream of air flowed through the room.

Over the next hour people arrived by the handful, filling the basement and spilling onto the large patio.

I tried to get everyone’s attention, but it was nearly impossible. Jack appeared at my side, turning off the music. Probably a good call. Then he whistled with his fingers. Everyone quieted down.

“I didn’t know you could whistle like that?” I said under my breath.

“There aresomethings you don’t know about me. I’m very deep.”

I smiled and he went back to the couch where he’d been sitting with Sage.

I raised my hand. “Okay, everyone, we’re going to play a game of—”

“Spin the bottle?” Troy yelled.

I rolled my eyes in his direction. “Still no.”