Going After The Wrong Guy

Chapter 8: Nice Date For A Player Part 2

James offered to grab Jen something to eat, which she refused. The restaurant Chad picked out looked really good, so she was starving herself until the date.

The plan was to meet in the music room at 6 PM. James would bring the dress with him in a protective seal, and she would change in the bathroom there and wait for Chad. James would then leave and pick her up after she texted him.

Believe him, Jen's earlier tone was enough to snap James back into reality. He had no clue why he would even suggest the two dating; he didn't care about Jen, and he wasn't attracted to her. But he also wasn't toxic enough to leave her in the middle of the streets wearing... that. Besides, he doubted Chad would be gentleman enough to give her a ride back.

Jen ended up going to Kris's dorm room to calm her nerves, and James stayed in his dorm room to study.

James had been incredibly stressed lately: between school, Genesis, and the big-town music concert that was coming up, he was feeling overwhelmed. He was right in the middle of everything. He hadn't realized that these lessons with Jen were going to be so worrisome. Would his plan even go according to how he had imagined it in his head?

If she fell for Chad and he accepted her, then James would really have dug himself a hole. What if she maintained her academic streak, became the best pianist in the school, and ended up with the guy that everyone wanted to tie down? No, why would he think that? It's Chad. He's never going to fall for her, not just her at least. And Jen was doomed to mess up. He was in his room studying, and she was at a friend's dorm.

He was in his room studying. Gosh dang it, why can't you just follow the narrative? Stop snooping on Chad's page. Stop being so invested in this James. You have so many other things to do.

It took all of James's energy to throw his phone on the bed. It didn't matter either. It was none of his business. But even while he was studying, he couldn't get Jen out of his mind. She's so annoying.

James studied until it was 5:30 PM. He grabbed the protected dress to put it in the backseat of his car, along with the heels and any makeup and hair products, just in case. Then, he drove to the school's music building.

To his surprise, Jen was already in the room. Her eyes lit up when she saw James. She grabbed the dress from him and changed, and afterward, James helped her put the heels on.

"Did you bring the makeup bag? I think I may have smudged my lipstick," Jen said. James finished the ankle straps on both of her feet and stood up from his knees.

"Oh, yeah," James said, opening the makeup bag he dropped on the floor to grab the lip product. He stared strongly at the tube. "Actually, you should put it on again. More practice." James said, handing it to her.

"Oh...okay," Jen said before she applied a little on with the help of her phone camera.

"Do you feel ready?" James asked.

"I'm shaking a little," she chuckled nervously, turning her phone off.

"You'll be fine. Just remember everything I have taught you."

They managed to fit her in the dress, get her properly ready just in time, and give her a long breather as well. So James had Jen wait, at a quiet corner behind the music room, to stay until right after Chad arrived.

Jen tried breathing as quietly as she could. Her heart painfully fluttered, the nervousness growing every time she heard his loud footsteps. It was Chad, arriving just thirty seconds after seven. Jen was Asian squatting by the corner, getting ready to leave. His presence alone made her heart jump.

"Go," James whispered to her. Jen's first step was shaky until she straightened up and walked inside. Chad was running his hand over one of the guitars. He was wearing a black shirt and jeans, and yet under it, she could see his toned sexy back muscles. She watched him from the door frame for a few seconds.