Call My Bluff | NaNoWriMo

Chapter Five | Toss a coin

Henry needs to be my plus one. A new plan formulates in my mind, while Henry still has his arm around me. I must've zoned out with my new idea when I feel Henry shift and look at me in my face, with concern. He moves his entire body to face me, the concern turning to suspicion.

"I want to ask but I am afraid to know what's on your mind right now," he says. I don't blame him since my new idea is going to require pleading, bargaining and bartering. There is no other option and I don't have the luxury of time to find another. Online dating has proven itself useless to me.

"Don't say no-" I start before Henry cuts me off.

"No."

"You didn't even hear me out." Henry gets up and goes to a kitchen cabinet and pulls out a lollipop. I follow him to the kitchen as if distance will help me plead my case.

"Usually when someone starts a sentence like that it ends with something I don't want to do. So I will stick with my no." He unwraps the red lollipop and pops it into his mouth. Henry is an ex-smoker so he claims that the lollipops help him keep his house busy since old habits die hard. He usually has a stash of lollipops everywhere.

"Be my plus one to Ava's wedding," I continue, following him as he walks back to the other end of the room to pick up his mug to put it in the sink.

"Tempting but what's in it for me?"

"A free holiday to South Africa." I love to think that there would be plenty of people jumping at the idea of a free holiday to a sunny country while the days were getting shorter and colder here. Looks like I'm wrong.

"Charlie was getting a free keyboard," Henry teases, putting his mug into the sink. He turns around and leans against the counter, arms crossed, watching my reaction.

"Do you want a keyboard?" I am not sure how expensive a keyboard is but I am sure it can't be that much. If Charlie spends his whole day gaming, I am not sure how much money he's making if his mother needs to buy him one as a bribe.

"No thanks, I like my current one very much," he declines, glancing in his keyboard's direction as if to make sure he is happy with it, before nodding to himself.

"Why don't you want to come with me?" If I knew the reason behind his reluctance, then it will be easier to change his mind. I just need to figure him and then it should be smooth sailing.

"Evelyn, do you really need a plus one?" he replies with a question, not answering my question. Never mind. There were days when Henry got seriously evasive and this was not what I want or need right now. I backtrack on my interrogation and choose a different route.

"How about we make a bet instead? Whoever wins has to do something that the other person wants," I propose. I don't think pleading or begging will make much of a difference so I need to appeal to Henry's competitive side. Henry stills, taking a deep breath. He looks down at me with seriousness his blue eyes that I have never seen before.

"You should never make such an offer to another man, Evelyn."

"I want you to be my plus one to Ava's wedding, what do you want?" I ignore the heaviness in his voice and continue on with my plight to somehow get him to join me at this wedding. I rather not address whatever just happened.

"Are we really doing this?" He sighs, resigned to his fate. I wasn't letting this go. This was my last chance to get someone as my plus one and while Henry is my last option, he is in fact my best option. I am stupid for not thinking of this yesterday and instead wasting my time on Tinder with a bunch of losers.

"Are you afraid to lose when we haven't even chosen a competition? Just pick something," I bug him, patting him on his arm. He looks down at my hand before replying.