First Date (2 page)

“I can’t,” she said, her voice barely audible.

“Pray about it, Addy. Please. I have, and I am convinced God wants you in this.”

“But, Mr. Lawrence—”

“God will let you know if this is right for you.”

That was exactly what she was afraid of. “When do I have to make a decision?”

“Your flight leaves at nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”

Chapter 2

T
he Book of Lo-o-ove,” Lexi, Addy’s best friend since third grade, said, looking at the glossy folder with the chubby cupid on the front.

The pair had been given permission to leave school early. Mr. Lawrence wanted Addy to have time to peruse the information packet from the show. Lexi was allowed to go along as moral support. Settling into a booth at their favorite coffee shop, the girls sipped frappuccinos.

The bell above the door announced another customer had entered.

“It’s Spencer, Addy.” Lexi drew out his name, like a second grader beginning the song,
“Spencer and Addy, sittin’ in a tree . . .”

Addy put the menu in front of her face. “Lexi, what have I told you about whispering?”

“That was loud?” Lexi looked at Addy with a frown.

Addy peeked over her menu. “Oh no. He’s coming over here. I’m going to kill you.”

Lexi waved at him. “Hey, Spencer. Want to join us?”

Addy put down her menu and looked up. Spencer Adams was the cutest boy at school. Because of his Cuban heritage, Spencer had creamy olive skin and dark brown hair, with eyes to match. And suddenly those eyes were looking right at Addy.

“Thanks, but I have to get right back to school.” He motioned toward the door. “I’m an office aide, and the coffeemaker in the teacher’s lounge isn’t working.” Spencer pulled out a piece of paper containing several orders.

Lexi opened her mouth to say something else, but Spencer was already walking away.

“That went well.” Lexi watched Spencer walk to the counter and talk with the pretty barista. “He spoke to you. That only took five years. Maybe by the time you’re thirty, you can have an actual conversation.”

Addy fanned herself with the menu. “I doubt he even knows my name.”

“Because you don’t talk to him. You’ve been crushing on him since we were, what, twelve?”

Addy looked at her friend. “I find him attractive. That’s all. I like brown-eyed boys.”

“Jonathon Jackson has brown eyes.” Lexi grinned.

“Please. If Spencer Adams won’t give me the time of day, then the president’s son definitely won’t.”

“You never know.” Lexi picked up the packet. “Your names could be written in
The Book of Love
.”

“Very funny.”

“What kind of name is that, anyway?
The Book of Love
?”

“It’s from an old 1950s song, Lex.”

“Who listens to music from the 1950s?”

“Uncle Mike.” Addy shot Lexi a “duh” stare.

“That’s oldies music?” Lexi snorted. “I thought he had committed some crime and listening to that music was his punishment.”

Addy laughed. “You better not say that to him.”

“Why not? I’m just about as big as he is now. I can take him.” Lexi flexed her biceps and grinned.

Addy looked at her friend and had to agree. At just under six feet tall and just over two hundred pounds, Lexi Summers was a force to be reckoned with.

“Oh, I see.” Addy pointed to the middle of the first page of information. “Chad Beacon recorded an updated version of the song. It’s going to come out the same week the show premieres.”

“Chad Beacon? Who’s that?”

“Lex, seriously. Where were you last spring? Chad Beacon is our age and won
America’s Next Star
. Don’t you remember how half the girls in school kept talking about him? They put posters up in the bathroom stalls and everything. It was crazy.”

“Last spring.” Lexi tapped her fingers on her chin. “What was happening last spring? Oh, I remember. Last spring I was the first sophomore ever to hit one thousand points in basketball.”

“Anyway, back to the reason we’re here, please.” Addy straightened the papers on the table. “You have to help me find a good reason to tell Mr. Lawrence I won’t do this.”

“Interesting, because Mr. Lawrence told me I was here to help you find a reason
to
do this.” Lexi sipped her drink. “Quite a conundrum we’re in, isn’t it?”

“You can’t honestly be thinking this is a good idea.”

“Why not, Addy?”

“You’ve known me almost my whole life. Why would you think this is something I’d want to do?”

“You didn’t ask me if I thought this was something you’d want to do.” Lexi sucked the last of her frappuccino. “You asked me if I thought this was a good idea.”

“And why is it a good idea?”

“Hello.” Lexi put her elbows on the table and leaned toward Addy. “Number one, Jonathon Jackson is super hot. I mean, come on. Have you seen him?”

“A perfect reason for me
not
to go.” Addy leaned back. “He’s got all kinds of girls throwing themselves at him all the time. Which means, number one, he wouldn’t ever be interested in me. And number two, he’s probably incredibly conceited.”

“Fine, let’s say you have no chance with the boy.”

Addy rubbed her temples.

“Reason number two: You’re on TV. Addy Davidson, a television superstar. Every girl at school will want to be you. Every boy will want to date you. Spencer Adams will be the first in line.” Lexi lowered her voice in an attempt to sound like Spencer. “‘Oh, Addy. I’ve been blind all these years. Why have I been dating the cheerleaders and the pretty coffee girls when you’ve been right here, right under my nose all this time? I love you, Addy.’” Lexi made loud kissing noises and several customers turned to look. Spencer, grabbing the last of his order, among them.

Addy sank farther into her seat. “Shh.”

Spencer walked past the girls without even a nod. The bell rang as he left the shop and Addy sighed. “Look, I don’t even want to date. Not right now.”

“Because nobody’s asked you out.”

Addy stuck her tongue out at her friend. “We’ve talked about this before. God first, boys later.”

“I know.” Lexi sighed. “But we can appreciate all the fine merchandise without having to buy anything.”

Addy laughed. “I don’t want to window shop. I want to get through high school with a good GPA.”

“And get into an Ivy League college,” Lexi finished. “I know. But, Addy, seriously. You have been chosen to be on TV. And it’s only for, what, a month? A month out of your life to enjoy fame and pampering and . . . what else?” Lexi looked through the papers in the information packet. She pointed to the second page. “Ooh, challenges and contests. That sounds fun.”

“Are you even listening to me?” Addy tried to pull the papers from Lexi’s hand, but her friend turned to the side and kept reading. “I don’t want to be on a show where I’m trying to win a date with a boy. It’s embarrassing.”

Lexi pointed to the third sheet. “Look, it says you won’t even get an actual date with Jonathon until the very end. Once you’ve proven your worth.”

“I don’t want to prove my worth.” Addy grabbed the papers and stuffed them back into the envelope.

“Stop being so stubborn. Go on the show. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

“I know you mean well, Lexi. But I can’t do this. It’s not for me.” She looked at her phone. “I’m going home. At least I know Uncle Mike will be on my side. He’ll help me tell Mr. Lawrence no.”

“You told Mr. Lawrence I would do this?”

Her uncle had been waiting for Addy when she got home, her suitcase out and clean laundry folded on her bed.

“Calm down, Addy-girl.” He pulled travel-sized shampoos and conditioners out of a Walmart bag. “This is nothing to be afraid of. It’s an amazing opportunity. Talk about being a light in the darkness. Your parents would be so proud.”

“
Don’t
bring them into this, Uncle Mike. This is not the same.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but Addy held up her hand to stop him. “And even if it were, I don’t want it. Mom and Dad
died
being a light in the darkness. Is that really the goal you want me to strive for?”

It was a low blow. They both knew it.

Mike put down the bag and squeezed her shoulder. “I know this isn’t something you’d choose, but God can use you—”

“Why would God want to use
me
?” Addy pulled away from her uncle and hugged herself, fighting panic. “I’m not like my parents. I’m just . . . me.”

“Addy-girl, sit down.” He waited as she reluctantly dropped to her bed. “Have I ever told you that your mom was scared when they left for the jungle? She told your grandpa and me at the airport she was worried she’d let people down. She sounded a lot like you do now. She was sure others could do a better job than she could. You know what your grandpa said to her?”

She shook her head.

“He told her those thoughts were from the enemy, not from God. God had called her to that village, so she could trust that he would help her accomplish his tasks for her there.”

“But they were killed, Uncle Mike.” Tears rolled down Addy’s cheek and she fought to keep herself from completely breaking down.

He sat next to Addy and held her. “God had a reason for taking your parents home. He brings good even out of evil.”

Addy doubted she would ever think of her parents’ murder as a good thing, but she had decided long ago that trusting God was a wiser choice than hating him.

“You know the first thing that came into my mind when Mr. Lawrence told me about this?” Uncle Mike asked.

“This is crazy—my niece doesn’t need to embarrass herself by going on a dating show?”

“No.” He put his arm around Addy. “I thought of Daniel and the lions’ den.”

Addy looked at him. “What?”

“Daniel got thrown into the lions’ den for his faith. But what happened because of that?”

“God saved him,” Addy said.

“And?”

“And?” Addy asked.

“And then the king knew Daniel’s God was the true God and it changed the entire country.”

“I might buy that reality TV is the lions’ den.” Addy pulled away from her uncle. “But I’m no Daniel.”

“I bet Daniel didn’t think he was Daniel either.” He kissed the top of Addy’s head, then left her alone, knowing she needed time to think.

She walked to her bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Looking in the mirror she saw an absolutely ordinary teenage girl. Her brown hair was just brown—no highlights or streaks. Just a boring medium brown. It was thick enough to be a hassle, but not a hassle Addy wanted to bother with, so most mornings she just put it up in a high ponytail and that was it. Her eyes were brown. Not the deep brown her mother had, but like her hair, a medium, boring brown. Her height was average. Her weight, a little below average.

She knew her uncle was trying to encourage her, but Addy was sure that, even at her worst, Addy’s mother was ten times better than Addy could ever be. Better at life, better at Christianity, better at stepping out and doing things that scared her.

I’m not my mother. I’m definitely not Daniel. I can’t do this. Please, God
.
Choose someone else
.

Chapter 3

T
his is the craziest thing I have ever done.” Addy looked from her uncle to Lexi to the Lawrences, who had come with her to the airport early that morning. After a night spent praying and fighting, she had finally surrendered to what she knew God was asking her to do.

“Who wrote the book of love
?
”
Lexi sang in her horribly off-key voice and Addy held up her hand.

“No more, please. You sang that the whole way here.”

“I think I should record it and make it your ringtone.” Lexi laughed.

Uncle Mike wrapped Addy in a huge hug. “I love you, Addy-girl,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll be praying for you every day.”

Mr. Lawrence handed Addy a manila envelope, filled with her homework assignments for the next week. “I’ll be sending you one of these every week. Your grades won’t suffer in the time you spend away. I promise. Mrs. Lawrence and I are so proud of you.”