Free The Celeb Next Door by Hilary Freeman Page B

stuff like this; I feel like such a rambling idiot. When I tell her what Rufus told me, she grips my shoulders and jumps up and down with excitement, forcing me to jump too. She’s far more thrilled about the fact that Max fancies me than I am, which probably isn’t a good sign.
    ‘I thought he liked you!’ she practically screams. ‘It was so obvious, the way he kept staring at you when you were talking.’
    ‘Was it? Did he?’
    ‘Yeah. Like, derr.’ She giggles. ‘And what’s even better isthat Rufus Justice gave you the news – how cool is that! Just think, if you go out with Max you’ll be practically in the Justice family! You’ll be a rock star’s little sister. Almost.’
    ‘Yeah, but …’
    She isn’t listening.
‘Rosie and Max sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g
,’ she chants, teasing me.
    Oh God, I think, if I go out with him I’ll have to kiss him. I picture his face. I can’t imagine doing that. That’s not a good sign either. I tell her my fears and she tries to reassure me.
    ‘I wasn’t into Rich as much as I am now, at first,’ she says. ‘He was much more into me.’ She looks a bit wistful. We both know that now it’s the other way around.
    ‘You know what?’ she says. ‘I think you should go for it. Go out with him one evening, sort of on a date, but not an actual proper date, and see how you feel then. It would be like trying before you buy.’
    ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea.’
    ‘It would be so cool if you had a boyfriend too, one who I get on with. Hey, if it works out, you and Max and me and Rich can double date.’
    ‘Yeah, but what about Vix?’
    ‘She’ll be OK. She’ll get used to the idea. And I’m sure Max has some nice mates he can introduce her to, someone else she’ll like. Then all six of us can hang out. Just talk to her, Rosie. Sort it out before she gets upset.’
    ‘I will,’ I say. And I do mean to. I know I should call Vixright now, but I’m too much of a coward. It can’t do any harm to leave it a few days, until I have a better idea of how I feel about Max, can it? There’s no point upsetting her until I’m sure.

Chapter 11
    Testing the Water
    I t’s Friday evening, and tonight is my ‘sort of ’, ‘kind of ’, ‘try before you buy’ tester date with Max. Max doesn’t know this, of course. He thinks it’s a real date, a proper first date, and he’s made a big effort tonight. He’s wearing really smart, dark blue jeans with an actual shirt, which it looks like he’s tried to iron, and he’s doused himself in too much of Rufus’s aftershave again. I think he might even have had his hair cut, although he’s still got so much of it, it’s hard to tell. I’m slightly more low key, in a hoodie, vintage jeans and Converse. Well, I don’t want to look like I’ve tried too hard and give him the wrong impression, do I? Or maybe I do? I guess that’s why I’m here: to find out!
    Over the past few days, since he asked if I’d like to go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us, I have tried to make it clear that I’m not sure if I want to be more than friends. I avoid too much eye contact and I’m trying not to play with my hair while we’re talking, as I’ve read this is a sure-fire sign that you like someone. But I don’t think he’s quite got it. I’m pretty sure Rufus told him what I said, but I also think he might have said I was ‘playing hard to get’ and, that, unfortunately, has just made Max even keener. He’s started looking really intensely into my eyes whenever he talks to me, and when I act shy and uncomfortable, I think he thinks I’m being coy and flirtatious.
    I’ve finally spoken toVix about what’s going on. I knew I had to tell her, but it never seemed to be the right time, so I kept putting it off. I know it’s awful, but I left it until the last possible moment. I was hoping Sky might say something for me, but she said that wasn’t fair, it was up to me. She also said Vix had been talking about