I stared at Julian, disbelieving my ears. Did he really just ask me for a solo date?
Yet everyone in the whole ballroom was looking at us. Julian still held the microphone up to his mouth.
This was definitely happening. It wasn’t a dream.
Which meant that Julian was up to something.
“Why?” I asked, before I could think better of it.
A few girls around me gasped. Only then did I realize my mistake and covered my mouth.
Julian also looked shocked, his eyes going wide for a moment. But then, just as quickly, he burst out laughing.
His good humor seemed to erase the surprise of the other onlookers. Everyone seemed to think I had been telling a joke.
With the microphone lowered, he said to me, “I insist this request is genuine, Piper.”
I didn’t believe him.
Julian always played the a
