“Hello?”

“I have to go to this…thing.”

“Oh, hi, Aaron. I’m fine thanks, and how are you?”

“Sorry, hi. I just need you to do me a huge favor.”

“Last time I did you a huge favor I ended up popping out of Brendan Hansen’s birthday cake dressed as a pimp.”

Aaron laughed. “I’d forgotten about that; that was good times.”

“I’m glad you thought so,” she replied wryly.

“Katie, I need your help.”

Katie sighed heavily and looked disdainfully at her kitten, pretending it was Aaron. “What is it?”

“I need a date.”

“A date?” Katie replied incredulously. “But I thought you could get any woman you wanted. Weren’t you Sexiest Swimmer of the Year?”

Aaron groaned loudly. “That was Michael Phelps, and thanks for reminding me.”

There was silence for a minute as the kitten jumped into Katie’s lap and began purring loudly. “Are you purring?” Aaron asked after a second. “Man, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, but---”

“Stop right there,” Katie laughed. “I got a kitten.”

“Is he named after me?”

Katie snorted. “No, she’s not.”

“Katie,” Aaron said suddenly, sounding serious. “This thing…The Golden Goggles…it’s an award show and it’s in New York and it’s black tie and you know how much I hate black tie things. I don’t want to go alone. So I was thinking I hadn’t seen you since Worlds and I was hoping you’d want to take time out of your busy schedule to do your best and oldest friend in the whole world a HUGE ass favor that he’ll be grateful for until the end of his days; also, he will promise not to leave you alone with horny swimmers without dates, and he will buy you dinner.”

Katie had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. “And jewelry?”

He chuckled slightly. “The largest most gaudy piece of crap you’ve ever seen.”

“Are we talking dinner at McDonald’s or somewhere that has actual place settings and maybe linen napkins?”

Aaron thought for a moment. “Yeah, okay. If you make this sacrifice for me and put on a fancy dress, I’ll take you somewhere with linen napkins.”

Katie considered this, and while she did she looked at the calendar on her wall which was relatively blank except for a class schedule and laundry reminders on every Sunday.

“Okay.”

“Katie, I love you. Thankyousomuch. You’re the best.”

Katie blinked rapidly for several seconds, hearing the words ring in her ear; he’d never said that to her before. Not in jest, and certainly not in seriousness.

“Aaron Wells Peirsol, you have NEVER ever said I was the best before. Not even when I did the strip tease for Brendan OR when I gave you my last Oreo cookie in second grade.”

“You did a strip tease?” Aaron questioned, his voice holding a highly interested tone. “Where was I?”

“Swimming?”

“You can’t use that for everything; I’m not always swimming.”

Katie didn’t say anything for a second. “No, you’re right. It just seems like you are.”

Aaron made a face at the telephone; due to their psychic bond, she figured he was doing so, but didn’t say anything.

“It’s next week. I’ll be in New York all week, so we should hang out. How busy are you?”

Katie glanced at her calendar again and sighed inwardly. “Not very. Just classes, and my scintillating days of library visits and laundry.”

“I see NYU keeps you on a rigorous no partying schedule.”

“I’ll see you next week, Aaron.”

“That you will. I intend to spend as much time as possible with you so that you’ll get sick of me.”

Katie raised an eyebrow. “I can’t wait.”