dropping the subject when I stuck a piece of cake in front of her.
“Sorry,” I told him. “ Rachel won’t let her wear anything that’s not…well, I don’t know how to describe it. Stuff like that,” I smiled, nodding to her current outfit.
“Ah, Maggie’s already a trendy little fashionista,” he chuckled.
“Totally. She tries to dress me, too.”
“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow with inquiry . “Did she dress you today?”
There was no way I could even guess why he’d ask that. Did I look terrible? “Uh, no, I managed on my own.”
He seemed to nod with approval. “Well you look really nice . I love jeans on a girl. Especially the right kind of jeans on the right girl, ” he added with an intense gaze that seemed to quiet the world around me.
Was it getting hot in here?
“Taryn has fancy dresses,” Maggie said, taking a big bite of cake. I was glad for the distraction to give me time to cool down.
“She does, huh?” he said with a partial smile , looking me over again .
“Yep,” she mumbled. She swallowed and added, “But she only wears ‘em for cute boys.”
I laughed a little, but I was kind of embarrassed. So much for cooling down.
“Oh yeah?” Jared smiled. “How many cute boys does she wear them for?” he asked in a teasing tone, glancing at me.
Maggie shrugged but said, “Lots.”
I smiled and shook my head to disagree, but Jared was really amused. “Yeah? What makes a boy cute?”
She shrugged again and took a drink of her milk. “They hafta look like Zack,” she finally said.
That made me smile because we’d just had that conversation earlier. Maggie wanted to know why I kiss Zack, and I had to kind of explain the whole dating concept to her.
“Zack, huh,” Jared said, pretending to think it over. “A nd what makes Zack so cute?”
“His butt,” she said casually.
I gasped and said, “Maggie Mae, why would you say that?”
“That’s what you told mommy,” she replied, seeming ready to defend her position.
I was humiliated, and ashamed for letting her hear such a thing, but I could tell that Jared was trying not to laugh. I think he realized it was time to stop questioning my niece, especially when I said, “Okay, from now on you can ask me your questions.”
“Well I’m assuming Zack is your boyfriend?”
I wasn’t so sure about the “boyfriend” status, but I guess he and I were dating. It was easiest to just agree anyways. “Y es, he is.”
He nodded. “Gotcha. Question answered.” He helped me clear the dishes from the table and then he asked, “Long time?”
“Long time boyfriend? Uh, actually since Sunday.”
“This past Sunday? What the heck,” he chuckled. “I asked you out and you told me you were too busy.”
He wasn’t upset about it, but I could tell he wanted some answers. Zack had pretty much broken me down until I agreed to dance with him. How was I supposed to explain that I wasn’t interested in having a boyfriend, but it just happened that way ?
“No, it’s cool,” he said when I didn’t respond . “You don’t have to answer to me; I was just curious. I was going to give it another try—asking you out—but I suppose it’s too late, huh?”
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t expect it, it just…”
“Was he more persistent than I was? Let me know how he did it because I’d like another crack at it.”
I smiled when he did, and I was glad that he didn’t seem upset with me. He actually continued to help me clean up the kitchen, and while we did, he asked me about some of the work that I do, and what kind of jobs I like best.
“I’m serious about the other jobs I mentioned,” he said. “I gave out your business card if you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind. Thank you.”
“Sure, no problem. And if you want to do a live show next week let me know.”
“So what is it that you do? Do you promote these bands or something? Are you a manager or represent someone?”
“Uh, no, I don’t
“Sorry,” I told him. “ Rachel won’t let her wear anything that’s not…well, I don’t know how to describe it. Stuff like that,” I smiled, nodding to her current outfit.
“Ah, Maggie’s already a trendy little fashionista,” he chuckled.
“Totally. She tries to dress me, too.”
“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow with inquiry . “Did she dress you today?”
There was no way I could even guess why he’d ask that. Did I look terrible? “Uh, no, I managed on my own.”
He seemed to nod with approval. “Well you look really nice . I love jeans on a girl. Especially the right kind of jeans on the right girl, ” he added with an intense gaze that seemed to quiet the world around me.
Was it getting hot in here?
“Taryn has fancy dresses,” Maggie said, taking a big bite of cake. I was glad for the distraction to give me time to cool down.
“She does, huh?” he said with a partial smile , looking me over again .
“Yep,” she mumbled. She swallowed and added, “But she only wears ‘em for cute boys.”
I laughed a little, but I was kind of embarrassed. So much for cooling down.
“Oh yeah?” Jared smiled. “How many cute boys does she wear them for?” he asked in a teasing tone, glancing at me.
Maggie shrugged but said, “Lots.”
I smiled and shook my head to disagree, but Jared was really amused. “Yeah? What makes a boy cute?”
She shrugged again and took a drink of her milk. “They hafta look like Zack,” she finally said.
That made me smile because we’d just had that conversation earlier. Maggie wanted to know why I kiss Zack, and I had to kind of explain the whole dating concept to her.
“Zack, huh,” Jared said, pretending to think it over. “A nd what makes Zack so cute?”
“His butt,” she said casually.
I gasped and said, “Maggie Mae, why would you say that?”
“That’s what you told mommy,” she replied, seeming ready to defend her position.
I was humiliated, and ashamed for letting her hear such a thing, but I could tell that Jared was trying not to laugh. I think he realized it was time to stop questioning my niece, especially when I said, “Okay, from now on you can ask me your questions.”
“Well I’m assuming Zack is your boyfriend?”
I wasn’t so sure about the “boyfriend” status, but I guess he and I were dating. It was easiest to just agree anyways. “Y es, he is.”
He nodded. “Gotcha. Question answered.” He helped me clear the dishes from the table and then he asked, “Long time?”
“Long time boyfriend? Uh, actually since Sunday.”
“This past Sunday? What the heck,” he chuckled. “I asked you out and you told me you were too busy.”
He wasn’t upset about it, but I could tell he wanted some answers. Zack had pretty much broken me down until I agreed to dance with him. How was I supposed to explain that I wasn’t interested in having a boyfriend, but it just happened that way ?
“No, it’s cool,” he said when I didn’t respond . “You don’t have to answer to me; I was just curious. I was going to give it another try—asking you out—but I suppose it’s too late, huh?”
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t expect it, it just…”
“Was he more persistent than I was? Let me know how he did it because I’d like another crack at it.”
I smiled when he did, and I was glad that he didn’t seem upset with me. He actually continued to help me clean up the kitchen, and while we did, he asked me about some of the work that I do, and what kind of jobs I like best.
“I’m serious about the other jobs I mentioned,” he said. “I gave out your business card if you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind. Thank you.”
“Sure, no problem. And if you want to do a live show next week let me know.”
“So what is it that you do? Do you promote these bands or something? Are you a manager or represent someone?”
“Uh, no, I don’t
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