him. Amazed. Did he actually expect me to say something? Megan would've given him the you're-sexually-harassing-me evil eye. Hannah would have giggled, batted her eyelashes, and said, Thanks, you too. I just sat there. On my butt. Hiding it.
"That was what we guys call a compliment," he said.
My cheeks felt as warm as fresh-baked cherry pie. "I better go get those other cakes."
We each carried another cake back into the kitchen. His mom had left to go organize something out back, and Gideon leaned against the kitchen sink. "You go to Reno?"
"About to start senior year." I tilted my head up and down like one of the World Cup bobbleheads Finn had collected back in fourth grade.
"Thought so." He kept looking right at me. "You hang out with Megan Moore. Pretty girl. Smart as hell. A littleâ"
"Intimidating?"
Gideon did a cute little shrug thing.
I'd had this conversation before. He obviously had a huge crush on Megan. Probably wanted to use me to get closer to her. No guy ever asked Megan to do anything without checking with me or Hannah to make sure she wouldn't cause a ginormous scene, like she had the time Jonah Swenson asked her to homecoming in sophomore year (she
had
thought it was a prank).
"So, how do you know Megan?"
"I 'transferred' to Reno High a few weeks ago." He made air quotes around the word
transferred.
"After a little 'incident.'" Air quotes. "With the school paper at McQueen."
"You're the guy who hijacked the senior quotes and made fun of everyone?"
"I like to think I made everything accurate."
"They kicked you out for that?"
"I like to think that my talents could be better used elsewhere."
I smiled at him for a few seconds before remembering my delivery van and the flowers wilting in the heat. "I gotta go. More deliveries and stuff."
"I will await next Wednesday with bated breath, my lady." He bowed and kissed my hand. "Nice meeting you, Jory."
I looked down at his feet and mumbled, "Yeah."
His lips felt soft on my hand. But what a weirdo!
"Interesting foot fetish thing you've got going on," he said.
Chapter Seven
WOOSTER GUYS AND GREASY FRIES
I
set the tray of miniature tiered wedding cakes in front of the taste-testing couple. Groom Guy chose the chocolate buttercream, tenderly feeding it to Beloved Bride as she made noises like on late-night premium cable.
I stammered something about letting them sample the other flavors in private and escaped to the kitchen to call Megan again. I'd left messages all afternoon about the Rodeo Carnivalâwe'd gone together every year since ninth grade, when Hannah had gotten her back brace off and could ride roller coasters again.
"Please pick up."
Megan answered just as the couple started kissing each other's frosted fingertips.
"Uh. Yeah. Rodeo C-carnival," I stammered, not really hearing Megan until she said Tyler's name, something about a movie and just the two of them.
"Butâtradition." Engaged Couple morphed into Tyler and Megan look-alikes, groping the cakes, each other. I saw it: first a movie, then senior prom, followed by cake testing and a summer wedding. Sad, virginal me would deliver and set up the cake.
"Tyler and I have to see it tonight. It's a legal thriller and the main character totally looks like Barnes!"
Barnes?
I snapped out of my miserable fantasy of Megan and Tyler's wedding. Groom Guy faked a cake smash in the face but then popped the sample into his own mouth, making Beloved Bride giggle until her face turned pink like the frosting roses. Megan rambled on about Tyler and lawyers or something.
"Fine. Go to the movie." I snapped my phone shut, forced a sugary smile, and went out to check on the happiest couple on earth (until Tyler and Megan usurped the title).
Three hours later, overcompensating, cheerful Hannah and mopey me walked around the Rodeo Carnival. Hard rock blasted through the air, along with the rattle of the rickety carnival roller coaster and its shrieking riders. I did not want to be at the
"That was what we guys call a compliment," he said.
My cheeks felt as warm as fresh-baked cherry pie. "I better go get those other cakes."
We each carried another cake back into the kitchen. His mom had left to go organize something out back, and Gideon leaned against the kitchen sink. "You go to Reno?"
"About to start senior year." I tilted my head up and down like one of the World Cup bobbleheads Finn had collected back in fourth grade.
"Thought so." He kept looking right at me. "You hang out with Megan Moore. Pretty girl. Smart as hell. A littleâ"
"Intimidating?"
Gideon did a cute little shrug thing.
I'd had this conversation before. He obviously had a huge crush on Megan. Probably wanted to use me to get closer to her. No guy ever asked Megan to do anything without checking with me or Hannah to make sure she wouldn't cause a ginormous scene, like she had the time Jonah Swenson asked her to homecoming in sophomore year (she
had
thought it was a prank).
"So, how do you know Megan?"
"I 'transferred' to Reno High a few weeks ago." He made air quotes around the word
transferred.
"After a little 'incident.'" Air quotes. "With the school paper at McQueen."
"You're the guy who hijacked the senior quotes and made fun of everyone?"
"I like to think I made everything accurate."
"They kicked you out for that?"
"I like to think that my talents could be better used elsewhere."
I smiled at him for a few seconds before remembering my delivery van and the flowers wilting in the heat. "I gotta go. More deliveries and stuff."
"I will await next Wednesday with bated breath, my lady." He bowed and kissed my hand. "Nice meeting you, Jory."
I looked down at his feet and mumbled, "Yeah."
His lips felt soft on my hand. But what a weirdo!
"Interesting foot fetish thing you've got going on," he said.
Chapter Seven
WOOSTER GUYS AND GREASY FRIES
I
set the tray of miniature tiered wedding cakes in front of the taste-testing couple. Groom Guy chose the chocolate buttercream, tenderly feeding it to Beloved Bride as she made noises like on late-night premium cable.
I stammered something about letting them sample the other flavors in private and escaped to the kitchen to call Megan again. I'd left messages all afternoon about the Rodeo Carnivalâwe'd gone together every year since ninth grade, when Hannah had gotten her back brace off and could ride roller coasters again.
"Please pick up."
Megan answered just as the couple started kissing each other's frosted fingertips.
"Uh. Yeah. Rodeo C-carnival," I stammered, not really hearing Megan until she said Tyler's name, something about a movie and just the two of them.
"Butâtradition." Engaged Couple morphed into Tyler and Megan look-alikes, groping the cakes, each other. I saw it: first a movie, then senior prom, followed by cake testing and a summer wedding. Sad, virginal me would deliver and set up the cake.
"Tyler and I have to see it tonight. It's a legal thriller and the main character totally looks like Barnes!"
Barnes?
I snapped out of my miserable fantasy of Megan and Tyler's wedding. Groom Guy faked a cake smash in the face but then popped the sample into his own mouth, making Beloved Bride giggle until her face turned pink like the frosting roses. Megan rambled on about Tyler and lawyers or something.
"Fine. Go to the movie." I snapped my phone shut, forced a sugary smile, and went out to check on the happiest couple on earth (until Tyler and Megan usurped the title).
Three hours later, overcompensating, cheerful Hannah and mopey me walked around the Rodeo Carnival. Hard rock blasted through the air, along with the rattle of the rickety carnival roller coaster and its shrieking riders. I did not want to be at the
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