movie if you don’t hurry.’
‘Maybe we can do this again sometime,’ he says. ‘Better yet, we could go for dinner. I know this great Italian place.’
Arty FB’s always know the best Italian places.
‘What about Sue Storm?’ I ask. ‘I can’t afford to piss off the Invisible Woman.’
He gives me an FB smile. ‘I should probably do the right thing and break up with her first.’
I give him an FG smile. ‘You’d dump Sue for me?’
The sign from the Chinese restaurant across the street reflects in Tyler’s glasses, orange and pink and blue – hisown neon rainbow. ‘Maybe,’ he says. ‘Would you mind if I kissed you before I decide?’
‘That seems fair. It’s a big decision.’
Fortunately, the shortage of B in my life doesn’t mean I’m a novice kisser. There was Porter Bell, of course, who kissed me at the eighth-grade prom. Shortly after that, I met Blake Wilson, whose family moved into an apartment just down the hall from ours. He kissed me in the elevator once, and I like to think he’d have made first FB status if Grace hadn’t been standing in the hall glaring when the doors opened.
Last, and definitely best, there was Anton, the dishwasher Dan hired for the summer before I started at Dumpfield. Three years my senior, Anton was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen. I traded shifts all summer so that I could stare at his rippling muscles as he lifted trays of dishes, but I never got the nerve to say much to him before he quit for a new job at an upscale restaurant. When he was punching out for the last time, I walked into the staff office. We sort of circled each other for a second, and then he grabbed me and kissed me. I held on to his belt for dear life and didn’t let go until Grace walked in and glowered at us. She just stood there, and filled the tiny office with her attitude until Anton gave up and left with a muttered goodbye. I never saw him again.
That was over a year ago, and I hope I haven’t forgotten how it’s done. I lean toward Tyler and he leans toward me. Our lips touch for a mere moment before a sudden noise makes us leap apart. Someone is rapping on the windshield. With a sippy cup.
Grace stands over the car, glowering yet again, with Keiraon one hip. Her eyebrow studs look like a row of nails drilled right into her head.
‘Do you know her?’ Tyler asks.
My plan was to avoid mentioning the teenage-mother issue before having the whole B thing locked down. Tyler might think I have similar ambitions. ‘My sister.’
I step out of the car, and Grace is on me instantly. ‘Do you know what time it is?’
‘Yeah, it’s a full hour before your shift starts.’
‘I have to pick up some things on my way in.’
‘You should have said so earlier. I can’t read your mind.’
Tyler opens his door and comes around the car to meet Grace, which is pretty brave of him.
‘Grace,’ I say, ‘This is—’
‘I don’t care.’ She thrusts Keira into my arms and walks away. ‘I’ve got a bus to catch.’
I apologize to Tyler. ‘I’d like to say she’s not usually that rude, but unfortunately she is.’
He reaches out to Keira and asks, ‘Who’s this?’
Keira recoils and unleashes an ear-piercing wail. ‘My niece.’
He backs away. ‘Sorry, sorry. I guess I should get to the movie.’
I hope Mr Fantastic is up to a challenge.
I settle Keira in front of her favorite Barney movie and head into the bedroom to check my e-mail. The phone rings.
‘Well?’ Rachel asks.
‘How come you’re not in the movie?’ Tiptoeing to the bedroom door, I peek into the living room and confirm that Keira is now sound asleep on the couch. I close my door and settle onto the bed so that my voice doesn’t wake her.
‘We snuck out for a minute,’ Rachel says. ‘So we’ll have to talk fast.’
‘How’d it go with Tyler?’ Izzy calls from behind Rachel. ‘We couldn’t get much out of him before the movie started.’
‘Well, for starters, he asked me out,
‘Maybe we can do this again sometime,’ he says. ‘Better yet, we could go for dinner. I know this great Italian place.’
Arty FB’s always know the best Italian places.
‘What about Sue Storm?’ I ask. ‘I can’t afford to piss off the Invisible Woman.’
He gives me an FB smile. ‘I should probably do the right thing and break up with her first.’
I give him an FG smile. ‘You’d dump Sue for me?’
The sign from the Chinese restaurant across the street reflects in Tyler’s glasses, orange and pink and blue – hisown neon rainbow. ‘Maybe,’ he says. ‘Would you mind if I kissed you before I decide?’
‘That seems fair. It’s a big decision.’
Fortunately, the shortage of B in my life doesn’t mean I’m a novice kisser. There was Porter Bell, of course, who kissed me at the eighth-grade prom. Shortly after that, I met Blake Wilson, whose family moved into an apartment just down the hall from ours. He kissed me in the elevator once, and I like to think he’d have made first FB status if Grace hadn’t been standing in the hall glaring when the doors opened.
Last, and definitely best, there was Anton, the dishwasher Dan hired for the summer before I started at Dumpfield. Three years my senior, Anton was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen. I traded shifts all summer so that I could stare at his rippling muscles as he lifted trays of dishes, but I never got the nerve to say much to him before he quit for a new job at an upscale restaurant. When he was punching out for the last time, I walked into the staff office. We sort of circled each other for a second, and then he grabbed me and kissed me. I held on to his belt for dear life and didn’t let go until Grace walked in and glowered at us. She just stood there, and filled the tiny office with her attitude until Anton gave up and left with a muttered goodbye. I never saw him again.
That was over a year ago, and I hope I haven’t forgotten how it’s done. I lean toward Tyler and he leans toward me. Our lips touch for a mere moment before a sudden noise makes us leap apart. Someone is rapping on the windshield. With a sippy cup.
Grace stands over the car, glowering yet again, with Keiraon one hip. Her eyebrow studs look like a row of nails drilled right into her head.
‘Do you know her?’ Tyler asks.
My plan was to avoid mentioning the teenage-mother issue before having the whole B thing locked down. Tyler might think I have similar ambitions. ‘My sister.’
I step out of the car, and Grace is on me instantly. ‘Do you know what time it is?’
‘Yeah, it’s a full hour before your shift starts.’
‘I have to pick up some things on my way in.’
‘You should have said so earlier. I can’t read your mind.’
Tyler opens his door and comes around the car to meet Grace, which is pretty brave of him.
‘Grace,’ I say, ‘This is—’
‘I don’t care.’ She thrusts Keira into my arms and walks away. ‘I’ve got a bus to catch.’
I apologize to Tyler. ‘I’d like to say she’s not usually that rude, but unfortunately she is.’
He reaches out to Keira and asks, ‘Who’s this?’
Keira recoils and unleashes an ear-piercing wail. ‘My niece.’
He backs away. ‘Sorry, sorry. I guess I should get to the movie.’
I hope Mr Fantastic is up to a challenge.
I settle Keira in front of her favorite Barney movie and head into the bedroom to check my e-mail. The phone rings.
‘Well?’ Rachel asks.
‘How come you’re not in the movie?’ Tiptoeing to the bedroom door, I peek into the living room and confirm that Keira is now sound asleep on the couch. I close my door and settle onto the bed so that my voice doesn’t wake her.
‘We snuck out for a minute,’ Rachel says. ‘So we’ll have to talk fast.’
‘How’d it go with Tyler?’ Izzy calls from behind Rachel. ‘We couldn’t get much out of him before the movie started.’
‘Well, for starters, he asked me out,
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