and then he kissed me.’ A general squawk of excitement reverberates at the other end. It sounds like eight people. ‘Where are you guys?’
‘In the restroom,’ Rachel says. ‘So then what happened?’
‘He’s kissing me, and it’s great, and then Grace comes out with Keira and bangs on the window.’
‘Oh, crap,’ Izzy says.
‘I know! He got out of the car to meet her, but you know how Grace is.’
Now there’s a chorus of dismay. ‘Grace ruins everything,’ Rachel says.
My sentiments exactly!
‘Well, don’t give up,’ Izzy says. ‘If Tyler likes you, Grace won’t scare him off.’
If Grace could scare off Anton, she can scare off Tyler.
Rachel apparently agrees, because she suggests that I call him instead of waiting for him to call me. ‘I think he’s worth it, Lu. He’s smart and cute. Plus, he’s got a car. His parents just bought it for him because they’re moving to West Ridgeand Tyler wants to finish the year at Dunfield.’
West Ridge is a pretty nice neighborhood. His parents catering business must be taking off.
‘Maybe I will,’ I say, just to get them off the subject. It works, too.
‘We’ll strategize tomorrow,’ Izzy says, before they hang up.
After checking on Keira again, I take out my iPod and lie down on the bed for a moment and replay the car scene in my mind the way it should have gone. I’d add about two minutes on to the kiss and then make a smooth, casual departure. ‘Call me,’ I’d say as I opened the door. ‘We’ll see how fantastic you really are.’
Tyler . It’s a good name for a boyfriend. I know that he’s not my boyfriend yet, but he might be soon. And then I’ll be a whole new Lu Perez – the one with the boyfriend who has his own car. The one whose boyfriend lives in West Ridge. The one whose boyfriend wants to be a food critic someday.
Tyler and Lu . It works. It really works. It sounds like an upscale clothing store, or a swanky restaurant. A swanky restaurant that serves food worthy of a critic.
We’re in New York City at a hip new restaurant Tyler is reviewing for the Times . He orders five or six different dishes to sample.
‘Try the paella,’ he says.
‘I can’t,’ I say. ‘I don’t do spicy.’
‘You do now. You’ve got to expand your horizons, Lu. A girlcannot live on meat loaf alone.’
He extends a forkful of paella. It’s an explosion of flavor in my mouth. Hot, but not too hot. ‘Wow! Amazing!’ I say.
‘I know,’ he says. ‘And so are you.’
We gaze at each other across the tiny, candlelit table. The moment is perfect …
Except for that annoying noise in the background.
I yank off my headphones and sit up, realizing that I’ve been sleeping. And my cell phone is ringing. I fumble for it, hoping it’s Tyler. If it is, I want to sound cool and casual.
‘Hello?’ Just right. I sound almost bored.
‘You sound awfully calm,’ Grace says.
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’
There’s a laugh at her end, but she doesn’t sound amused. ‘You don’t even know, do you?’
‘Know what?’ I ask, suddenly worried.
‘How’s Keira?’
‘Fine,’ I say, already on my feet. ‘She’s asleep on the— Oh, no! ’
‘Missing something?’
I’m running around the apartment now, opening doors and pulling curtains aside. ‘Is this a trick, Grace? If it is, it isn’t funny.’
‘No, it isn’t funny,’ she agrees. ‘Where’s my baby, Lu?’
‘You must know,’ I say, getting down on my knees and peering under the couch. ‘Or you’d be freaking out too.’
‘But you’re the one looking after her.’
For a second I wonder if I’m actually having a nightmare right now. Maybe if I just admit the truth I’ll wake up. ‘I don’t know where she is, Grace. I don’t know. ’
Grace lets my hysteria rise for a moment before saying, ‘Mrs Maneiro found her wandering in the hall.’
I try to come up with a good excuse, but there is no good excuse. ‘I must have dozed off, Grace. Keira was
‘In the restroom,’ Rachel says. ‘So then what happened?’
‘He’s kissing me, and it’s great, and then Grace comes out with Keira and bangs on the window.’
‘Oh, crap,’ Izzy says.
‘I know! He got out of the car to meet her, but you know how Grace is.’
Now there’s a chorus of dismay. ‘Grace ruins everything,’ Rachel says.
My sentiments exactly!
‘Well, don’t give up,’ Izzy says. ‘If Tyler likes you, Grace won’t scare him off.’
If Grace could scare off Anton, she can scare off Tyler.
Rachel apparently agrees, because she suggests that I call him instead of waiting for him to call me. ‘I think he’s worth it, Lu. He’s smart and cute. Plus, he’s got a car. His parents just bought it for him because they’re moving to West Ridgeand Tyler wants to finish the year at Dunfield.’
West Ridge is a pretty nice neighborhood. His parents catering business must be taking off.
‘Maybe I will,’ I say, just to get them off the subject. It works, too.
‘We’ll strategize tomorrow,’ Izzy says, before they hang up.
After checking on Keira again, I take out my iPod and lie down on the bed for a moment and replay the car scene in my mind the way it should have gone. I’d add about two minutes on to the kiss and then make a smooth, casual departure. ‘Call me,’ I’d say as I opened the door. ‘We’ll see how fantastic you really are.’
Tyler . It’s a good name for a boyfriend. I know that he’s not my boyfriend yet, but he might be soon. And then I’ll be a whole new Lu Perez – the one with the boyfriend who has his own car. The one whose boyfriend lives in West Ridge. The one whose boyfriend wants to be a food critic someday.
Tyler and Lu . It works. It really works. It sounds like an upscale clothing store, or a swanky restaurant. A swanky restaurant that serves food worthy of a critic.
We’re in New York City at a hip new restaurant Tyler is reviewing for the Times . He orders five or six different dishes to sample.
‘Try the paella,’ he says.
‘I can’t,’ I say. ‘I don’t do spicy.’
‘You do now. You’ve got to expand your horizons, Lu. A girlcannot live on meat loaf alone.’
He extends a forkful of paella. It’s an explosion of flavor in my mouth. Hot, but not too hot. ‘Wow! Amazing!’ I say.
‘I know,’ he says. ‘And so are you.’
We gaze at each other across the tiny, candlelit table. The moment is perfect …
Except for that annoying noise in the background.
I yank off my headphones and sit up, realizing that I’ve been sleeping. And my cell phone is ringing. I fumble for it, hoping it’s Tyler. If it is, I want to sound cool and casual.
‘Hello?’ Just right. I sound almost bored.
‘You sound awfully calm,’ Grace says.
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’
There’s a laugh at her end, but she doesn’t sound amused. ‘You don’t even know, do you?’
‘Know what?’ I ask, suddenly worried.
‘How’s Keira?’
‘Fine,’ I say, already on my feet. ‘She’s asleep on the— Oh, no! ’
‘Missing something?’
I’m running around the apartment now, opening doors and pulling curtains aside. ‘Is this a trick, Grace? If it is, it isn’t funny.’
‘No, it isn’t funny,’ she agrees. ‘Where’s my baby, Lu?’
‘You must know,’ I say, getting down on my knees and peering under the couch. ‘Or you’d be freaking out too.’
‘But you’re the one looking after her.’
For a second I wonder if I’m actually having a nightmare right now. Maybe if I just admit the truth I’ll wake up. ‘I don’t know where she is, Grace. I don’t know. ’
Grace lets my hysteria rise for a moment before saying, ‘Mrs Maneiro found her wandering in the hall.’
I try to come up with a good excuse, but there is no good excuse. ‘I must have dozed off, Grace. Keira was
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