dragonfly. She paused withthe shaker in her hand and looked at Sarah Jane. “She’s with you?”
“This is Jess Parker,” Sarah Jane said. “We’re hanging out today.”
Audrey extended her free hand across the counter to shake mine. “Nice to meet you, Jess. I’ve seen you in here with Rosemary.”
Whoa . She even knew Nan’s name. “Hi, Miss London. It’s nice to meet you.” And I only stuttered once. M-meet you .
“Call me Audrey. We’re among friends, right?”
I nodded uncertainly, struck mute by my celeb fright, while Audrey switched shakers and popped a quick picture from the purple one. She snapped on a clear lid and handed me the cup as I pulled out my money.
Audrey shook her head. “It’s on the house. Welcome to town, Jess Parker.”
I thanked her profusely, still amazed that she’d said my name not once, but twice. As I looked down at my free latte, I saw a picture I hadn’t gotten before. It was starting to disintegrate into the steamy mixture, but it looked distinctly like a shoe. A high heel, to be exact. Like a …
“No way,” I whispered.
“Way,” Sarah Jane whispered back, as Audrey gave me a wink before turning to help the next person in line.
A lump formed in my throat. One moonlight initiation and I was already rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. I watched as the picture dissolved away into nothing. But my first glimpse at how the other half lived was imprinted on my brain. Fame, fortune, and a latte topper in the shape of a glass slipper.
I hoped the clock would never strike midnight.
We grabbed a booth along the front as some girls Irecognized from gym were leaving. Audrey came over with a cute red bistro towel and did a quick wipe of the table. She slowed her last swipe and lowered her voice. “Rumor has it there were fourteen at The Range last night.”
Sarah Jane’s eyes widened. “Fourteen?”
“Fourteen what?” I asked, forgetting I was the tagalong.
“People.” Sarah Jane glanced at Audrey. “They doubled?”
Audrey nodded, finishing the wipe-down with a flourish. “Strength in numbers, honey,” she said before moving back to the counter.
Sarah Jane sat motionless, still in shock over the number fourteen. Kyra and Mel came in, and Sarah Jane waved them over. Kyra motioned toward the counter first, and she and Mel went to grab drinks of their own.
By the time they got to our table, Kyra’s expression matched Sarah Jane’s.
“Fourteen?” she asked Sarah Jane quietly. “How did we miss that?”
Sarah Jane shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’ll have to pass it along.”
I was about to ask, “Fourteen what?” again, figuring Sarah Jane would realize it was rude to keep talking in cryptics, when two hunky seniors arrived on the scene. Mark Evans and Ben Harper came strolling in, looking divine in polos and cargo shorts. Just like that, the mood went from dark to sparkling.
They pulled up chairs next to their respective girlfriends, Mark by Sarah Jane and Ben by Kyra. Sarah Jane made introductions for Mel and me, and the conversation shifted to finals-week war stories. I listened quietly and tried to pretend I belonged there. Until Ben looked over at the door and yelled, “Steele!”
We all turned, and there in the flesh—very fine flesh—was fantasy boy himself. Ryan lifted his chin in greeting and headed our way. The guys exchanged a fancy testosterone handshake before turning to the girls. My heart stopped as I saw recognition dawn on his face.
“So you made it?” A smile lit his eyes. “I thought that might be the last we saw of Jess Parker.”
“Yeah,” I said, trying to think of a witty comeback. Instead, all I could think was how he actually knew my full name and how white his teeth were up close, so nothing else came out. Just “yeah.”
He turned his attention back to the rest of the group and joined in the conversation about the party at Nick Case’s last night. I refrained from kicking myself under the
“This is Jess Parker,” Sarah Jane said. “We’re hanging out today.”
Audrey extended her free hand across the counter to shake mine. “Nice to meet you, Jess. I’ve seen you in here with Rosemary.”
Whoa . She even knew Nan’s name. “Hi, Miss London. It’s nice to meet you.” And I only stuttered once. M-meet you .
“Call me Audrey. We’re among friends, right?”
I nodded uncertainly, struck mute by my celeb fright, while Audrey switched shakers and popped a quick picture from the purple one. She snapped on a clear lid and handed me the cup as I pulled out my money.
Audrey shook her head. “It’s on the house. Welcome to town, Jess Parker.”
I thanked her profusely, still amazed that she’d said my name not once, but twice. As I looked down at my free latte, I saw a picture I hadn’t gotten before. It was starting to disintegrate into the steamy mixture, but it looked distinctly like a shoe. A high heel, to be exact. Like a …
“No way,” I whispered.
“Way,” Sarah Jane whispered back, as Audrey gave me a wink before turning to help the next person in line.
A lump formed in my throat. One moonlight initiation and I was already rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. I watched as the picture dissolved away into nothing. But my first glimpse at how the other half lived was imprinted on my brain. Fame, fortune, and a latte topper in the shape of a glass slipper.
I hoped the clock would never strike midnight.
We grabbed a booth along the front as some girls Irecognized from gym were leaving. Audrey came over with a cute red bistro towel and did a quick wipe of the table. She slowed her last swipe and lowered her voice. “Rumor has it there were fourteen at The Range last night.”
Sarah Jane’s eyes widened. “Fourteen?”
“Fourteen what?” I asked, forgetting I was the tagalong.
“People.” Sarah Jane glanced at Audrey. “They doubled?”
Audrey nodded, finishing the wipe-down with a flourish. “Strength in numbers, honey,” she said before moving back to the counter.
Sarah Jane sat motionless, still in shock over the number fourteen. Kyra and Mel came in, and Sarah Jane waved them over. Kyra motioned toward the counter first, and she and Mel went to grab drinks of their own.
By the time they got to our table, Kyra’s expression matched Sarah Jane’s.
“Fourteen?” she asked Sarah Jane quietly. “How did we miss that?”
Sarah Jane shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’ll have to pass it along.”
I was about to ask, “Fourteen what?” again, figuring Sarah Jane would realize it was rude to keep talking in cryptics, when two hunky seniors arrived on the scene. Mark Evans and Ben Harper came strolling in, looking divine in polos and cargo shorts. Just like that, the mood went from dark to sparkling.
They pulled up chairs next to their respective girlfriends, Mark by Sarah Jane and Ben by Kyra. Sarah Jane made introductions for Mel and me, and the conversation shifted to finals-week war stories. I listened quietly and tried to pretend I belonged there. Until Ben looked over at the door and yelled, “Steele!”
We all turned, and there in the flesh—very fine flesh—was fantasy boy himself. Ryan lifted his chin in greeting and headed our way. The guys exchanged a fancy testosterone handshake before turning to the girls. My heart stopped as I saw recognition dawn on his face.
“So you made it?” A smile lit his eyes. “I thought that might be the last we saw of Jess Parker.”
“Yeah,” I said, trying to think of a witty comeback. Instead, all I could think was how he actually knew my full name and how white his teeth were up close, so nothing else came out. Just “yeah.”
He turned his attention back to the rest of the group and joined in the conversation about the party at Nick Case’s last night. I refrained from kicking myself under the
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