Chicago,” Lucy interrupted, saving me.
“Yes,” I bluffed.
“Like ‘pop’ for soda, I guess,” he commented as he pulled out two chairs. “Here, take a seat with me.”
“We’d love it, thank you,” I said, sitting across from him. Lucy took the seat next to him. When he looked down for a second, I mouthed the words hubba hubba to Lucy. She put her face in her hands like she was embarrassed.
In addition to those blue eyes, boy, was he ever handsome! What a gorgeous head of hair he had! And he was tall and broad! If he wasn’t so young, I would have thought that the phrase tall, dark, and handsome was invented for him!
“So why were you buying all those cakes this morning?” he asked me.
“Oh, um, well . . .” I faltered.
“It’s our grandmother’s birthday. That’s why Ellie is in town,” Lucy quickly chimed in.
“Oh, that’s right. Johnny said you had your grandmother’s birthday party last night. So you were picking up the cakes today?”
“Today is Ellie’s birthday!” Lucy said, getting excited.
“Happy birthday!” Zach smiled at me. Goodness, he had nice teeth.
“Thank you!” I smiled back.
“So why were you picking up your own cakes?” He looked confused.
“Well, I was up early this morning, so I picked them up. Nobig whoop.” I looked at Lucy to see if this explanation seemed plausible. She shrugged and nodded.
“So how long are you in town for?” he asked.
“Just today,” I said. “I have to go back to . . . I have to go back tomorrow.”
“Then we’ll all have to go out tonight and celebrate.” He beamed.
I beamed back, and then looked at Lucy, who seemed to be pondering the idea.
“Sounds cool!” she declared.
“Sounds really cool!” I added as Lucy, again, motioned for me to calm down. What can I say? A couple of hours and I’ve already got a date with a wealthy, blue-eyed hunk!
“So what is everyone having?” Johnny asked, coming over to the table.
“Pizzas all around?” Zach asked us.
I immediately wondered if I had a Pepcid in my purse, but then remembered that my twenty-nine-year-old self would not be needing any heartburn medication for this meal.
“With extra spicy peppers,” I added, excited.
“I’m loving your cousin!” Zach turned to Lucy and said.
“So am I.” Lucy smiled at me.
“You know, there’s this great little Italian place we could go to tonight,” Zach said.
“For what?” Johnny asked.
“We’re all going out for Ellie’s birthday,” he told him.
“Cool!” Johnny smiled.
“Why don’t we meet for a drink before?” I proposed. “Lucy,what about one of the bars you like to go to?” I asked hopefully.
“Excellent idea!” Lucy exclaimed. “Let’s meet before dinner at our usual place, on Fifteenth Street. I’ve been wanting to take Ellie there.”
“I’m in,” Johnny confirmed.
“Me, too,” Zach said and smiled, a hint of flirtation about him.
When the pizzas came and I took a moment between my second and third pieces, I put my hands under the table and pinched myself, like I had earlier that morning, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
I was sitting in this restaurant talking about bands I’d never heard of. Zach spoke about his Web site, but I had no idea what he was talking about or how it made so much money. If no one paid to look at the site, how could it make money? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t. No one else seemed to wonder, so I didn’t pursue it.
What did matter was that I was one of them. I was young and free and life could not have been more exciting.
So I pinched myself again and reached for another piece of pizza.
Zach, however, stopped me mid-grab and took the piece off the platter himself and put it on my plate for me.
“Thanks, Blue Eyes.” I smiled.
He smiled back.
I heard a ringing sound and Lucy looked into her bag and took out her phone.
It’s Mom, again , she mouthed as she threw her phone back in her bag and we listened to it ring on.
mrs.
“Yes,” I bluffed.
“Like ‘pop’ for soda, I guess,” he commented as he pulled out two chairs. “Here, take a seat with me.”
“We’d love it, thank you,” I said, sitting across from him. Lucy took the seat next to him. When he looked down for a second, I mouthed the words hubba hubba to Lucy. She put her face in her hands like she was embarrassed.
In addition to those blue eyes, boy, was he ever handsome! What a gorgeous head of hair he had! And he was tall and broad! If he wasn’t so young, I would have thought that the phrase tall, dark, and handsome was invented for him!
“So why were you buying all those cakes this morning?” he asked me.
“Oh, um, well . . .” I faltered.
“It’s our grandmother’s birthday. That’s why Ellie is in town,” Lucy quickly chimed in.
“Oh, that’s right. Johnny said you had your grandmother’s birthday party last night. So you were picking up the cakes today?”
“Today is Ellie’s birthday!” Lucy said, getting excited.
“Happy birthday!” Zach smiled at me. Goodness, he had nice teeth.
“Thank you!” I smiled back.
“So why were you picking up your own cakes?” He looked confused.
“Well, I was up early this morning, so I picked them up. Nobig whoop.” I looked at Lucy to see if this explanation seemed plausible. She shrugged and nodded.
“So how long are you in town for?” he asked.
“Just today,” I said. “I have to go back to . . . I have to go back tomorrow.”
“Then we’ll all have to go out tonight and celebrate.” He beamed.
I beamed back, and then looked at Lucy, who seemed to be pondering the idea.
“Sounds cool!” she declared.
“Sounds really cool!” I added as Lucy, again, motioned for me to calm down. What can I say? A couple of hours and I’ve already got a date with a wealthy, blue-eyed hunk!
“So what is everyone having?” Johnny asked, coming over to the table.
“Pizzas all around?” Zach asked us.
I immediately wondered if I had a Pepcid in my purse, but then remembered that my twenty-nine-year-old self would not be needing any heartburn medication for this meal.
“With extra spicy peppers,” I added, excited.
“I’m loving your cousin!” Zach turned to Lucy and said.
“So am I.” Lucy smiled at me.
“You know, there’s this great little Italian place we could go to tonight,” Zach said.
“For what?” Johnny asked.
“We’re all going out for Ellie’s birthday,” he told him.
“Cool!” Johnny smiled.
“Why don’t we meet for a drink before?” I proposed. “Lucy,what about one of the bars you like to go to?” I asked hopefully.
“Excellent idea!” Lucy exclaimed. “Let’s meet before dinner at our usual place, on Fifteenth Street. I’ve been wanting to take Ellie there.”
“I’m in,” Johnny confirmed.
“Me, too,” Zach said and smiled, a hint of flirtation about him.
When the pizzas came and I took a moment between my second and third pieces, I put my hands under the table and pinched myself, like I had earlier that morning, to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
I was sitting in this restaurant talking about bands I’d never heard of. Zach spoke about his Web site, but I had no idea what he was talking about or how it made so much money. If no one paid to look at the site, how could it make money? I wanted to ask, but I didn’t. No one else seemed to wonder, so I didn’t pursue it.
What did matter was that I was one of them. I was young and free and life could not have been more exciting.
So I pinched myself again and reached for another piece of pizza.
Zach, however, stopped me mid-grab and took the piece off the platter himself and put it on my plate for me.
“Thanks, Blue Eyes.” I smiled.
He smiled back.
I heard a ringing sound and Lucy looked into her bag and took out her phone.
It’s Mom, again , she mouthed as she threw her phone back in her bag and we listened to it ring on.
mrs.
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