to.”
Jake an d I shrugged simultaneously. As his mom turned away, I shook my head no, silently pleading with him.
He looked at me sideways, shoving me forward. I sighed deeply, reluctantly walking ahead of him into the kitchen. I sat down on a stool perched next to the counter and nervously swung my legs back and forth. I looked at Jake wide-eyed. I was tongue-tied.
Jake cleared his throat.
“Um, Aly came over the other day with one of her friends and helped wash my truck,” he explained, happily. “Then we got to talking…”
I chimed in. “Yeah, my friend Nadine wanted to meet Jake, so I introduced them.” I gulped wondering what else to say, then the words came flying outta my mouth before I realized it. “Mrs. Masters, I had no idea how awesome Jake’s music was. I mean, I knew he liked to play, but the sound coming from your garage was always muffled, you know.”
I stopped blathering. I was out of breath. I sat there ready to explode. Jake moved out of my view. Even though he wasn’t touching me, I could feel his energy behind me.
“Aly, you don’t have to call me Mrs. Masters. I’m no longer a Mrs. and I’ve known you far too long. Kate will do.”
Kate Masters was a stunningly beautiful woman with long honey-colored hair. I marveled at her eyes. She had the same intense topaz blue eyes as Jake. Her face showed hardly any signs of her true age, no deep lines and barely any wrinkles. I wondered how old she was. If you didn’t look too hard, you’d think she was Jake’s older sister.
“Are you kids hungry?” She flipped her hair off her shoulder as she turned toward the fridge.
“Yeah, actually, I am. ” Jake said. He looked over at me and I shook my head in agreement. “Aly is too.”
“Ok, I’ll make a pizza. Do you like pepperoni?” she asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah! That sounds yummy.”
Jake walked over to a small TV mounted underneath one of the kitchen cabinets and turned it on. Kate stacked the counter with what appeared to be ingredients for the pizza. I was waiting for a box to come out of the freezer. She quickly explained how bad frozen food was for you.
She schooled us about sodium and the amount used to keep frozen food edible, which was way more than anyone needed for an entire day. She went on – “ if you just take some time for preparation, your health is much better in the long run.” She preached lightly about organic food, acupuncture and natural remedies for modern day ailments. I sat there, listening – fascinated by this new information.
Jake was trying not to look bore d – he’d probably heard it all a thousand. But I asked a plethora of questions and each time I glanced in Jake’s direction, he nodded at me approvingly. I was exactly where I wanted to be.
It was cool making pizza dough. I attempted to toss mine in the air like those pro Italian pizza guys.
“Oh, you think you’re fancy like that, do you?” Jake teased.
With one toss, Jake’s dough launched across the counter and landed on the floor.
“I’m obviously fancier than you.” I snickered.
Jake cursed under his breath laughing and leered good-humored at me. I was proud of my lop-sided dough canvas. We finished our pizzas and put them in the oven and Kate disappeared into the other room.
“You can relax now, Chatter Box,” he chided, moving in closer to me, “I’m not gonna lie. I’m glad you ditched skateboard boy.”
I threw him a crossed look for his smart remark.
“Don’t forget I told Matt I might go to the movies with him tonight.”
There was silence. Jake held a bag of pepperonis and tossed them, one-by-one, into his mouth. The anxiety grew inside me with each silent second. He walked to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and took a long swig. Finally, he looked at me.
“Yeah, well,” he said, standing there leaning against the counter staring at me with a blank expression. I was dying inside. I
Jake an d I shrugged simultaneously. As his mom turned away, I shook my head no, silently pleading with him.
He looked at me sideways, shoving me forward. I sighed deeply, reluctantly walking ahead of him into the kitchen. I sat down on a stool perched next to the counter and nervously swung my legs back and forth. I looked at Jake wide-eyed. I was tongue-tied.
Jake cleared his throat.
“Um, Aly came over the other day with one of her friends and helped wash my truck,” he explained, happily. “Then we got to talking…”
I chimed in. “Yeah, my friend Nadine wanted to meet Jake, so I introduced them.” I gulped wondering what else to say, then the words came flying outta my mouth before I realized it. “Mrs. Masters, I had no idea how awesome Jake’s music was. I mean, I knew he liked to play, but the sound coming from your garage was always muffled, you know.”
I stopped blathering. I was out of breath. I sat there ready to explode. Jake moved out of my view. Even though he wasn’t touching me, I could feel his energy behind me.
“Aly, you don’t have to call me Mrs. Masters. I’m no longer a Mrs. and I’ve known you far too long. Kate will do.”
Kate Masters was a stunningly beautiful woman with long honey-colored hair. I marveled at her eyes. She had the same intense topaz blue eyes as Jake. Her face showed hardly any signs of her true age, no deep lines and barely any wrinkles. I wondered how old she was. If you didn’t look too hard, you’d think she was Jake’s older sister.
“Are you kids hungry?” She flipped her hair off her shoulder as she turned toward the fridge.
“Yeah, actually, I am. ” Jake said. He looked over at me and I shook my head in agreement. “Aly is too.”
“Ok, I’ll make a pizza. Do you like pepperoni?” she asked me.
I nodded. “Yeah! That sounds yummy.”
Jake walked over to a small TV mounted underneath one of the kitchen cabinets and turned it on. Kate stacked the counter with what appeared to be ingredients for the pizza. I was waiting for a box to come out of the freezer. She quickly explained how bad frozen food was for you.
She schooled us about sodium and the amount used to keep frozen food edible, which was way more than anyone needed for an entire day. She went on – “ if you just take some time for preparation, your health is much better in the long run.” She preached lightly about organic food, acupuncture and natural remedies for modern day ailments. I sat there, listening – fascinated by this new information.
Jake was trying not to look bore d – he’d probably heard it all a thousand. But I asked a plethora of questions and each time I glanced in Jake’s direction, he nodded at me approvingly. I was exactly where I wanted to be.
It was cool making pizza dough. I attempted to toss mine in the air like those pro Italian pizza guys.
“Oh, you think you’re fancy like that, do you?” Jake teased.
With one toss, Jake’s dough launched across the counter and landed on the floor.
“I’m obviously fancier than you.” I snickered.
Jake cursed under his breath laughing and leered good-humored at me. I was proud of my lop-sided dough canvas. We finished our pizzas and put them in the oven and Kate disappeared into the other room.
“You can relax now, Chatter Box,” he chided, moving in closer to me, “I’m not gonna lie. I’m glad you ditched skateboard boy.”
I threw him a crossed look for his smart remark.
“Don’t forget I told Matt I might go to the movies with him tonight.”
There was silence. Jake held a bag of pepperonis and tossed them, one-by-one, into his mouth. The anxiety grew inside me with each silent second. He walked to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and took a long swig. Finally, he looked at me.
“Yeah, well,” he said, standing there leaning against the counter staring at me with a blank expression. I was dying inside. I
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