had made
her think of him when she’d seen it, but she’d never found the opportunity to give
it to him. But then, the day before, she’d shown it to Sally, who was convinced
that he would love it. If he didn’t, there was no way for Lexie to get it back. And
she kind of liked hiding it in her show box, next to the origami whale.
“I – I thought I’d give it to him later,” Lexie said.
“Oh, in private ?” Bree said snidely.
Lexie nodded.
“Uh-huh,” Bree said. “I’m sure.” She clearly didn’t believe that Lexie had
anything else, but Lexie didn’t want to prove it badly enough to give Jake this
present in front of her.
“Well,” Bree said, collecting her lunch remain, “you can tell me what it is
later, Jakey, see you at six, Lexie, dear – of, and try to be punctual, will you?”
She swept off, evidently feeling that she’d seen enough. Lexie felt sick just
thinking about the evening. Who would Bree have invited? How would Jake
react? He didn’t love big gatherings of people any more than she did, although he
was better at navigating through them. She wished there were a way to get out of
it, but she hated the idea of a bunch of people standing around Bree’s house
wondering where they were and blaming Lexie for ruining the party.
“You don’t have to give me anything else,” Jake said seriously, taking her
hand. “I really love the cupcakes.”
“And Bree was convinced, don’t you think?” Lexie said. “That was
girlfriendly of me, wasn’t it?”
Jake looked down at their hands. “Yeah, it was,” he said. “Good job. You,
uh, nearly had me fooled too.”
“I do have something else,” Lexie said.”But it might be kind of stupid. I
don’t know if you’ll want it. If you don’t want it, just give it back to me.”
Jake grinned. “I’m sure if you picked it, it’s awesome.”
Hesitantly, she pulled a small cloth bag out of her shorts pocket and placed
it in his hand. He untied the strings and poured out the contents onto the lunch
table. A leather cord slithered out, and the small white whale strung on it made a
clicking noise against the wood.
Jake touched the little white whale, his smile growing. Lexie thought it was
made of whalebone or shell; anyway, it felt smooth and was polished to a shine.
Its little tail was lifted in a happy way, and tiny flippers were carved in the side.
“It’s a necklace,” Lexie said, “but it’s supposed to be a guy’s necklace. That’s
what the salesperson told me. But you don’t have to wear it; I know it’s weird to
get a guy jewelry. I thought Bree might make fun of me if I gave it to you in front
of her. But it made me think of you, because of the origami whales, but if you
don’t like it I can totally take it back –”
“Lexie, I love it,” he said, interrupting her babbling. “Will you put it on me?”
She blinked at him as he lifted the leather cord around his neck. “Really?”
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I want to show off my girlfriend’s awesome
taste.”
He scooted around with his back to her, so he didn’t see her face as she
took the ends of the cord. She felt so strange, finally giving this to him. What if he thought it was just a pretend present? What if he had no idea that it actually
meant something to her? How could he know? She had always imagined giving
this to him and telling him at the same time that she’d liked him for ages, and that
she’d been saving the necklace all that time. But she obviously couldn’t tell him
that now. He thought they were only pretending.
She tied the ends of the cord in a knot, carefully keeping a finger between
the knot and his skin so she wouldn’t catch any of the soft golden brown hairs on
the back of his neck.
It looked perfect on him. The whale hung just below the hollow of his
throat, and it didn’t look girly at all, which Lexie had worried about. Jake just
looked ever more handsome, like he’d walked
her think of him when she’d seen it, but she’d never found the opportunity to give
it to him. But then, the day before, she’d shown it to Sally, who was convinced
that he would love it. If he didn’t, there was no way for Lexie to get it back. And
she kind of liked hiding it in her show box, next to the origami whale.
“I – I thought I’d give it to him later,” Lexie said.
“Oh, in private ?” Bree said snidely.
Lexie nodded.
“Uh-huh,” Bree said. “I’m sure.” She clearly didn’t believe that Lexie had
anything else, but Lexie didn’t want to prove it badly enough to give Jake this
present in front of her.
“Well,” Bree said, collecting her lunch remain, “you can tell me what it is
later, Jakey, see you at six, Lexie, dear – of, and try to be punctual, will you?”
She swept off, evidently feeling that she’d seen enough. Lexie felt sick just
thinking about the evening. Who would Bree have invited? How would Jake
react? He didn’t love big gatherings of people any more than she did, although he
was better at navigating through them. She wished there were a way to get out of
it, but she hated the idea of a bunch of people standing around Bree’s house
wondering where they were and blaming Lexie for ruining the party.
“You don’t have to give me anything else,” Jake said seriously, taking her
hand. “I really love the cupcakes.”
“And Bree was convinced, don’t you think?” Lexie said. “That was
girlfriendly of me, wasn’t it?”
Jake looked down at their hands. “Yeah, it was,” he said. “Good job. You,
uh, nearly had me fooled too.”
“I do have something else,” Lexie said.”But it might be kind of stupid. I
don’t know if you’ll want it. If you don’t want it, just give it back to me.”
Jake grinned. “I’m sure if you picked it, it’s awesome.”
Hesitantly, she pulled a small cloth bag out of her shorts pocket and placed
it in his hand. He untied the strings and poured out the contents onto the lunch
table. A leather cord slithered out, and the small white whale strung on it made a
clicking noise against the wood.
Jake touched the little white whale, his smile growing. Lexie thought it was
made of whalebone or shell; anyway, it felt smooth and was polished to a shine.
Its little tail was lifted in a happy way, and tiny flippers were carved in the side.
“It’s a necklace,” Lexie said, “but it’s supposed to be a guy’s necklace. That’s
what the salesperson told me. But you don’t have to wear it; I know it’s weird to
get a guy jewelry. I thought Bree might make fun of me if I gave it to you in front
of her. But it made me think of you, because of the origami whales, but if you
don’t like it I can totally take it back –”
“Lexie, I love it,” he said, interrupting her babbling. “Will you put it on me?”
She blinked at him as he lifted the leather cord around his neck. “Really?”
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I want to show off my girlfriend’s awesome
taste.”
He scooted around with his back to her, so he didn’t see her face as she
took the ends of the cord. She felt so strange, finally giving this to him. What if he thought it was just a pretend present? What if he had no idea that it actually
meant something to her? How could he know? She had always imagined giving
this to him and telling him at the same time that she’d liked him for ages, and that
she’d been saving the necklace all that time. But she obviously couldn’t tell him
that now. He thought they were only pretending.
She tied the ends of the cord in a knot, carefully keeping a finger between
the knot and his skin so she wouldn’t catch any of the soft golden brown hairs on
the back of his neck.
It looked perfect on him. The whale hung just below the hollow of his
throat, and it didn’t look girly at all, which Lexie had worried about. Jake just
looked ever more handsome, like he’d walked
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