dipping. Like the gifts before—the Godiva chocolates and the gourmet cupcakes—there was a simple message included: From your admirer .
Laura dug through the box, hoping to find more, wanting to see a name on the invoice to tell her exactly who her mysterious admirer was. But there was nothing.
“Who’s it from?” Mac asked, impatiently snatching the card from her hand and murmuring, “Don’t you find this kind of creepy?”
“No, it’s romantic,” Ginger piped up, and reached over to the box to inspect Laura’s gifts. “You still think Avery’s the one who’s been sending stuff?”
“It has to be him,” she said, knowing she’d racked her brains to come up with someone else who’d want to secretly court her and coming up empty.
“Avery Dorman?” Tincy said shrilly, reminding Laura she was there. Her bracelets jangled as she fingered her tousled hair. “If that boy is sending these things, what the devil’s wrong with him? Doesn’t he know it’s deb season and you’re watching your weight?”
Laura sighed, wanting to snap, “No, Mother, you’re the one watching my weight.” But Tincy did have a point.
Tincy crossed her arms snugly over her chest, half obscuring the green and bright pink pattern on the bodice of her sundress. “I’d hate to see what happens if the GSC selection committee decides you’re too stocky to come out. And that’s just what’s gonna happen if you keep wolfin’ down all this chocolate sabotage. You won’t even fit in the Vera Wang gown we’ve commissioned!”
Mac and Ginger stood silently, eyes downcast, saying nothing.
Laura couldn’t blame them. Even she wasn’t sure how to react to her mother’s outburst. Like ninety-nine percent of the super-skinny socialite moms in the Villages, Tincy lived by the motto “You can never be too rich or too thin,” even if being too thin meant looking like a Tootsie Pop. I am who I am , Laura reminded herself, taking in a deep breath. And I will never be Tincy .
She gathered up the box of brownies and said, “Don’t worry about me, Mother. I know what I’m doing. C’mon,amigas”—she jerked her chin at her two BFFs—“let’s go upstairs.”
“Laura.” Her mother made a tsk-tsk noise. “Please don’t be like that. I’m only trying to help. I wouldn’t say these things except that I love you so much. Sami always told me I was too overprotective, and maybe she was right.”
Ya think?
“Whatev,” Laura murmured, and strode purposefully upstairs, holding her door open for Mac and Ginger before shutting them all in her bedroom. “Who wants a brownie?” she asked as she dropped onto her bed with the tub of treats.
“I’ll have one!” Mac volunteered, adding with a grumble, “Since I didn’t exactly eat much for lunch.”
“Are they organic?” Ginger asked, bending over the box and trying to read the list of ingredients.
“Organic-schmanic. They smell amazing!” Laura declared. “I worked out this morning with Mac, so one won’t kill me in spite of what Tincy thinks.” That said, she grabbed a chocolate-mint brownie, ripping off the wrapper and biting in. She rolled her eyes dreamily as she chewed. Ah, heaven!
She was tempted to try another until she remembered that her favorite True Religion jeans felt kind of snug yesterday—the housekeeper had probably washed them on hot and put them in the dryer—but instead, feeling emboldened, she reached for her BlackBerry and started to text. Thanx 4 the brownies, she thumbed at warp speed. But U don’t have 2 keep sending stuff. U know how I feel abt U.
“What are you doing?” Mac grabbed her arm, trying to look at the tiny screen. “Please, don’t be texting Avery.”
“What if I am?” Laura said, and snatched her arm back.Who was Mac to give her advice on her love life? She couldn’t even acknowledge that she had a thing for Alex Bishop.
“Laura.” Ginger looked at her quizzically with those big green eyes, and Laura wondered if
Laura dug through the box, hoping to find more, wanting to see a name on the invoice to tell her exactly who her mysterious admirer was. But there was nothing.
“Who’s it from?” Mac asked, impatiently snatching the card from her hand and murmuring, “Don’t you find this kind of creepy?”
“No, it’s romantic,” Ginger piped up, and reached over to the box to inspect Laura’s gifts. “You still think Avery’s the one who’s been sending stuff?”
“It has to be him,” she said, knowing she’d racked her brains to come up with someone else who’d want to secretly court her and coming up empty.
“Avery Dorman?” Tincy said shrilly, reminding Laura she was there. Her bracelets jangled as she fingered her tousled hair. “If that boy is sending these things, what the devil’s wrong with him? Doesn’t he know it’s deb season and you’re watching your weight?”
Laura sighed, wanting to snap, “No, Mother, you’re the one watching my weight.” But Tincy did have a point.
Tincy crossed her arms snugly over her chest, half obscuring the green and bright pink pattern on the bodice of her sundress. “I’d hate to see what happens if the GSC selection committee decides you’re too stocky to come out. And that’s just what’s gonna happen if you keep wolfin’ down all this chocolate sabotage. You won’t even fit in the Vera Wang gown we’ve commissioned!”
Mac and Ginger stood silently, eyes downcast, saying nothing.
Laura couldn’t blame them. Even she wasn’t sure how to react to her mother’s outburst. Like ninety-nine percent of the super-skinny socialite moms in the Villages, Tincy lived by the motto “You can never be too rich or too thin,” even if being too thin meant looking like a Tootsie Pop. I am who I am , Laura reminded herself, taking in a deep breath. And I will never be Tincy .
She gathered up the box of brownies and said, “Don’t worry about me, Mother. I know what I’m doing. C’mon,amigas”—she jerked her chin at her two BFFs—“let’s go upstairs.”
“Laura.” Her mother made a tsk-tsk noise. “Please don’t be like that. I’m only trying to help. I wouldn’t say these things except that I love you so much. Sami always told me I was too overprotective, and maybe she was right.”
Ya think?
“Whatev,” Laura murmured, and strode purposefully upstairs, holding her door open for Mac and Ginger before shutting them all in her bedroom. “Who wants a brownie?” she asked as she dropped onto her bed with the tub of treats.
“I’ll have one!” Mac volunteered, adding with a grumble, “Since I didn’t exactly eat much for lunch.”
“Are they organic?” Ginger asked, bending over the box and trying to read the list of ingredients.
“Organic-schmanic. They smell amazing!” Laura declared. “I worked out this morning with Mac, so one won’t kill me in spite of what Tincy thinks.” That said, she grabbed a chocolate-mint brownie, ripping off the wrapper and biting in. She rolled her eyes dreamily as she chewed. Ah, heaven!
She was tempted to try another until she remembered that her favorite True Religion jeans felt kind of snug yesterday—the housekeeper had probably washed them on hot and put them in the dryer—but instead, feeling emboldened, she reached for her BlackBerry and started to text. Thanx 4 the brownies, she thumbed at warp speed. But U don’t have 2 keep sending stuff. U know how I feel abt U.
“What are you doing?” Mac grabbed her arm, trying to look at the tiny screen. “Please, don’t be texting Avery.”
“What if I am?” Laura said, and snatched her arm back.Who was Mac to give her advice on her love life? She couldn’t even acknowledge that she had a thing for Alex Bishop.
“Laura.” Ginger looked at her quizzically with those big green eyes, and Laura wondered if
Similar Books
