sun. Geri’s was puffy from crying. But both wore expressions of eager interest. "Okay. Yes, Lucas is Luke Striker. He’s here to research a part. And Dr. Lewis himself asked me to please keep Luke’s real identity a secret, so you guys have to—"
But it was like talking to a couple of two-year-olds. Because instead of a rational conversation taking place, Trina and Geri turned toward each other and started jumping up and down, shrieking at the top of their lungs: "
Luke Striker! Luke Striker! Luke Striker!
"
"Hey," I said, really afraid half the people in the restaurant were going to come running in. "Cut it out. I told you, it’s supposed to be a secret—"
"Oh my God, I
knew
it was him," Trina stopped jumping long enough to say. "I knew it the other day at lunch, when he said he was a vegetarian. Because you know I stopped eating meat when I read in
Teen People
that Luke has been a vegetarian since his days on
Heaven Help Us
."
"
I
knew he was Luke Striker," Geri said, "at last night’s
Register
meeting. You know, Jen, when he started talking about a celebrity’s right to privacy? I swear when he said that, I was actually thinking to myself, 'You know, he looks so much like Lancelot from
Lancelot and Guinevere
, I wonder if he IS Luke Striker?"
"You guys!" I yelled in my meanest voice, the one I only use when I’m baby-sitting and the kids start squirting ketchup at each other or whatever.
It did the trick, though. Both Trina and Geri stopped talking and looked at me.
"Listen to me," I said in a low, even voice. "Luke’s real identity is supposed to be a secret. Nobody is supposed to know the truth, understand? That’s how Luke wants it. He’s here because he’s researching a part. He can’t research a part if people don’t act normally around him. And if it gets out that he’s really Luke Striker, nobody is going to be acting normally around him, now, are they?"
Trina and Geri exchanged glances.
"I wholly respect that," Trina said. "Luke has such deep appreciation for his craft that, as a fellow artist, I could never do anything that might in some way interfere with his creative goals. I won’t say a word to anyone."
Not to be outdone, Geri made the Girl Scout sign with her fingers. "I’ll take it to the grave."
For the first time since Luke had taken his shirt off—no, since Geri had started yelling at Scott—I felt myself relax a little.
"Okay," I said. "Good. Then it’s agreed. Neither of you is going to say a word to anyone about Luke not really being—"
"Oh my God," Trina said, smacking herself in the forehead. "
Why
did I tell Steve I’d go to the Spring Fling with him when I could have gone with
Luke Striker
?"
"In your dreams," Geri said. "He’s taking
me
."
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "Did you two listen to a word I just said?"
"Yeah, sure," Trina said. "Pinky swear to secrecy, yadda yadda yadda. I can still dream about him, can’t I?"
"Well, I don’t have a Spring Fling date anymore," Geri said, opening her purse and taking out her lipstick. "So my dreams are about to come true. I’m going to go out there and ask him right now."
I stared at Geri in horror. "Ask who? Luke? To go to the Spring Fling? But—but I thought you were going with Scott!"
"Not anymore, I’m not," Geri said, expertly applying a layer of gloss.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I mean, I’d suspected, but to hear her just blurt it out like that . . . "You and Scott broke up? For real? Just now?"
"That’s right." Apparently satisfied by what she saw in the mirror, Geri dropped her lipstick back in her purse and turned to me. "And
don't
try to talk me into taking him back, Jen. I know you thought we were a great couple, but the truth is, it’s better this way for the both of us. I’m leaving for UCLA at the end of the summer, and he’s still got another year left here in Clayton, and . . . and it’s just easier this way."
I could tell by the set of her jaw that Geri
But it was like talking to a couple of two-year-olds. Because instead of a rational conversation taking place, Trina and Geri turned toward each other and started jumping up and down, shrieking at the top of their lungs: "
Luke Striker! Luke Striker! Luke Striker!
"
"Hey," I said, really afraid half the people in the restaurant were going to come running in. "Cut it out. I told you, it’s supposed to be a secret—"
"Oh my God, I
knew
it was him," Trina stopped jumping long enough to say. "I knew it the other day at lunch, when he said he was a vegetarian. Because you know I stopped eating meat when I read in
Teen People
that Luke has been a vegetarian since his days on
Heaven Help Us
."
"
I
knew he was Luke Striker," Geri said, "at last night’s
Register
meeting. You know, Jen, when he started talking about a celebrity’s right to privacy? I swear when he said that, I was actually thinking to myself, 'You know, he looks so much like Lancelot from
Lancelot and Guinevere
, I wonder if he IS Luke Striker?"
"You guys!" I yelled in my meanest voice, the one I only use when I’m baby-sitting and the kids start squirting ketchup at each other or whatever.
It did the trick, though. Both Trina and Geri stopped talking and looked at me.
"Listen to me," I said in a low, even voice. "Luke’s real identity is supposed to be a secret. Nobody is supposed to know the truth, understand? That’s how Luke wants it. He’s here because he’s researching a part. He can’t research a part if people don’t act normally around him. And if it gets out that he’s really Luke Striker, nobody is going to be acting normally around him, now, are they?"
Trina and Geri exchanged glances.
"I wholly respect that," Trina said. "Luke has such deep appreciation for his craft that, as a fellow artist, I could never do anything that might in some way interfere with his creative goals. I won’t say a word to anyone."
Not to be outdone, Geri made the Girl Scout sign with her fingers. "I’ll take it to the grave."
For the first time since Luke had taken his shirt off—no, since Geri had started yelling at Scott—I felt myself relax a little.
"Okay," I said. "Good. Then it’s agreed. Neither of you is going to say a word to anyone about Luke not really being—"
"Oh my God," Trina said, smacking herself in the forehead. "
Why
did I tell Steve I’d go to the Spring Fling with him when I could have gone with
Luke Striker
?"
"In your dreams," Geri said. "He’s taking
me
."
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "Did you two listen to a word I just said?"
"Yeah, sure," Trina said. "Pinky swear to secrecy, yadda yadda yadda. I can still dream about him, can’t I?"
"Well, I don’t have a Spring Fling date anymore," Geri said, opening her purse and taking out her lipstick. "So my dreams are about to come true. I’m going to go out there and ask him right now."
I stared at Geri in horror. "Ask who? Luke? To go to the Spring Fling? But—but I thought you were going with Scott!"
"Not anymore, I’m not," Geri said, expertly applying a layer of gloss.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I mean, I’d suspected, but to hear her just blurt it out like that . . . "You and Scott broke up? For real? Just now?"
"That’s right." Apparently satisfied by what she saw in the mirror, Geri dropped her lipstick back in her purse and turned to me. "And
don't
try to talk me into taking him back, Jen. I know you thought we were a great couple, but the truth is, it’s better this way for the both of us. I’m leaving for UCLA at the end of the summer, and he’s still got another year left here in Clayton, and . . . and it’s just easier this way."
I could tell by the set of her jaw that Geri
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