turning into this girl. The one who gets flustered and useless because of a man. That girl was my mother and, for the love of all that is holy, I don’t want to turn into her.
My phone beeps, forcing my eyes away from the picture.
Tanie: Stop being a cat. U like him, so what? Invite him to my party.
I laugh at both the use of cat instead of pussy—a word Tanie hates so much she can’t even stand a similar-sounding substitute—and the fact that she actually believes I can just walk up and invite him to be my date at my best friend’s party.
Me: U r a terrible bf.
I’m waiting for Tanie’s reply when the door opens.
Jen stands in the doorway, her brow angled in a very judgmental way. “Seriously? We have a full house, and you’re texting?”
I stuff my phone and the picture in my pocket, and burry my face in my hands. “I know . . . I’m sorry. I’m just really stupid today.”
“So the jury came to a verdict?”
I sigh, and nod. “Yep, but they ruled wrong.”
Jen laughs and turns to the mirror, a tube of lipstick in her hands. She glosses up her lips and turns to me. “Or they didn’t, and you’re just having a bad case of the shitters. ‘Cause he seems to like you as well.”
She walks over, and points the lipstick at me.
“You sound like Tanie.” I take the tube from her. “Is this mine?”
Jen rolls her eyes, and nods. I have to start locking my locker.
“That’s ‘cause we both love you, dork. And we also like him. Now put some of this on. A fresh coat will make you feel like you can take on the world, and let’s go to work. It’s mean to leave Anna alone with all the tables.”
I look at her through narrowed eyes, wondering what the hell she is on, but make my way to the mirror and apply the lipstick to my lips nonetheless. We walk out of the bathroom, and make our way toward the front of the diner. I must have stayed in the bathroom for longer than I’d thought because it went from being relatively empty to being packed. This will be good. I’ll have lots to focus on and no time to think about Mathew.
I scan my section, counting how many tables with patrons I have, and seeing who has food and who doesn’t. I have five tables and a single booth—booth nine. Frozen, I stare unblinking at that blond head seated there, and try to convince myself that it’s not Mathew. It can’t be him. He never comes in twice in the same day.
But then Jen nudges her shoulder against mine, messing with the precarious balance my wobbly legs provide and almost causing me to face plant on the floor. “Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya, but Anna sat you a new a customer.”
I look at her, and I swear to God that she bats her lashes as she stares at Mathew. It makes me laugh, and finally understand the lipstick thing.
“If Jared could see you now, you’d be in deep shit.” I shake my head. Jen pokes her tongue out at me and, not-so-discreetly pushes me in the direction of the booth.
With my insides fluttering with the most annoying butterflies, I walk to toward Mathew. As if he can sense me, his eyes rise from where they’re focused on his phone, meeting mine the moment I come to a stop in front of him.
Despite being completely flustered, I manage to hide it behind a cocked brow. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he greets me with a cheeky smile.
“Hi.”
He chuckles, and although it’s not a mocking chuckle, it still makes me feel silly for the millionth time today. My face heats up with an inevitable blush, which I’m sure he can see. I hate my pale skin for it. But then, his smile broadens, and he says, “Hi,” once again, and I smile because he’s being cute again.
“You’re back?”
He tilts his head. “And that’s good or bad?”
It’s a good thing. A very good thing.
“It depends on why you’re here.”
Mathew’s lips pull sideways in a smirk, and I want to hate the smugness in it but I can’t. I also can’t help but curl my own lips in an idiotic smile. And then,
My phone beeps, forcing my eyes away from the picture.
Tanie: Stop being a cat. U like him, so what? Invite him to my party.
I laugh at both the use of cat instead of pussy—a word Tanie hates so much she can’t even stand a similar-sounding substitute—and the fact that she actually believes I can just walk up and invite him to be my date at my best friend’s party.
Me: U r a terrible bf.
I’m waiting for Tanie’s reply when the door opens.
Jen stands in the doorway, her brow angled in a very judgmental way. “Seriously? We have a full house, and you’re texting?”
I stuff my phone and the picture in my pocket, and burry my face in my hands. “I know . . . I’m sorry. I’m just really stupid today.”
“So the jury came to a verdict?”
I sigh, and nod. “Yep, but they ruled wrong.”
Jen laughs and turns to the mirror, a tube of lipstick in her hands. She glosses up her lips and turns to me. “Or they didn’t, and you’re just having a bad case of the shitters. ‘Cause he seems to like you as well.”
She walks over, and points the lipstick at me.
“You sound like Tanie.” I take the tube from her. “Is this mine?”
Jen rolls her eyes, and nods. I have to start locking my locker.
“That’s ‘cause we both love you, dork. And we also like him. Now put some of this on. A fresh coat will make you feel like you can take on the world, and let’s go to work. It’s mean to leave Anna alone with all the tables.”
I look at her through narrowed eyes, wondering what the hell she is on, but make my way to the mirror and apply the lipstick to my lips nonetheless. We walk out of the bathroom, and make our way toward the front of the diner. I must have stayed in the bathroom for longer than I’d thought because it went from being relatively empty to being packed. This will be good. I’ll have lots to focus on and no time to think about Mathew.
I scan my section, counting how many tables with patrons I have, and seeing who has food and who doesn’t. I have five tables and a single booth—booth nine. Frozen, I stare unblinking at that blond head seated there, and try to convince myself that it’s not Mathew. It can’t be him. He never comes in twice in the same day.
But then Jen nudges her shoulder against mine, messing with the precarious balance my wobbly legs provide and almost causing me to face plant on the floor. “Oh yeah, forgot to tell ya, but Anna sat you a new a customer.”
I look at her, and I swear to God that she bats her lashes as she stares at Mathew. It makes me laugh, and finally understand the lipstick thing.
“If Jared could see you now, you’d be in deep shit.” I shake my head. Jen pokes her tongue out at me and, not-so-discreetly pushes me in the direction of the booth.
With my insides fluttering with the most annoying butterflies, I walk to toward Mathew. As if he can sense me, his eyes rise from where they’re focused on his phone, meeting mine the moment I come to a stop in front of him.
Despite being completely flustered, I manage to hide it behind a cocked brow. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he greets me with a cheeky smile.
“Hi.”
He chuckles, and although it’s not a mocking chuckle, it still makes me feel silly for the millionth time today. My face heats up with an inevitable blush, which I’m sure he can see. I hate my pale skin for it. But then, his smile broadens, and he says, “Hi,” once again, and I smile because he’s being cute again.
“You’re back?”
He tilts his head. “And that’s good or bad?”
It’s a good thing. A very good thing.
“It depends on why you’re here.”
Mathew’s lips pull sideways in a smirk, and I want to hate the smugness in it but I can’t. I also can’t help but curl my own lips in an idiotic smile. And then,
Similar Books
