Three Wishes by Deborah Kreiser Page B

start hooking up. He traces along the inside of my arm, but it tickles and I pull away.
    A little while later, right as the heavy action starts on-screen, I have Leia take Joel’s hand. Both of them examine their entwined fingers and then leap apart as if each thinks the other has a new breed of cooties. They lean as far away as possible, and study the movie screen like it’s revealing information about the meaning of life.
    Pete keeps trying to take my hand, too, but I’m too busy matchmaking to pay attention to him. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. They should know they belong together. I scowl and ignore whatever’s left of the movie. Maybe we should have gone to a romcom.
    As we file out of the aisles, I can see what I’ve done has backfired. Leia is staying at least five feet away from Joel, even going so far as to wedge herself between Pete and me. She’s chatting about the movie as if it deserves an Oscar.
    We walk out into the frigid parking lot, and the wind blows right through me. I stand there, shivering, waiting for Pete to unlock the doors to his SUV, when he asks Joel if he could bring Leia home. Yes! Great idea! Joel looks like he’s about to shake his head, but Pete whispers something in his ear and Joel gulps, then invites Leia to go in his car. She cocks her head at him but agrees with a slight grimace.
    Thanks , I mouth at her. She shrugs and waves goodbye to us both as Pete starts the car.
    They walk away, and I ask Pete what he said to Joel. “I told him you’re cold, and I needed to get you all warmed up.” He lowers his eyelids and his voice gets husky. “Do we have time before you need to get home?”
    I check my cell. It’s already eleven-forty, and we’re about five miles from my house. “I’ve got ten minutes. But I can’t get in late again, or my grandparents might ground me.” For the first time in my life. They told me they are growing weary of me pushing my midnight curfew, and I don’t want to risk it.
    â€œI can deal.” On the drive home, we find a private spot to park. If only I could wish to keep the clock from approaching midnight. I’m not used to being irresistible, but Pete assures me he can’t keep his hands off me. Can’t say I mind, either. My ten spare minutes speed by, and I groan when the timer on my cell rings. But we pull away from each other, and he starts up the car again. I turn down the blasting air from the vent, trying to straighten my hair and clothes as we drive.
    As we pull into my driveway, I hear “I love you,” whispered in the darkness.
    Who said that?
    I turn to him, and he looks at me, his eyes big in the dim light. He traces my cheek with his thumb and says a little louder now, “I love you, Genie.”
    I am at a loss, breathless with this unexpected development.
    My heart has exploded into a thousand fireworks. I gather it together, holding my hands to my chest, before stammering, “Love you, too.” Do I? Only since I was, like, ten years old. So what if we’ve only been going out a couple of weeks?
    Pete leans forward for one final sweet kiss before walking me to my front door. He grabs my cell and pumps his fist when it displays eleven-fifty-nine. “Perfect timing.”
    â€œI’ll say.” I breathe, feet not yet touching the ground.
    â€œSee you Christmas Eve.”
    â€œOkay.”
    He says something else, I don’t know what, but it doesn’t matter anyway because my grandmother’s opening the door and telling me it’s midnight and I need to get inside. So I float up to my room and close the door where I fall onto my bed and think about wishes coming true.
    I hardly sleep Friday night after hearing those three words from Pete, but I’ve got the weekend to come back down to earth and prepare for Christmas. Pete and I exchange gifts mid-day on Christmas Eve, after a long walk in the snow.