emerged, gracefully unfolding his slender body. His dark gray khakis and blue-and-white striped oxford shirt were very collegiate and blessedly clean-cut, given that my parents were watching. “Good evening, Dr. Gardiner,” he said, holding out his hand and shaking hers. “Thank you for trusting me with your daughters tonight.”
My mother smiled at that. She liked polite young men. “I appreciate that very much, Mr. Baldwin. And whom do you have in the car with you?”
“My sister and my friend.” He called over his shoulder, “Come out and say hi, guys.”
Chelsea exited the limo with a very put-upon expression on her face. She was wearing extremely tight blue jeans and a corset top that revealed a lot of slender arm, white shoulder, and bright pink bra strap. I was afraid my mother might say something disapproving, but—for better or for worse—her attention was completely focused on the other passenger coming out of the limo. “Mr. Edwards!” she exclaimed with genuine delight. “My girls didn’t tell me you were coming, too!”
Ten moderately mortifying minutes later, we were on our way. My mom had insisted on thanking Derek over and over again for picking us up in his limo—she didn’t seem to absorb his muttered, “It’s not mine; it’s Chase’s dad’s.” She was still thanking him when we were all climbing into the back of it.
As we left her behind on the sidewalk—cheerfully waving—the five of us sank down on the soft leather benches that ran both lengths of the elongated car body. Chase and Jules were next to each other, of course. I was on Juliana’s other side, which put me opposite Derek Edwards, whose long legs took up all the available in-between space. I had to curl my own legs sideways or risk rubbing knees.
Chelsea was glued to Derek’s side, which didn’t surprise me since I was convinced she had the world’s biggest crush on him. I wasn’t as sure about his feelings toward her. He seemed comfortable having her around, but I wasn’t seeing a ton of romantic interest there.
On the other hand, the guy was impossible to read in almost every way. For all I knew, he was madly head over heels in love with Chelsea Baldwin, but was so repressed and weird you couldn’t tell. For all I knew, he was gay.
I was still wearing the sweater I’d put on over my tank top to make it past my mother, and which completely ruined the look I was going for. I started to pull it off, but it got stuck halfway down my arms. I was twisting around awkwardly, trying to wriggle free, when I felt a hand tug the sleeves down and off of me. I looked up. Derek Edwards had leaned forward to help me. “Thanks,” I said.
The sound of a cell phone vibrating broke the awkward silence. Derek swiftly extracted a phone from his right hip pocket and squinted down at the screen. He read something before texting back a response, skillfully dancing his thumbs on the touchscreen.
Meanwhile, Chelsea had snuggled closer to his side and was craning her neck over his shoulder in an effort to read what he was writing. “Who’re you texting?”
“My sister.”
“Oh my God! Georgia! I haven’t heard from her in ages! I miss hanging out with her so much. Tell her I miss hanging out with her, will you?”
“Tell her yourself.”
“She’s so lucky to be out of here!”
Why did that cause such a miserable expression to cross Derek’s face? I could see it clearly from where I was sitting. But Chelsea was oblivious. She went blithely on. “Will she come home for Thanksgiving?”
“Probably.”
“Make sure she saves lots of time for me. I miss her so much.”
“Really?” He finished texting and leaned sideways so he could stick the phone back in his pocket. “I didn’t think you guys were that close. You’re not even in the same grade.”
“Brothers never notice anything.”
“I didn’t know you had a sister,” I said to Derek. “She doesn’t go to Coral Tree?”
“She did, but this year she
My mother smiled at that. She liked polite young men. “I appreciate that very much, Mr. Baldwin. And whom do you have in the car with you?”
“My sister and my friend.” He called over his shoulder, “Come out and say hi, guys.”
Chelsea exited the limo with a very put-upon expression on her face. She was wearing extremely tight blue jeans and a corset top that revealed a lot of slender arm, white shoulder, and bright pink bra strap. I was afraid my mother might say something disapproving, but—for better or for worse—her attention was completely focused on the other passenger coming out of the limo. “Mr. Edwards!” she exclaimed with genuine delight. “My girls didn’t tell me you were coming, too!”
Ten moderately mortifying minutes later, we were on our way. My mom had insisted on thanking Derek over and over again for picking us up in his limo—she didn’t seem to absorb his muttered, “It’s not mine; it’s Chase’s dad’s.” She was still thanking him when we were all climbing into the back of it.
As we left her behind on the sidewalk—cheerfully waving—the five of us sank down on the soft leather benches that ran both lengths of the elongated car body. Chase and Jules were next to each other, of course. I was on Juliana’s other side, which put me opposite Derek Edwards, whose long legs took up all the available in-between space. I had to curl my own legs sideways or risk rubbing knees.
Chelsea was glued to Derek’s side, which didn’t surprise me since I was convinced she had the world’s biggest crush on him. I wasn’t as sure about his feelings toward her. He seemed comfortable having her around, but I wasn’t seeing a ton of romantic interest there.
On the other hand, the guy was impossible to read in almost every way. For all I knew, he was madly head over heels in love with Chelsea Baldwin, but was so repressed and weird you couldn’t tell. For all I knew, he was gay.
I was still wearing the sweater I’d put on over my tank top to make it past my mother, and which completely ruined the look I was going for. I started to pull it off, but it got stuck halfway down my arms. I was twisting around awkwardly, trying to wriggle free, when I felt a hand tug the sleeves down and off of me. I looked up. Derek Edwards had leaned forward to help me. “Thanks,” I said.
The sound of a cell phone vibrating broke the awkward silence. Derek swiftly extracted a phone from his right hip pocket and squinted down at the screen. He read something before texting back a response, skillfully dancing his thumbs on the touchscreen.
Meanwhile, Chelsea had snuggled closer to his side and was craning her neck over his shoulder in an effort to read what he was writing. “Who’re you texting?”
“My sister.”
“Oh my God! Georgia! I haven’t heard from her in ages! I miss hanging out with her so much. Tell her I miss hanging out with her, will you?”
“Tell her yourself.”
“She’s so lucky to be out of here!”
Why did that cause such a miserable expression to cross Derek’s face? I could see it clearly from where I was sitting. But Chelsea was oblivious. She went blithely on. “Will she come home for Thanksgiving?”
“Probably.”
“Make sure she saves lots of time for me. I miss her so much.”
“Really?” He finished texting and leaned sideways so he could stick the phone back in his pocket. “I didn’t think you guys were that close. You’re not even in the same grade.”
“Brothers never notice anything.”
“I didn’t know you had a sister,” I said to Derek. “She doesn’t go to Coral Tree?”
“She did, but this year she
Similar Books
