Read Online How The Cookie Crumbles by Melanie Ting - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melanie Ting
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time.
Chloë opened her eyes wide. “Frank, you’re scaring me with your psychic abilities! Got any ideas about the stock market? Any horse racing tips? How the heck did you know?”
“A little bird told me,” I replied. If a little bird weighed over 200 pounds and didn’t shave. “But he didn’t tell me any details.”
“Okay, well, Andrew is this guy I told you about. He’s taking summer courses at Queen’s; I think he’s the same age as us. We’re going to The Mansion on Friday, to hear some live music. Seriously, how did you know?”
“His friend, Jake, told me he wanted to ask you out but he was feeling too shy. Then I sold you out, I said that you had to say yes.” I watched closely to see if this would bug her, but she just smiled in that vague Chloë way.
“Oh that guy, Son of Cook.” Chloë was making his name sound like something out of the middle ages. “Well, I could get you back, because apparently this Jake guy would like to us to double date. That would be fun, wouldn’t it Frank? And it would take the pressure off me, I kind of tend to mess up first dates sometimes.”
Chloë was a genius at academic stuff and could do scary things like public speaking, but she was very nervous around dating. In high school, she had been known to do odd things on first dates, like talk too much or start giggling nonstop. I figured it was because she was an only child, and she thought that guys were from some complex planet. If she had brothers like me, she would know that guys were a pretty simple recipe: take food, video games and sports stats, add a dash of burping/farting/grossness, plus some general idiocy and shake well. Voilà, a boy! There was a sex aspect too, but I wasn’t into connecting my bros and sex.
“Too late, I’ve already accepted my random date.”
“Frank! Both of us at the same time? And you didn’t use your free pass, so he must be nice. Tell me!”
“Well, to be completely honest, it may not even be a date, but I’m going to a birthday party for this customer.”
“A young guy?”
“No, a lady in her eighties, I think.”
“Frankie, that’s not a date for sure!”
“Not her, it’s her grandson, Liam! He’s perfectly gorgeous: tall, dark, handsome, perfect manners.”
“Oh.” Chloë sounded disappointed. “I thought you liked this Son of Cook guy. After all you did make cupcakes for him, even though it was a boiling hot night. And then we could double.”
“Did I not tell you the sequel to that? He didn’t even show up for the cupcakes! Total loser. And don’t worry, you’ll be fine on your date.”
“Maybe. Could you do that thing you did for me in high school?”
“Making up cue cards with discussion topics? Oh Chloë, you can handle these things by now.”
“You’re so good at this kind of thing: making small talk, making new people feel comfortable. I suck at it. Please!”
“You must really like this guy to make all this effort.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but it’s just that my last few dates have not gone well and I’m starting to wonder if I’m cursed, that I’m too weird to date normal guys.”
“This guy, Andrew, already likes you, he’s got a crush on you, you hold all the cards here.” I looked at Chloë’s worried face, and then nodded. “Okay, I’ll help you. Anyway, you’re going to a concert, hardly any conversation will be needed. If you want to double on your second date, I’ll do it with you.”
She smiled happily. “I knew I could count on you Frankie!”
“Whatever, let’s eat.”
The next day was Thursday and I went into the gym in at noon to deliver a lunch order. Brad was doing a special training session with Jake, and a few other guys. They were all big and athletic-looking (except Jake, of course) and I suspected they were all hockey players since their athletic gear seemed to have various hockey logos. Jake was doing chin-ups and I was shocked to see he was struggling after five, and had
Chloë opened her eyes wide. “Frank, you’re scaring me with your psychic abilities! Got any ideas about the stock market? Any horse racing tips? How the heck did you know?”
“A little bird told me,” I replied. If a little bird weighed over 200 pounds and didn’t shave. “But he didn’t tell me any details.”
“Okay, well, Andrew is this guy I told you about. He’s taking summer courses at Queen’s; I think he’s the same age as us. We’re going to The Mansion on Friday, to hear some live music. Seriously, how did you know?”
“His friend, Jake, told me he wanted to ask you out but he was feeling too shy. Then I sold you out, I said that you had to say yes.” I watched closely to see if this would bug her, but she just smiled in that vague Chloë way.
“Oh that guy, Son of Cook.” Chloë was making his name sound like something out of the middle ages. “Well, I could get you back, because apparently this Jake guy would like to us to double date. That would be fun, wouldn’t it Frank? And it would take the pressure off me, I kind of tend to mess up first dates sometimes.”
Chloë was a genius at academic stuff and could do scary things like public speaking, but she was very nervous around dating. In high school, she had been known to do odd things on first dates, like talk too much or start giggling nonstop. I figured it was because she was an only child, and she thought that guys were from some complex planet. If she had brothers like me, she would know that guys were a pretty simple recipe: take food, video games and sports stats, add a dash of burping/farting/grossness, plus some general idiocy and shake well. Voilà, a boy! There was a sex aspect too, but I wasn’t into connecting my bros and sex.
“Too late, I’ve already accepted my random date.”
“Frank! Both of us at the same time? And you didn’t use your free pass, so he must be nice. Tell me!”
“Well, to be completely honest, it may not even be a date, but I’m going to a birthday party for this customer.”
“A young guy?”
“No, a lady in her eighties, I think.”
“Frankie, that’s not a date for sure!”
“Not her, it’s her grandson, Liam! He’s perfectly gorgeous: tall, dark, handsome, perfect manners.”
“Oh.” Chloë sounded disappointed. “I thought you liked this Son of Cook guy. After all you did make cupcakes for him, even though it was a boiling hot night. And then we could double.”
“Did I not tell you the sequel to that? He didn’t even show up for the cupcakes! Total loser. And don’t worry, you’ll be fine on your date.”
“Maybe. Could you do that thing you did for me in high school?”
“Making up cue cards with discussion topics? Oh Chloë, you can handle these things by now.”
“You’re so good at this kind of thing: making small talk, making new people feel comfortable. I suck at it. Please!”
“You must really like this guy to make all this effort.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but it’s just that my last few dates have not gone well and I’m starting to wonder if I’m cursed, that I’m too weird to date normal guys.”
“This guy, Andrew, already likes you, he’s got a crush on you, you hold all the cards here.” I looked at Chloë’s worried face, and then nodded. “Okay, I’ll help you. Anyway, you’re going to a concert, hardly any conversation will be needed. If you want to double on your second date, I’ll do it with you.”
She smiled happily. “I knew I could count on you Frankie!”
“Whatever, let’s eat.”
The next day was Thursday and I went into the gym in at noon to deliver a lunch order. Brad was doing a special training session with Jake, and a few other guys. They were all big and athletic-looking (except Jake, of course) and I suspected they were all hockey players since their athletic gear seemed to have various hockey logos. Jake was doing chin-ups and I was shocked to see he was struggling after five, and had
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