use it against him. Even if voters aren’t influenced by it, he doesn’t want to put you through getting your name dragged through the mud.”
Going to a religious school, she’d been trained to feel guilty about everything, and it was hitting her hard now. “I wish I could take it back.”
The line fell silent for a moment. “We expected better of you, Rosaline.”
Those words slammed into her, radiating through her chest. She’d rather take the yelling from Dad than hear the disappointment and sorrow in Mom’s voice.
After saying a croaky goodbye, Rosaline lowered the phone and stared at it, Mom’s words ringing through her ears.
She’d expected better of herself, too. Guess she was disappointing everyone.
***
Dafne swiveled her chair to face Rosaline. “I guess we might as well wrap up for the week.”
Rosaline stacked the invoices she hadn’t entered into the computer system yet. Quitting time on a Friday afternoon should be reason to celebrate. A couple weeks ago it meant she’d be headed out on the town with Clara and Sophie.
Friday night without plans seemed more pathetic than any other night without plans. Or friends. She’d thought she and Bryson were getting to be friends, but he’d been MIA for several days. She was starting to think that it wasn’t her kissing or lack of kissing that got rid of guys. Maybe it was just her. Her and her big mouth.
Dafne moved away from her computer. “I’m going to step into the study to make a quick call to Winslow, make sure there’s nothing else urgent; then we’ll walk home.”
As soon as Dafne stepped out of the office, Rosaline hovered her hand over the mouse, wondering if she had enough time to message Clara.
“Hey,” a male voice said, and she spun around, sure guilt was written all over her face. Bryson stood in the doorway. “Is Dafne around? I was going to talk to her about the new manager.”
Of course. He came to talk to Dafne. Not her. “She said she’d be right back.”
Bryson’s eyebrows drew together. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just…” She shrugged.
“Just what?”
“I don’t know. Everything’s still tense with my parents, and it’s Friday, and I get to spend it hanging out with myself, and as cool as I am and all…” She tried to smile, but couldn’t pull it off. She dropped her head into her hands.
Bryson put his hand on her shoulder. “Tell you what. I’ve been meaning to teach you to ride—don’t want you to get lost again—and the horses will know the way home, even if you go too far. I don’t have any other plans tonight, so might as well teach a city girl to ride a horse.”
She looked up, staring at him through her hair. “Riding sounds nice. I just have to ask Dafne.”
“Ask me what?” Dafne asked as she re-entered the room. She looked from her to Bryson, and he dropped his hand.
“I thought Rosaline and I could saddle up the horses and go for a ride. She should know how to do all that if she’s going to be here for the summer. And like I told her, the horses know the way home, so it’ll be safer for her to take them out than to wander alone.”
With each sentence he’d added, Dafne seemed to soften. “All right. But not too late.”
Bryson grabbed Rosaline’s hand and pulled her to her feet. Standing next to him, her hand in his, her stomach got all tingly. Which was weird. Because they were just friends. She had missed him the last few days, though. In fact, she’d gotten alternately pissed and worried about his not being around. He stared at her for a moment. Then his posture stiffened and he let go of her hand, turning to face Dafne. He spouted off a bunch of work terms, something about re-routing and an update on one of the office’s new managers.
After he wrapped up, he turned and asked if she was ready.
Dafne gave a pointed look to her shorts and tank top outfit. “You’re going to want pants. And you’ll need to change your flip-flops.”
“Into heels?”
Going to a religious school, she’d been trained to feel guilty about everything, and it was hitting her hard now. “I wish I could take it back.”
The line fell silent for a moment. “We expected better of you, Rosaline.”
Those words slammed into her, radiating through her chest. She’d rather take the yelling from Dad than hear the disappointment and sorrow in Mom’s voice.
After saying a croaky goodbye, Rosaline lowered the phone and stared at it, Mom’s words ringing through her ears.
She’d expected better of herself, too. Guess she was disappointing everyone.
***
Dafne swiveled her chair to face Rosaline. “I guess we might as well wrap up for the week.”
Rosaline stacked the invoices she hadn’t entered into the computer system yet. Quitting time on a Friday afternoon should be reason to celebrate. A couple weeks ago it meant she’d be headed out on the town with Clara and Sophie.
Friday night without plans seemed more pathetic than any other night without plans. Or friends. She’d thought she and Bryson were getting to be friends, but he’d been MIA for several days. She was starting to think that it wasn’t her kissing or lack of kissing that got rid of guys. Maybe it was just her. Her and her big mouth.
Dafne moved away from her computer. “I’m going to step into the study to make a quick call to Winslow, make sure there’s nothing else urgent; then we’ll walk home.”
As soon as Dafne stepped out of the office, Rosaline hovered her hand over the mouse, wondering if she had enough time to message Clara.
“Hey,” a male voice said, and she spun around, sure guilt was written all over her face. Bryson stood in the doorway. “Is Dafne around? I was going to talk to her about the new manager.”
Of course. He came to talk to Dafne. Not her. “She said she’d be right back.”
Bryson’s eyebrows drew together. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just…” She shrugged.
“Just what?”
“I don’t know. Everything’s still tense with my parents, and it’s Friday, and I get to spend it hanging out with myself, and as cool as I am and all…” She tried to smile, but couldn’t pull it off. She dropped her head into her hands.
Bryson put his hand on her shoulder. “Tell you what. I’ve been meaning to teach you to ride—don’t want you to get lost again—and the horses will know the way home, even if you go too far. I don’t have any other plans tonight, so might as well teach a city girl to ride a horse.”
She looked up, staring at him through her hair. “Riding sounds nice. I just have to ask Dafne.”
“Ask me what?” Dafne asked as she re-entered the room. She looked from her to Bryson, and he dropped his hand.
“I thought Rosaline and I could saddle up the horses and go for a ride. She should know how to do all that if she’s going to be here for the summer. And like I told her, the horses know the way home, so it’ll be safer for her to take them out than to wander alone.”
With each sentence he’d added, Dafne seemed to soften. “All right. But not too late.”
Bryson grabbed Rosaline’s hand and pulled her to her feet. Standing next to him, her hand in his, her stomach got all tingly. Which was weird. Because they were just friends. She had missed him the last few days, though. In fact, she’d gotten alternately pissed and worried about his not being around. He stared at her for a moment. Then his posture stiffened and he let go of her hand, turning to face Dafne. He spouted off a bunch of work terms, something about re-routing and an update on one of the office’s new managers.
After he wrapped up, he turned and asked if she was ready.
Dafne gave a pointed look to her shorts and tank top outfit. “You’re going to want pants. And you’ll need to change your flip-flops.”
“Into heels?”
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