Read Online Meet Me in Manhattan (True Vows) by Judith Arnold - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Judith Arnold
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you could have taken proper
notes in English instead of drawing caricatures of the teacher.
Damned good caricatures, but maybe you could have learned something more important than how to draw a nose so the nostrils didn't
look like bullet holes.
There were people in the room you could have gotten to know better. Friendships that might have gone deeper than the sock-in-thearm how's-it-going? level. Teachers you ignored when they insisted
you were smart and ought to apply yourself more.
Girls you could have dated.
One girl in particular. One girl with long, honey-brown hair and
a smile that was both shy and mischievous, and a fantastic figure
and, as it turned out, beautiful feet.
Maybe, when all was said and done, you never could have dated
her. But you could have tried. You could have made a move. You
could have taken the risk. You'd never been afraid to make a fool of
yourself-except with her.
The prom reminded you that in a few days you were going to
walk through that door and leave the first eighteen years of your life
behind. And although you would journey forward, see new places,
try new things, live your life, and have a damned good time while
you were at it, you'd always wonder what might have happened if
you'd dared to make a fool of yourself with Erika Fredell.
Prom night had been fine, Erika supposed. Bland food, tooloud music, a few maudlin speeches that provoked both nostalgic
sniffles and raucous jeers, everyone looking just a bit too shiny
and only a few girls dissolving into tears in the bathroom. Erika's
pedicure had survived a lot of boogying on that crowded dance
floor, and her head ached only a little bit from the constant din of
rock and hip-hop thumping through the deejay's speakers and
people shouting to be heard above the music.
She hoped with all her heart that prom night wouldn't turn
out to have been the best night of her life, however. Because honestly, it wasn't that great.
The truth was, she was looking forward to the party at
Jennifer's house that Laura had told her about much more than
she'd looked forward to the prom. Khaki shorts and a camisole
top were much more her style than a formal gown, and Teva sandals were a lot kinder to her feet than three-inch heels. Peter
would be at the party, but they'd never really been a couple, so he
wouldn't expect her to hang out with him. And if the music was
too loud, she'd ask Jennifer to turn it down, or go into another
room.
"You're so quiet," Laura said as she drove down a winding
road dense with evening shadows. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Erika sighed. She hated lying to her friend.
"It's going to be a good party," Laura remarked. "Everyone'll
be there. And we're all free now! We've been sprung."
"I know," Erika said, trying not to sound melancholy.
Laura shot her a quick glance. "You're not worried about seeing Peter, are you?"
"No. Everything's cool between us." She sighed again. "The
thing is ... I've kind of got this crush on someone else."
"Who?"
"Promise you won't laugh?"
Laura looked offended by the question, then grinned. "I'll
laugh only if it's funny."
"It's funny," Erika warned her. One final sigh, and she confessed. "Ted Skala."
"Ted!" Laura didn't laugh. In fact, she swerved halfway over
the double yellow line bisecting the road, then steered back into
the lane and hooted. "Of course Ted."
"What do you mean, of course Ted?"
"He's perfect for you. I've known this for months."
"You have?"
"Why do you think I keep dragging you to parties where I
know he'll be? Same with him. If I know you're coming to a party,
I'll call him and tell him to come."
"But he's already got a girlfriend."
"Eh." Laura steered with her left hand and waved her right
through the air, as if brushing away a mosquito. "He is so perfect
for you. It's about time you realized it."
"First of all, he's not perfect," Erika debated calmly. Ted Skala
might be handsome, he might be intriguing, he might have amazing
notes in English instead of drawing caricatures of the teacher.
Damned good caricatures, but maybe you could have learned something more important than how to draw a nose so the nostrils didn't
look like bullet holes.
There were people in the room you could have gotten to know better. Friendships that might have gone deeper than the sock-in-thearm how's-it-going? level. Teachers you ignored when they insisted
you were smart and ought to apply yourself more.
Girls you could have dated.
One girl in particular. One girl with long, honey-brown hair and
a smile that was both shy and mischievous, and a fantastic figure
and, as it turned out, beautiful feet.
Maybe, when all was said and done, you never could have dated
her. But you could have tried. You could have made a move. You
could have taken the risk. You'd never been afraid to make a fool of
yourself-except with her.
The prom reminded you that in a few days you were going to
walk through that door and leave the first eighteen years of your life
behind. And although you would journey forward, see new places,
try new things, live your life, and have a damned good time while
you were at it, you'd always wonder what might have happened if
you'd dared to make a fool of yourself with Erika Fredell.
Prom night had been fine, Erika supposed. Bland food, tooloud music, a few maudlin speeches that provoked both nostalgic
sniffles and raucous jeers, everyone looking just a bit too shiny
and only a few girls dissolving into tears in the bathroom. Erika's
pedicure had survived a lot of boogying on that crowded dance
floor, and her head ached only a little bit from the constant din of
rock and hip-hop thumping through the deejay's speakers and
people shouting to be heard above the music.
She hoped with all her heart that prom night wouldn't turn
out to have been the best night of her life, however. Because honestly, it wasn't that great.
The truth was, she was looking forward to the party at
Jennifer's house that Laura had told her about much more than
she'd looked forward to the prom. Khaki shorts and a camisole
top were much more her style than a formal gown, and Teva sandals were a lot kinder to her feet than three-inch heels. Peter
would be at the party, but they'd never really been a couple, so he
wouldn't expect her to hang out with him. And if the music was
too loud, she'd ask Jennifer to turn it down, or go into another
room.
"You're so quiet," Laura said as she drove down a winding
road dense with evening shadows. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Erika sighed. She hated lying to her friend.
"It's going to be a good party," Laura remarked. "Everyone'll
be there. And we're all free now! We've been sprung."
"I know," Erika said, trying not to sound melancholy.
Laura shot her a quick glance. "You're not worried about seeing Peter, are you?"
"No. Everything's cool between us." She sighed again. "The
thing is ... I've kind of got this crush on someone else."
"Who?"
"Promise you won't laugh?"
Laura looked offended by the question, then grinned. "I'll
laugh only if it's funny."
"It's funny," Erika warned her. One final sigh, and she confessed. "Ted Skala."
"Ted!" Laura didn't laugh. In fact, she swerved halfway over
the double yellow line bisecting the road, then steered back into
the lane and hooted. "Of course Ted."
"What do you mean, of course Ted?"
"He's perfect for you. I've known this for months."
"You have?"
"Why do you think I keep dragging you to parties where I
know he'll be? Same with him. If I know you're coming to a party,
I'll call him and tell him to come."
"But he's already got a girlfriend."
"Eh." Laura steered with her left hand and waved her right
through the air, as if brushing away a mosquito. "He is so perfect
for you. It's about time you realized it."
"First of all, he's not perfect," Erika debated calmly. Ted Skala
might be handsome, he might be intriguing, he might have amazing
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