Read Online Meet Me in Manhattan (True Vows) by Judith Arnold - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Judith Arnold
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green eyes that expressed so much. But he was a little wild and
a little rough-hewn, and he wasn't going to college, and ... and
she was sure she could come up with a long list of his shortcomings if given the time.
Not that it mattered. She wasn't looking for perfect. She wasn't
even looking for him. It just happened that she had a crush on
him, that was all.
"Okay, that's first of all," Laura said. "What's second of all?"
"Second of all, he's got a girlfriend-"
"-Who is absolutely not perfect for him. I'm going to get you
two together," Laura resolved.
Erika felt her cheeks warm with a blush. "How? What are you
going to do? Will I die of embarrassment?"
"The only way you'll die is if I kill you for being stubborn and
uncooperative. Trust me, Erika. I'm going to make this happen."
Erika snorted. Laura might be one of her closest friends, but at
that moment, Erika didn't trust her at all.
Ted had gotten a ride to Jennifer's house with Will. A week ago,
he would have driven over with Kate, but a lot could happen in a
week. Kate could throw a hissy fit to end all hissy fits, tell him she
thought he was an asshole because he'd wanted to spend the
night before graduation with his buddies instead of with her, tell
him he would never amount to anything because he was a jerk
and jerks never amounted to anything, and in a fairly anticlimactic conclusion to her tirade, tell him that if he was planning to
go to Jennifer's graduation party Friday night she wouldn't go,
because she didn't want to be at a party with him.
After Kate had called him an asshole and a jerk and informed
him he'd never amount to anything, he couldn't really get all
worked up about how she planned to spend her Friday night.
She was gone. Good-bye. Good riddance. Too bad she hadn't
decided he was an asshole and a jerk before he'd spent all that
money on the prom.
So he'd gone to the party with Will, and plenty of people were
there, and he was free. Free from school, free from Kate, free from
any expectations other than to show up at the golf course tomorrow for a day of caddying gigs. A beer and his friends tonight; lots
of big tips tomorrow. No complaints.
He sat on a lawn chair on the slate patio that sprawled shapelessly out from the rear of Jennifer's house, sipping his beer and
inhaling the beefy smoke rising from the gas grill, where burgers and hot dogs were sizzling. Placed on one end of a long table
draped with a fluttering paper tablecloth reading, "Congratulations, Graduates!" in screaming red letters, a boom box blasted
Nirvana into the warm evening air. The rest of the table held
bowls of chips, pretzels, and other snacks. After a few more sips
of beer, Ted might bestir himself to get a burger. But right now, it
felt good just to sit and empty his mind of everything except Kurt
Cobain's howling voice.
He closed his eyes, rolled his head back, and savored the peaceful emptiness of his mind. He was almost annoyed when someone poked him in the arm. Opening his eyes, he saw Laura
plopping herself into the chair beside him and he decided not to
be annoyed anymore. "Hey," he greeted her.
"I know the perfect girl for you," she said, unable to suppress
a giggle.
"So you told me once before. I've been waiting ever since to
find out who Miss Perfect is."
"Sometimes these things take time," Laura said. "Especially
when everyone's being stubborn and foolish."
"You can't possibly be talking about me," he said with a grin.
"Well the thing is, this perfect girl has a crush on you."
As long as the allegedly perfect girl wasn't Kate, Ted was okay
with it. "Yeah? So who is she?"
Laura gazed around the backyard. At least twenty-five kids
were there, talking, eating, cutting up. Which one had a crush on
him? Someone in the yard? Someone inside the house? Someone
who hadn't arrived yet or hadn't been invited?
Laura turned back to him. "Erika," she whispered.
He bolted upright in his chair. "Fredell?"
"How many
a little rough-hewn, and he wasn't going to college, and ... and
she was sure she could come up with a long list of his shortcomings if given the time.
Not that it mattered. She wasn't looking for perfect. She wasn't
even looking for him. It just happened that she had a crush on
him, that was all.
"Okay, that's first of all," Laura said. "What's second of all?"
"Second of all, he's got a girlfriend-"
"-Who is absolutely not perfect for him. I'm going to get you
two together," Laura resolved.
Erika felt her cheeks warm with a blush. "How? What are you
going to do? Will I die of embarrassment?"
"The only way you'll die is if I kill you for being stubborn and
uncooperative. Trust me, Erika. I'm going to make this happen."
Erika snorted. Laura might be one of her closest friends, but at
that moment, Erika didn't trust her at all.
Ted had gotten a ride to Jennifer's house with Will. A week ago,
he would have driven over with Kate, but a lot could happen in a
week. Kate could throw a hissy fit to end all hissy fits, tell him she
thought he was an asshole because he'd wanted to spend the
night before graduation with his buddies instead of with her, tell
him he would never amount to anything because he was a jerk
and jerks never amounted to anything, and in a fairly anticlimactic conclusion to her tirade, tell him that if he was planning to
go to Jennifer's graduation party Friday night she wouldn't go,
because she didn't want to be at a party with him.
After Kate had called him an asshole and a jerk and informed
him he'd never amount to anything, he couldn't really get all
worked up about how she planned to spend her Friday night.
She was gone. Good-bye. Good riddance. Too bad she hadn't
decided he was an asshole and a jerk before he'd spent all that
money on the prom.
So he'd gone to the party with Will, and plenty of people were
there, and he was free. Free from school, free from Kate, free from
any expectations other than to show up at the golf course tomorrow for a day of caddying gigs. A beer and his friends tonight; lots
of big tips tomorrow. No complaints.
He sat on a lawn chair on the slate patio that sprawled shapelessly out from the rear of Jennifer's house, sipping his beer and
inhaling the beefy smoke rising from the gas grill, where burgers and hot dogs were sizzling. Placed on one end of a long table
draped with a fluttering paper tablecloth reading, "Congratulations, Graduates!" in screaming red letters, a boom box blasted
Nirvana into the warm evening air. The rest of the table held
bowls of chips, pretzels, and other snacks. After a few more sips
of beer, Ted might bestir himself to get a burger. But right now, it
felt good just to sit and empty his mind of everything except Kurt
Cobain's howling voice.
He closed his eyes, rolled his head back, and savored the peaceful emptiness of his mind. He was almost annoyed when someone poked him in the arm. Opening his eyes, he saw Laura
plopping herself into the chair beside him and he decided not to
be annoyed anymore. "Hey," he greeted her.
"I know the perfect girl for you," she said, unable to suppress
a giggle.
"So you told me once before. I've been waiting ever since to
find out who Miss Perfect is."
"Sometimes these things take time," Laura said. "Especially
when everyone's being stubborn and foolish."
"You can't possibly be talking about me," he said with a grin.
"Well the thing is, this perfect girl has a crush on you."
As long as the allegedly perfect girl wasn't Kate, Ted was okay
with it. "Yeah? So who is she?"
Laura gazed around the backyard. At least twenty-five kids
were there, talking, eating, cutting up. Which one had a crush on
him? Someone in the yard? Someone inside the house? Someone
who hadn't arrived yet or hadn't been invited?
Laura turned back to him. "Erika," she whispered.
He bolted upright in his chair. "Fredell?"
"How many
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