Read Online Reflections of Yesterday by Debbie Macomber - Free Book Online

did notice her, he pretended he hadn’t.
    “Simon.”
    “Yeah.” He continued to bounce the ball, took aim, and shot from the free-throw line. The ball swished through the net.
    “About the dance …”
    Bouncing the ball, Simon drowned out her words, shot, missed, made a rebound, and slam-dunked the basketball.
    “Simon … I …” She hesitated, and her voice became small.
    He tucked the ball under his arm and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand. “Listen, I got the picture. You don’t want to go to the dance with me. Fine, there are plenty of other girls who would jump at the chance.” His throat felt as dry as sandpaper. Without a backward glance, he walked to the water fountain and drank enough to ease the parched feeling.
    Angie followed him. “Would you consider taking me if”—she swallowed—“if I met you there?”
    “Met you there?” Simon repeated, astonished. “Listen, Angie, I know you live on Oak Street. I do drive in that part of town. It isn’t any crime to live where you do.”
    “I know, it’s just that my dad, well … Would it be all right if I met you at the gym?”
    “No,” he said calmly, “it wouldn’t be all right. If I ask a girl out, then I expect to pick her up and take her home. Understand?”
    Slowly Angie nodded. Her arms tightened around her books, crushing them to her chest.“That’s the kind of thing you should do.”
    “Are you coming with me or not?” Simon shifted his weight to his left foot, the basketball still tucked under his arm. He tried to give the appearance that it didn’t matter to him either way. If she went with him, fine. If not, he’d ask another girl. The choice was hers.
    “Thank you for asking me, Simon. I’ll always remember that you did.” With that, she turned and walked away.
    A long minute passed before Simon ran after her. “Angie.”
    She hesitated before turning around. Her face was so drawn that her dark eyes were in sharp contrast to her bloodless features. “Yes.”
    She looked so miserable that he immediately wanted to comfort her. “I could pick you up at the library.”
    “Would you?” Her voice grew even softer.
    “I don’t want to go to the dance with anyone but you.”
    She looked for a moment as if she wanted to cry. Biting her lower lip, she gnawed on it before forcing a smile. “There’s no one else I’d want to take me.”
    “Can I carry your books?”
    She nodded, and when he reached for her hand she gave him that, too.
    That night they’d shared a tentative kiss. For the first time, Angie let Simon drive her home from the library. They stopped at the local drive-in for something to drink, and sat and talked until Angie glanced at her watch and looked startled. She had Simon drop her off a block before Oak Street. Her fingers were on the doorknob when Simon stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. Surprised, she looked back. Simon said nothing as he leaned forward and gently brushed his mouth over hers. He’d experienced far more passionate kisses, but none so sweet.
    By the time he arrived home, Simon was whistling.
    “You’ve got it bad,” Cal had commented a month later.
    “What do you mean?” Simon decided to play dumb.
    “You and Angela Robinson.”
    “Yeah, so what’s the big deal? She’s terrific; I like her.”
    “I like Angie, too. Everyone does, but you know what kind of problem you’ll face if you ask her to the prom.”
    Simon did know. It’d been in his mind all week. Angie hadn’t mentioned it, but thebiggest dance of the year loomed before them like D Day. For all his parents knew, he was still dating Shirley. Neither his mother nor his father would appreciate him asking a girl from Oak Street to the country club dinner scheduled after the prom. For that matter, Angie had never mentioned her home or family, either.
    They’d continued to see each other nightly, with Simon dropping her off a block from Oak Street and sitting in the car until she