chair as if he were sitting in it, even though he hadn’t been home all day, “we have a friend who owns this little Italian place on Hudson Street. The food is amazing. Maybe Sal is looking for someone.”
I tried not to get too excited. In fact, I was pretty sure I’d been in that restaurant during my job hunt to fill out an application. “He owes you one?”
She flipped her hand modestly. “He almost went bankrupt a few years ago. We helped him out a little. This was before he changed locations. He’s doing really well now.”
“So pull some strings, Mom,” Jennifer said.
Cheryl stood up. “I’ll call him right now.”
“Oh no,” I said quickly. “You don’t have to. I mean, it can wait.”
“Don’t be silly, Taylor. The sooner you quit that chicken job, the better.”
She left the dining room. I looked over at Michael. “Just like that, huh?”
“How do you think I got my job?” he said. “Connections.”
Michael’s mom came back into the room five minutes later, carrying dessert and looking triumphant. “You have an interview next Monday at four-thirty,” she told me. “Is that okay? Will you have enough time to get to Weldon after school?”
“I guess. I mean, yes, that’s fine.” My head was spinning from the speed at which she’d arranged this. “Really? An interview?”
“Sal told me he’s been considering hiring a new server. May as well be you.”
“Wow,” I said. “Thanks.”
She grinned. “You can thank me when you get the job.”
Later, after helping clean up, Michael and I went up to his room. It looked barren in there now with most of his things gone. Just his books remained, and his bed, where we stretched out together.
“Better,” Michael said, closing his eyes. “Estrogen overload down there tonight.”
I laughed. “It’s too bad you don’t have enough time this weekend to go visit Josh.” The prison that had been Michael’s brother’s place of residence for the past year or so was about a three hour drive away. Usually he went to visit him once or twice a month.
“I’ll see him over Christmas break,” Michael reminded me. Josh was scheduled to be released, finally, in December. The family was cautiously excited about it. Jail time had never had much of an effect on him before.
“What do you want to do tonight?” I asked, even though I was too full and tired to even contemplate standing, let alone leaving the house.
Eyes still closed, he tilted his head toward me and smiled. “Lay right here,” he replied. “With you.”
“That,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck, “is the best plan I’ve ever heard.”
When he kissed me he tasted like the apple crisp we’d had for dessert—sweet and warm with a hint of cinnamon, just like always.
Chapter 6
Michael dropped by my dad’s house the next morning on his way back to Avery. This good-bye was almost as horrible as the first one, but this time I refused to cry. At least not in front of him. I simply hugged him extra hard and told him I’d see him at Christmas, which felt like an eternity away instead of two short months.
In a way, seeing Michael had made me even lonelier. It was like everything had reset and I had to start missing him all over again. Even worse, he seemed glad to be getting back to Avery and his life there. Relieved, even. It made me feel a little resentful, and jealous of whatever held him there. Engrossing school work? Doubt it. His friends? Maybe. Another girl? God, I hoped not. Michael knew how I felt about cheating, and we’d vowed to never do that to each other. We’d break up first. I’d witnessed the effects of cheating when my father left my mother to be with Lynn, and again when my ex Brian dumped me for Kara Neilson. I didn’t have it in me to relive it again.
With everything that happened on the weekend, it was no surprise that I totally forgot about starting chemistry labs on Monday morning. I forgot about something else too, I
I tried not to get too excited. In fact, I was pretty sure I’d been in that restaurant during my job hunt to fill out an application. “He owes you one?”
She flipped her hand modestly. “He almost went bankrupt a few years ago. We helped him out a little. This was before he changed locations. He’s doing really well now.”
“So pull some strings, Mom,” Jennifer said.
Cheryl stood up. “I’ll call him right now.”
“Oh no,” I said quickly. “You don’t have to. I mean, it can wait.”
“Don’t be silly, Taylor. The sooner you quit that chicken job, the better.”
She left the dining room. I looked over at Michael. “Just like that, huh?”
“How do you think I got my job?” he said. “Connections.”
Michael’s mom came back into the room five minutes later, carrying dessert and looking triumphant. “You have an interview next Monday at four-thirty,” she told me. “Is that okay? Will you have enough time to get to Weldon after school?”
“I guess. I mean, yes, that’s fine.” My head was spinning from the speed at which she’d arranged this. “Really? An interview?”
“Sal told me he’s been considering hiring a new server. May as well be you.”
“Wow,” I said. “Thanks.”
She grinned. “You can thank me when you get the job.”
Later, after helping clean up, Michael and I went up to his room. It looked barren in there now with most of his things gone. Just his books remained, and his bed, where we stretched out together.
“Better,” Michael said, closing his eyes. “Estrogen overload down there tonight.”
I laughed. “It’s too bad you don’t have enough time this weekend to go visit Josh.” The prison that had been Michael’s brother’s place of residence for the past year or so was about a three hour drive away. Usually he went to visit him once or twice a month.
“I’ll see him over Christmas break,” Michael reminded me. Josh was scheduled to be released, finally, in December. The family was cautiously excited about it. Jail time had never had much of an effect on him before.
“What do you want to do tonight?” I asked, even though I was too full and tired to even contemplate standing, let alone leaving the house.
Eyes still closed, he tilted his head toward me and smiled. “Lay right here,” he replied. “With you.”
“That,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck, “is the best plan I’ve ever heard.”
When he kissed me he tasted like the apple crisp we’d had for dessert—sweet and warm with a hint of cinnamon, just like always.
Chapter 6
Michael dropped by my dad’s house the next morning on his way back to Avery. This good-bye was almost as horrible as the first one, but this time I refused to cry. At least not in front of him. I simply hugged him extra hard and told him I’d see him at Christmas, which felt like an eternity away instead of two short months.
In a way, seeing Michael had made me even lonelier. It was like everything had reset and I had to start missing him all over again. Even worse, he seemed glad to be getting back to Avery and his life there. Relieved, even. It made me feel a little resentful, and jealous of whatever held him there. Engrossing school work? Doubt it. His friends? Maybe. Another girl? God, I hoped not. Michael knew how I felt about cheating, and we’d vowed to never do that to each other. We’d break up first. I’d witnessed the effects of cheating when my father left my mother to be with Lynn, and again when my ex Brian dumped me for Kara Neilson. I didn’t have it in me to relive it again.
With everything that happened on the weekend, it was no surprise that I totally forgot about starting chemistry labs on Monday morning. I forgot about something else too, I
Similar Books
