Read Online The Opposite Of Tidy by Carrie Mac - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carrie Mac
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back of his truck.
“Who’s supposed to do what?” Lulu asked once everything was ready.
“Lulu and Tabitha can greet people and take their bottles,” Wade said. “Ollie, Junie and I can sort them out. How does that sound?”
Tabitha shot Junie a look. See? He likes you best , she said with her eyes, and for the first time, Junie wondered if she might be right.
Ollie settled himself at one end of the long table, Wade and Junie at the other. People backed up their cars and unloaded beer bottles and pop cans, and Junie and Wade and Ollie took them and sorted like with like. They had to pack the bottles by dozens. Junie caught Ollie watching her count.
“I can count to twelve,” she said. “It’s pretty much everything after that that’s the problem.”
Wade raised an eyebrow. He turned to Ollie, but Ollie just shook his head.
“Math is not my forte,” Junie added. “Ollie tutors me.” “Ah.” Wade grinned.
“Still want me to count for you?”
“Sure.” Wade stacked another box on top of a tower of boxes. His arm muscles firmed up as he did. “Ollie can help you if you get stuck.”
“Jerk.” Junie punched him in the arm.
Tabitha, having seen the whole exchange, called Junie over.
“For the record, you only punch your crush in the armif you are eight years old or younger. Case in point, Nick Gimse in third grade.” She accepted a bag of wine bottles from a guy driving a Land Cruiser. “Thank you, sir.” She returned her attention to Junie. “If you want Wade Jaffre to take you seriously, you have to act your age.”
“Are you giving me boy advice? Do I have to remind you that I’ve been your date for every high school dance we’ve ever been to? So much so that I’m sure the whole school population thinks we’re lesbians.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Fine, then me too.” Junie glanced back at the sorting table. The bottles were piling up. “Okay, lesbo. Are we finished with this little coaching session?”
She punched Junie in the arm. “No more elementary school dating techniques. Be a woman.”
“Maybe Evelyn St. Claire can employ you as a life coach intern for your summer job this year.”
“And maybe her Weimaraner will chew off her surgically sculpted nose while she sleeps.”
“That’s not a very Tabitha thing to say.”
“Well, That Woman inspires terribly violent thoughts. Very un-Tabitha-like thoughts. Out of everyone involved in your family’s massive meltdown, she’s the only one worth blaming anything on.”
Wade came up in time to hear the last bit. “Who’re we blaming? And for what?”
“No one,” Tabitha and Junie said in unison. “Nothing.”
“Understood.” He helped himself to the wine bottles and took Junie’s hand. Tabitha grinned. Junie felt luscious, nervous chills dance up her arms. Wade Jaffre was holdingher hand. In his. Their hands were touching. His was warm and dry. Hers felt clammy and sticky from handling the dirty bottles. “Care to join me at the sorting table?”
“Oh, Wade. Are you asking Junie on a date?” Tabitha’s tone was cheeky. “Because it kind of looks like it.”
Wade blushed—actually blushed, his brown cheeks brimming dark red. “Maybe.”
Junie glared at Tabitha. She wanted to both kill her and make her queen of the world. She mouthed over her shoulder, I hate you , and then, I love you! as Wade dragged her back to the sorting table.
SIX
They raised five hundred and sixteen dollars at the bottle drive, and so would end up with over a thousand by the time the teachers’ union matched them. At the end of the day, after they’d made several trips to the bottle depot in Ollie’s dad’s truck, Wade suggested they get warm at the café across the street from the mall.
“What can I get everyone?” he asked as they gathered at the counter to read the menu. “It’s my treat.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Lulu said in her breathy way.
“She’s right,” Junie added. “You
“Who’s supposed to do what?” Lulu asked once everything was ready.
“Lulu and Tabitha can greet people and take their bottles,” Wade said. “Ollie, Junie and I can sort them out. How does that sound?”
Tabitha shot Junie a look. See? He likes you best , she said with her eyes, and for the first time, Junie wondered if she might be right.
Ollie settled himself at one end of the long table, Wade and Junie at the other. People backed up their cars and unloaded beer bottles and pop cans, and Junie and Wade and Ollie took them and sorted like with like. They had to pack the bottles by dozens. Junie caught Ollie watching her count.
“I can count to twelve,” she said. “It’s pretty much everything after that that’s the problem.”
Wade raised an eyebrow. He turned to Ollie, but Ollie just shook his head.
“Math is not my forte,” Junie added. “Ollie tutors me.” “Ah.” Wade grinned.
“Still want me to count for you?”
“Sure.” Wade stacked another box on top of a tower of boxes. His arm muscles firmed up as he did. “Ollie can help you if you get stuck.”
“Jerk.” Junie punched him in the arm.
Tabitha, having seen the whole exchange, called Junie over.
“For the record, you only punch your crush in the armif you are eight years old or younger. Case in point, Nick Gimse in third grade.” She accepted a bag of wine bottles from a guy driving a Land Cruiser. “Thank you, sir.” She returned her attention to Junie. “If you want Wade Jaffre to take you seriously, you have to act your age.”
“Are you giving me boy advice? Do I have to remind you that I’ve been your date for every high school dance we’ve ever been to? So much so that I’m sure the whole school population thinks we’re lesbians.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Fine, then me too.” Junie glanced back at the sorting table. The bottles were piling up. “Okay, lesbo. Are we finished with this little coaching session?”
She punched Junie in the arm. “No more elementary school dating techniques. Be a woman.”
“Maybe Evelyn St. Claire can employ you as a life coach intern for your summer job this year.”
“And maybe her Weimaraner will chew off her surgically sculpted nose while she sleeps.”
“That’s not a very Tabitha thing to say.”
“Well, That Woman inspires terribly violent thoughts. Very un-Tabitha-like thoughts. Out of everyone involved in your family’s massive meltdown, she’s the only one worth blaming anything on.”
Wade came up in time to hear the last bit. “Who’re we blaming? And for what?”
“No one,” Tabitha and Junie said in unison. “Nothing.”
“Understood.” He helped himself to the wine bottles and took Junie’s hand. Tabitha grinned. Junie felt luscious, nervous chills dance up her arms. Wade Jaffre was holdingher hand. In his. Their hands were touching. His was warm and dry. Hers felt clammy and sticky from handling the dirty bottles. “Care to join me at the sorting table?”
“Oh, Wade. Are you asking Junie on a date?” Tabitha’s tone was cheeky. “Because it kind of looks like it.”
Wade blushed—actually blushed, his brown cheeks brimming dark red. “Maybe.”
Junie glared at Tabitha. She wanted to both kill her and make her queen of the world. She mouthed over her shoulder, I hate you , and then, I love you! as Wade dragged her back to the sorting table.
SIX
They raised five hundred and sixteen dollars at the bottle drive, and so would end up with over a thousand by the time the teachers’ union matched them. At the end of the day, after they’d made several trips to the bottle depot in Ollie’s dad’s truck, Wade suggested they get warm at the café across the street from the mall.
“What can I get everyone?” he asked as they gathered at the counter to read the menu. “It’s my treat.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Lulu said in her breathy way.
“She’s right,” Junie added. “You
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