A Girl Like You by vinnie Kinsella (good books to read for 12 year olds .TXT) 📕

“Yeah, hanging around.”

“I’ll stay and hang with you. My parents said it was ok.”

“Thanks, kid.”

“You’re welcome.”

Then she launched into a story about her best friend in first grade who she called a sister because neither of them had one, and after all, they both liked everything purple and playing badminton in gym. They’d exchanged braided friendship rings, sat together at lunch, and even liked the same boy, which Lily didn’t think would be a problem.

I glanced discreetly at my watch so I wouldn’t interrupt her story.

“Whoops, what time is it?” Lily asked.

“Quarter after five.”

“Gotta go, my grandpa’s coming for dinner and he always brings cupcakes for dessert. With pink frosting and sprinkles that look like real glitter.”

She struggled back into her winter gear, barely resembling her graceful self.

“Mwuh!” she blew me a kiss.

Lily would one day give the world a run for its money.

Hearing about the cupcakes made me hungry. Maybe I could walk down after dinner and see if they had an extra cupcake and tell them what a sweetie they had for a little girl, maybe meet the lucky grandfather.

My cell phone buzzed—an incoming message.

Thank God! I wanted to be sitting down to feel the full effect of what I imagined would be a sexy text from Jeremy. Instead, he had texted this: “Hey. Lisa, stop busting my balls. Sorry I cancelled last night, but I was out shooting film for the calendar. I’ll make it up to you with my tongue later, babe.”

I read the message three times, trying to make sense of it.

For starters, clearly, I was not Lisa. Secondly, he’d been with me Saturday night, not out taking photos. And last, but certainly not least, he was going to use his tongue—his magic tongue!—to make her forget she was mad at him.

WTF??

I didn’t text Jeremy again, which essentially meant I was the one ghosting him, which made me feel less let down. I gotta say I missed that magic tongue.

Back to the vibrator wand it was.

54

In December, we put up a little Christmas tree in the window at work. I should say, I put up the tree, and the guys asked when I was bringing in holiday cookies. Me? Bake? I didn’t think so.

I was working my way through an enormous stack of tax bills at the office when I heard the building’s front door slam. I glanced at Joe, who was texting, then looked up to see who it was.

“Can I help—”

It was Michael, smiling at me as he walked across the lobby. He was wearing a navy ski jacket, a striped scarf, and the aviator sunglasses he wore when we went out for falafel. It wasn’t even sunny outside.

Jesus. Maddy had been right. Someone had walked right into my office, but instead of being someone wonderful, it was my worst nightmare. Then the front door banged again and a slim, young blonde woman came in, rubbing her bare hands together to warm them.

“Mikey, it’s too cold to wait in the car,” she whined.

“Sorry,” Michael asked, not even glancing her way. “How are ya, Jessie?”

I blinked my eyes, hoping he would disappear. No luck.

“How can I help you?”

“Here to pay the taxman,” he said, taking his time pulling out his checkbook.

The blonde went over to the radiator near Jerky’s chair and turned around to warm her ridiculously cute ass. The men’s jaws dropped in unison. Even Jerky was entranced.

“All right, I’ll take your payment,” I said, looking squarely at his right shoulder.

“Don’t spend it all in one place,” Michael said, ripping out his check with a flourish.

“OK,” I said, wondering how he could think he was the first one to make that dumb joke.

“So,” he said, leaning closer over the counter. “How are you, Jess?”

“Good, fine,” I said, painfully aware that Joe had stopped texting and was watching me with interest.

“You know what? I should apologize,” he said.

“No need for that!” I said, wishing he would leave.

“It’s just, you texted me a lot and I felt like it was getting too intense,” he whispered, making Joe swivel his chair closer. “I hadn’t been with someone who liked me as much as you did, at least, not until Lacey.” He gestured at the blonde with his thumb.

“Good luck with that,” I said, rustling papers and trying to stay calm under Joe’s open stare.

After an excruciatingly long pause, Michael finally turned away from the counter, holding out his hand to pull Lacey close to him.

“See ya,” he said over his shoulder before letting the door slam behind him on his way out.

I burned with fury. Liked him as much as I did? I was checking out the waiter at the Greek restaurant! I was back on Fish that night.

But he was right, I realized with a sinking heart. I had texted him and asked to see him a lot. I had pictured us having dinner in a nice restaurant, holding hands in a movie theater, even introducing him to Maddy and Ian. I had, for that short amount of time we dated, pictured him as my boyfriend, even when I wasn’t sure that was what I really wanted, or what we had the potential to be. And it had been way too early. I’d learned a lot since I’d known Michael about rushing things and getting carried away.

I hadn’t genuinely wanted Michael, but I wanted what he represented. I liked the idea of Michael more than I liked him in real life.

“Soooo,” said Wes, who had of course woken up in time to watch the entire exchange. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.”

“Didn’t seem like nothing,” Joe snorted.

“That’s Michael Warner—a real pothead, that one,” Wes said, pulling a baloney sub out of his lunch bag. “Know him?”

“Not at all,” I said, straightening my shoulders and reaching for another stack of bills to reconcile.

I was remarkably unfazed.

Paulie got up and went to the window to watch Michael and Lacey hurry to their car across the street, then turned quickly, startling his friends.

“Look sharp,