Page 80 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

She laughs. “Maybe. Because I definitely didn’t expect it.”

She and I talk for another half hour before ending the call. Then I sit back down at my computer and work on turning Valarina into the thief I know she can be.

***

Mondays are awesome! Why? Because we have book club!

Lunch can’t come any faster, and when it does, I practically fly into the cafeteria. Rylee and Zoey are already waiting in line and I join them, telling them how I can’t wait to discuss An Evening with the Heiress because there’s tons to talk about.

“I can’t wait, either!” Rylee says. “This line is taking forever.”

Since we want to save the discussion for when we’re actually sitting at our table, we talk about random things, then finally grab our food. Just as we settle down and open our books, Kade and Mason join us.

It’s so awesome to finally have guys part of book club. A guy’s perspective is always appreciated, especially for a romance. Mason doesn’t join book club often because he sometimes sits with his mathletes and practices with them, so it’s so cool he’s with us today. And Kade was never much of a reader, so being part of a book club is still pretty new for him.

“Okay, who wants to start?” Zoey asks.

My hand flies in the air, “Me!”

All of them laugh and motion for me to go ahead.

“Okay.” I sit straight and smile. “So first of all, I love Ivy. She’s like the perfect MC. Strong and brave, but she’s also so sweet and even gullible at times, which makes her super relatable. She wants to make everyone around her happy, but she doesn’t compromise on her beliefs or morals, which I think is very commendable.”

“Agreed,” Rylee says. “I was rooting for her to finally get her happily ever after, but the LI was a total jerk.”

“You mean, the one you thought was the LI,” Zoey corrects. “How cool was it that the author made us change our opinion of the characters? The guy we thought was the good guy was really the bad guy, and the guy we thought was the bad guy was really the good guy.”

“I loved it all!” I gush.

“Me, too,” Mason says. “I didn’t see it coming, either, and was very shocked. It was awesome.”

Kade raises his hand. “Uh, what’s LI?”

“Love interest,” Zoey explains. “The guy the female main character is supposed to end up with.”

He nods. “Got it.”

She flings her arms around him. “I’m so happy you’re part of book club. I love discussing books with you.”

He buries his face in her sandy brown hair. “Me, too.”

“Same with you, Dr. Mason.” Rylee lays her head on Mason’s shoulder. “I love that we get to share our interests with each other.”

“You guys are so cute!” I say. “Maybe the guy I end up with will be a book lover.”

“That would be so adorable,” Rylee says with a smile.

We continue discussing the awesome book while eating our food. One of my favorite chapters was when Ivy was out on a promenade with Henry, AKA, the guy who is NOT the love interest, and then she passes by the REAL love interest, James. They share such a profound look that just says it all. They both secretly love each other, but of course they can’t be together because they’re from different classes, plus James has a criminal record—not his fault, of course. And then they secretly meet at the same place a few hours later, at nightfall, and profess their undying love for one another.

I sigh happily. “Maybe one day I’ll be part of a movie or TV series that takes place during the Regency era. That would be epic.”

Rylee’s phone beeps. She fishes it out of her jeans pocket and scans the screen, her lips lifting in a smile. “Yay! Noah just texted me that he secured tickets to the concert for all five of us and our parents and their friends. And a plus one for you, Mia, in case you want to bring a date.”

Zoey nearly jumps in her seat. “I can’t believe the concert is actually happening, and in only two weeks! I can’t wait.”

Noah, who is Rylee’s older brother, is married to Evie, and they’re in a band. They’ve been touring the country for the past few months and are finally stopping by Edenbury to put on a concert for us.

“Remember how you were worried you wouldn’t be able to go to the concert because you thought you might be put in a foster home outside of Edenbury?” Zoey asks Kade as she threads her fingers through his. “Another one of our dreams is coming true.”

---