Page 103 of The Sweet Spot

“You should,” he says. “But it’s fantastic you’re taking the course live. You’ll have to tell more about it when you visit this summer.”

My heart leaps in excitement. “So, it’s definite?”

“Of course, it’s definite! I’ve already spoken to your mother about it. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep you for the month of July.”

“Hell yeah, it’s okay with me!” Giddy at the news, I sit up straight. “I’ll stay with you in New York?”

“For a week, and then we’ll head out. Lily tells me you don’t have a passport, so we’ll have to rectify that situation immediately.”

“Passport?” I echo dumbly.

“Yeah, they take forever sometimes. I have a few connections, luckily, so if we apply right now we should be in the clear.”

My mind races. This can’t be real. “Where are we going?”

“How much time ya got?” he teases.

“Plenty!” I sputter, gaping at myself in the mirror.

“Good!” Arlo chuckles. “I want to take you to Mexico City first, then make our way over to San Miguel de Allende. Lots of art. Great architecture. A protégé of mine from Tisch is going on a job there around then, so I figured we could travel together for a while. Amias—you’ll love him,” he says, picking up speed as he gets excited. “From there, I was thinking Belize; I have a couple of friends who own an ecotourism resort. It’s beautiful. We’ll finish up in Costa Rica. I want to show you the Cloud Forests near Monteverde.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Swinging my legs to the side of the bed, I sit for a moment. “I’ve never even been outside of the country.”

“I know,” he says gently. “But there’s so much to see. We’re staying on this side of the world for now, but maybe we can hit up Europe next summer. Or maybe for the holidays—Christmas in Paris is pretty great. Maybe we can get your mom to come.”

“Arlo!” I’m grinning so hard my cheeks hurt. “This is nuts!”

“I know, but you’ll be in good hands. I travel for a living.”

“I totally trust you!” I laugh. “This is like…the best news I’ve ever gotten.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” he says. “We’re going to have a great time.”

I scratch my head, frowning. “Wait, so you said you spoke to my mom?”

“I talk to her all the time.”

“What?” I’ll have to talk to my mother about this, because her sneaky ass never mentioned it. “How did I not know this?”

“I have no idea.” Arlo clears his throat, something I’ve noticed he does when he’s uncomfortable. “Anyway, I’ve emailed Lily the details concerning your passport application, but I need you to jump on that too. It can take up to six weeks, and we don’t want anything getting in the way of our trip.”

Later, after I’ve completed an assignment for calculus, I shoot my mother a text.

Wren: Arlo says we gotta get me a passport

The three dots pop up. I wait and wait, wondering what the hell she could possibly be typing. In the end, all she says is

Mom: Yes! Exciting!

Wren: I didn’t know you guys had been keeping in touch…ooh la la

Mom:Well, what can I say? We have a kid together.

Luca

Matty and I are halfway through a pint of beer each at one of our favorite dive bars when he wrinkles his nose like he just smelled something foul.

I pick my glass up and lean back in my chair. “What? Your beer off or something?”

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