Page 66 of The ABCs of You & Me

In the end I’ve selected broccoli, onions, goat cheese, fresh pasta, parmesan, lemons, chicken, and a loaf of Italian bread.

“What are you making?” Sophie asks as we are walking back to the car.

“It’s a surprise.” It’s a surprise for me too, I don’t have a clue what I’m making, but I know these flavors will all work well together. It’s some kind of pasta, that’s all I know.

Sophie buys flowers, honey, a German chocolate cake, and in the end some goat cheese for herself as well.

“Can we have the cake for dessert, or does that ruin the G theme of the meal?”

“I think between the starter and the main, we’ll have G covered,” I quip as Sophie pulls the car onto the road.

“I’m excited to meet Gary.”

“He’s looking forward to meeting you too. No promises that he’ll keep his feelings to himself that you stole me away for the day.”

“Hardly for the whole day. It’s only been a couple hours. I’m sure he’s fine.”

“You’d be surprised how needy the guy is.”

Gary is making me look like a liar. The minute he sees I have Sophie with me, he turns and trots to my bedroom. When I go to get him, he wedges himself under the bed, letting me know without a shadow of a doubt that he has no interest in socializing.

“Maybe he knows I’m more of a dog person,” Sophie whispers when I come out empty-handed.

“Don’t tell him, but I am too,” I concede. “Want a tour?”

“Absolutely.”

“Well, you’re standing in my formal dining room, kitchen, and foyer. I”—I gesture at my feet—“am standing in the living, family room combo.” I walk to my bedroom, and Sophie follows. “The bedroom, also Gary’s refuge.”

“May I?” Sophie asks before stepping inside when I nod. She takes in my mostly blank walls before stopping at the foot of my bed and staring up at the large piece of art I have above my bed. I let her take it in, wanting to know how it makes her feel.

I’m not a great admirer of art or anything, but this one did something to me when I saw it. An abstract forest that seems to lead to eternity. It’s a print, of course, but I had it professionally mounted which elevates it.

While she looks at my room I look at her. Hair up, light green sweater, jeans that make her legs look even longer than normal. I’m convinced at this point that green only exists for her to wear.

“Not what you expected?” I ask when she makes a tiny noise of approval.

She turns to me, shaking her head slowly. “It’s not that I was expecting racy images of scantily clad women or anything. She shrugs. “It’s… so grown-up.”

“I am grown-up.” I grin back.

“I know.” She laughs. “I remember your old room being very— well, you hadLord of the Ringsposters and video game stuff everywhere.”

“You can say it, I was a nerd.”

“Are you saying you’re not a nerd anymore?”

“Nope, definitely still a nerd. I just wear those posters on my body now.”

Her eyes assess me slowly before meeting mine. There’s an odd softness to her expression, yet something heated in her eyes. She can’t be looking at me like that while we’re standing in my bedroom. She can’t be looking at me that way because we’re just friends.

TWENTY-EIGHT

SOPHIE

I don’t know what’s come over me, but standing in Foster’s room, surrounded by the essence of him, him standing next to me talking about having all that nerdy shit on his body makes me suddenly desperate, ravenous to see what he’s covering up.

I drag my eyes up his long lean body, my imagination going wild, pulling from the glimpses I’ve seen. When my gaze meets his, I see my hunger reflected back.

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