Page 71 of Songs of Summer

“It’s a good thing you’re back there guarding the cake. This could have been quite the disaster,” Matt said.

In more ways than one,Maggie thought.

“Happy to be of use,” she replied, instead, in a shaky voice that she didn’t recognize. It had been some kiss. Their first and their last, she swore to herself, as the lustful memory of it was overshadowed by guilt. She repeated her prior rationalization.

I did it and now I won’t have to spend my whole life (with Jason) thinking about what it would feel like to kiss Matt. I climbed off the top shelf and now I can return to it—safe and sound.

Matt grabbed a black-and-white cookie from the bag and passed the rest back.

“A little nosh,” he said, in his best old Jewish man accent, adding, “I like to eat the vanilla half first, and then the chocolate, but you do you.”

And she did, starting right down the middle.

Matt had been right about the traffic. The ride that had taken an hour on the way in looked like it would be twice as long on the way back. They filled the time with a back-and-forth game of music trivia. They were safely back in the friend zone.

“Best album?” Matt asked.

“Favorite or best?”

“Best.”

“Prince.Purple Rain.”

“Not even in my top five.”

“Pull over, I’m getting out!”

“But the cake!”

“True. OK, give me your top five.”

“Nevermind.”

“Ha ha. You can’t trick me. I own a record store.”

“OK. Nirvana’sNevermind,Abbey Road, duh, Radiohead’sIn Rainbows,Zeppelin IV, and—don’t laugh—Fleetwood Mac,Rumours,” Matt listed.

“Not laughing. I totally agree with all but would substituteCowboy Carterfor Radiohead.”

“That’s legit—what about live music?”

“What about it?”

“Your first concert?

“My parents took me and Jason to JazzFest in New Orleans, 2007. We went because Rod Stewart was playing, and they were desperate for me to hear ‘Maggie May’ live.”

“That must have been awesome.”

“It was. You?”

“I usually say Flo Rida at Madeline Schwartz’s batmitzvah, for the laugh, but truth is it was the Jingle Ball, also 2007, at the Garden—you’re jealous, right?”

“I am!”

“You should be, Jonas Brothers and Backstreet Boys!”

“Stop! Who do you wish you could have seen? I’ll go first—Prince.”

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