Page 95 of Hooking Up

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"We used to go there every summer. When I was a kid. We'd stay on the bay. I'd swim all afternoon. My parents would sit in the sun and read. And then we'd watch movies all night. My dad is a big film buff. You guys probably like a lot of the same stuff."

"Shit. You're comparing me to your dad? Is that a kinkydaddything?"

I laugh. "No. It's just the movies. He's incredibly clean-cut."

"It was just you?"

"And my sister."

"Are you close?"

"No. Not anymore." She shut me out. I understand why she did it. Hell, I agree with her decision. But I miss her. I hate that I have to stalk her on Instagram to get updates on her life.

"Older or younger?"

"Older."

"Mine is older too."

"You just have one?"

"Yeah."

"Sabrina?"

His eyes turn down.

I back up. "Lily."

"Lily?"

"Yeah. My parents had a theme. She tells everyone they got the name fromHarry Pottereven though the books came out when she was nine."

"No one calls her on it?"

"Not usually."

"What's she do?"

"She's a programmer." Her office is in Santa Monica. It's a fifteen-minute walk from here. Sure, it's Saturday, but there's a chance she's there. She works a lot.

Or she used to.

I don't really know what she's been doing the last two years beyond the snippets I get on social media.

I turn my attention to the menu. Everything sounds good.

My stomach rumbles. It's still weird, craving food. Wanting a flavor. Reallyfeelinghunger.

I used to love Indian food.

But that was a long, long time ago.

"Vegetable curry. Medium." I hand the menu back to him.

"You eat meat?"

"Oh. Yeah. I just like vegetable curry." I brush my wet hair behind my ear. "Is that wrong?"

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