Page 75 of Heart and Soul
“No.”
“Because I love you,” he says.
I’m caught off guard, to say the least. It’s strange how you can feel something and know something and even show it so many times by your actions and still be completely floored to hear it put into direct words. Feeling my face overheat, the only natural response that comes to mind is to continue the stupid argument. “So what? I love you, too.”
“Good,” is his witty retort.
Which I follow with an even wittier “Okay, good.” And then, as we both try not to smile, I say, “Because tomorrow night we’re going to a secret necromancer’s masquerade where we’ll probably both be killed by demons, so…”
“So…you thought we’d have one last donut before that?”
We’re parked in front of a donut shop in a strip mall that opens any minute. “Yes,” I lie. “But not just any donut. It has to be your favorite donut.”
“My favorite? I don’t have a—”
“No, Jay. Unacceptable.”
He makes an offended look. “What, I can’tnothave a favorite donut?”
“No, you can’t. You have to pick one. Is that so damn hard? Are you telling me you like all donuts the same?”
“What if I did? Is this a cop joke?”
I make my own offended look. “Um, only if you think it’s a joke that if you don’t have a favorite donut, then I have to assume you don’t have a favoriteanything, including a favorite person.”
His face scrunches with the strain of trying to keep up with my logic. “That’s just…such a girl thing to say.”
I gasp, this time for real.
Jay laughs, because he knows he’s busted. “Fine, fine. A favorite donut…” He thinks hard. Too hard. Geez, maybe he’s worse off than I thought. “Oh. What about a maple bar?”
“Are you seriously asking me?”
“Not everybody has just one favorite of everything. It depends on how you feel at the moment. Like, do you always order the same exact thing at restaurants?”
“Yes! Haven’t you noticed?”
“Wait, you do?”
“Why would I go there if I didn’t know exactly what I wanted? You know what, forget it.”
“No. You started this. Obviously, it’s important for you to know which donuts I like.”
“Oh my—” I massage my temples. “This has nothing to do with donuts! I’m trying to…look, when I saw my family back there. When I saw Bunica…Iknowher. I know every single person there. Everything about them. Likes, dislikes, quirks, wants, dreams. I want to knowyouthat way.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,oh. But it’s impossible.”
“Not fair. That’s your family. You’ve known them your whole life. It takes time.”
“I really hate that answer.”
“Of course! Because you’re impatient. You want everything right now, this instant.”
“See? You already know everything about me. That’s what I’m talking about.”
“Congratulations. You’re easy.”
