Page 72 of The Second Kiss
“We’d better start cleaning this up,” he says.
“Did I mention I have a date?” Jasmine says.
“Yeah, let me introduce you to your perfect match.” Jacob hands her the broom.
“Exactly who I wanted to spend tonight with, thanks.” She accepts the broom and kisses it.
It takes a vacuum, a feather duster, a broom, and more than an hour to get the flour cleaned up. Even then I’m sure we’re going to find flour in some odd place months from now.
Once we're finished Jacob reaches for a cookie. “So are you still teaching kick-boxing at the community center?”
“Actually, now that I’m eighteen I can teach at a club in town. The pay is a little better and it’s closer to home. But I only teach one class of kickboxing. Somehow they talked me into teaching an early-morning spin class.”
“Spin, that’s stationary bicycling right?”
“Yep,” I answer.
“So that should be pretty tame, just you and a bunch of old ladies?”
“No way,” Jasmine says. “It’s totally a kick-butt class. I’ve never been in a class where I sweat so much.”
“Oh c’mon how hard can it be to sit down and go nowhere?” Jacob challenges. “You guys should try PT sometime.”
“There are actually some guys from base who take the class." I lean against the counter. “They don’t act like it’s all that easy.”
“Old officers who spend all day behind a desk,” Jacob helps himself to another cookie.
“No, young guys too.” I reach over and take Jacob’s third cookie away from him and take a bite. “I’d like to see you try it.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Is that a challenge?”
“Take it however you want." I turn around to take another batch of cookies out of the oven. "But in case you do decide to take it as a challenge, the class is at 5:45 AM, Tuesday and Thursday. Fifth Avenue Fitness, on you guessed it, Fifth Avenue”.
“I’ll think about it.” He looks at his watch. “I need to get going.”
Jasmine wraps up a plate of cookies and hands it to him.
“5:45. A. M.” I remind him.
“We’ll see,” he says. “Thanks for the cookies.”
“He has a date.” I say as soon I hear Jacob’s car start in the driveway.
“Maybe,” Jaz says, stealing one of my conversation hearts.
“He only came by to bring you flowers from Gage.”
“Maybe.” Jasmine stares at the heart.
“I’m starting to think you and Gage are conspiring against us.”
“Maybe.” Jasmine says again, clearly avoiding the question. “What do you think ‘y re et’ means?”
“You’re sweet,” I answer.
“Why thank you.” She pops it in her mouth. “He drove all the way out here, on Valentine's Day. Does it really matter why he came? He could have just had the flowers delivered.”
I consider what she's saying, but then shake it off. At least Jacob and I are back on speaking terms. That might be the most I can hope for right now. “I’m not getting my hopes up again.” I tell Jasmine.
