Page 64 of Rebound With Me
Nina
He leftthe Rumi book on the bedside table. For a self-proclaimed non-reader, I am impressed that he has respected the spine of the book by leaving it open face-down. He is in the bathroom, done showering, but I can’t help but pick up the book to check to see if it looks read. He hasn’t said anything since I gave it to him—which is fine—it’s hard to talk about poetry. You get it or you don’t. I can tell immediately that every page has been looked at. Flipping through it, I see that he has underlined many sentences from the introduction by the translator, and earmarked one page.
I hear him talking in the bathroom, probably on the phone. I have to see what page he earmarked. I flip to it and see that it’s my favorite poem, a tiny one. “The minute I heard my first love story…” and he wrote on the page:THIS
I put the book back the way it was on the bedside table, smiling and feeling warm all over.
Yes.
This.
The bathroom door opens, Vince walks out wearing nothing but his swim trunks, looking all shiny and new, and I feel warm all over in a completely different way. But when I hear Charlie’s voice through his phone, I sit up straight and get into Miss Parks-mode. I’m wearing a flimsy sundress over my bikini and need to make sure I don’t accidentally expose too much.
“Show me the room!” Charlie says. Vince turns his phone around to give him a 360 of the room. I wave at Charlie’s little face on the screen. “Oh hey!”
“Morning!”
Vince brings the phone over to me on the bed. His dad’s face pops into view.
“Hey Nina, we could use your help with something.”
“Hi Neil.”
Vince gives me his phone to hold, and immediately slides his hand up my dress, between my legs. I push his hand away.
“Charlie here is going to his friend’s birthday party this afternoon and we haven’t got her a present yet. He wants to get her a book. Thoughts? She’s eight.”
“Oh Charlie, is this the girl who gave youMatilda?”
“Yes.”
“Did you finish reading it?”
“Yeah, I liked it.”
“Well, maybe you should give her one of your favorite books.”
“She’s already readHarry Potter.”
“Okay, what else do you like? What other books do you re-read when you get the chance?”
“Holes,Phantom Tollbooth,I guess.”
“Great books! I loveHolesbut since I don’t know the girl it might be a little dark for her. You should get herPhantom Tollboothand then you can talk about it.”
Vince is snickering and Neil rolls his eyes.
“I think you should talk to your girlfriend about holes.”
“Oh my God,” I punch his bicep. “You dork.”
“She’s not my girlfriend!”
“Where’s Gabe when you need him.”
“Okay, we gotta go to the bookstore. Thanks Nina. Have fun you guys. Stay outta trouble.”
“Not a chance.”
