Page 54 of My Book Boyfriend
Bella runs over to where he’s serving the reporters. The guy looks cold, dressed as he is in his black-and-white catering outfit with no coat. Bella puts her hat on him. He pats her on the head.
I don’t remember her saying she thought he was a possibility, although she did say he was great to work with.
Mrs. Potter gives an interview to another reporter. As do I.
Once those reporters disperse, Mrs. Potter says to me, “We’ve done what we could for the morning. Especially since it’s so cold. After school, we’ll come back with the teenagers and hit them when they’re leaving the office.” She turns to face our crowd of supporters. One of the moms steps out from the crowd to film it. “Thank you so much for coming out to support Oasis. It means the world to us to know that you gave up your time and energy on this cold and windy day to support the Oasis Garden and to show Strive Developers that this garden means something to such a diverse community of people. It’s not just a plot of land. It’s sunshine, sunlight, organic food, laughter, and love. It’s a community, and we’re not going down without a fight!”
The crowd vigorously cheers, waving their placards wildly in the air.
At4p.m.ourteenagers arrive, and I hand out the placards again. There are about twenty of them, a small melting pot of New York City. Two of the moms return with their potato- and carrot-costumed children.
The two children exclaim excitedly, “You’re wearing a potato costume!”
I bend down to their height and say, “I wanted to join in the fun.” And the video.
Jade leads us in some choreographed dance moves, asking the potato and carrot children to wave their hands in the air, me behind them, while her friend films the whole performance.
After a dip here and some fancy footwork in sync, the teenagers freeze and yell, “Strive to Save the Oasis.”
I wipe away a tear as Rupert exits the building, a baseball cap pulled down low over his brow.
Our glances meet. He holds mine for a moment, then ducks his head as if to say he’s sorry. He turns and walks south. And just like that, I feel like I’ve swallowed a handful of lead nails.
This relationship can’t work, can it?
Maybe he never meant to save the garden.
I couldn’t even attract Aiden, and I believed that Rupert Evans was interested. When I’d told myself not to be a fool about love again.
Chapter sixteen
Rupert
Grandpawasnottheonly family member intrigued by thePage Sixphoto. Mom and Dad invited me over for dinner. And frankly, I need to talk to them. I’m in over my head. Will Grandpa really hire Percy Anderson over his grandchildren? I still want to save the garden, but how to get Grandpa on board?
I let myself in with my key to my parents’ townhouse in the Village. The smell of fresh bread baking means my dad is already home. He bakes bread when he’s stressed. As the door clangs closed, he comes out, apron on.
I hang up my coat in the closet in the back of our entrance room. A huge bed for the dog has been added to the décor, right next to the comfy couch across from a TV hidden behind wall paneling. Upstairs on the parlor floor is the more formal living room.
“What’s happening with this project?” my dad asks. “Your mom is out walking Freckles.”
No preliminaries. We stand facing each other, the staircase leading up to the second floor off to the side.
“Rowena and I are working together, and we’ve both told Grandpa we come as a package.”
“Did you hear Rowena tell him?”
“No.”
“Your grandfather doesn’t believe in co-CEOs,” my dad says.
“So he said.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him that he basically destroyed your relationship with Uncle Tom.”
Dad flinches.
