Page 67 of Be My First

He gives me a toothy smile. “Juno. What a beautiful name.”

“Thanks. She was a goddess, apparently.”

“Fitting,” Justin says.

Bode rolls his eyes. “A bitchy goddess,” he mutters.

“What?” Justin says, although surely he heard him.

“Oh nothing,” Bode says. “Looks like we’re starting the sauce. You should...”

He nudges his head toward Justin’s station.

“Right. Nice meeting you, Juno.” He pauses and adds. “Bode.”

I lean toward Bode and say, “Stop being such a dickhead.”

He answers through gritted teeth. “I’m not. This is the way I always act.”

I huff. “Well, consider changing your personality.”

He huffs.

Patrizia holds up her big knife and says, “Now we mince the garlic.”

Once we’ve finished the sauce and the pasta, everyone sits down outside at a big farmhouse table lined with benches to eat the product of our hard work. I take a bite and lean back and groan.

“Seriously?” I look at Bode. “How? That’s so damn good.”

He’s nodding his head. He lifts his hand for me to fistbump him. “Junie, we make a good team.”

“We really do, Bo,” I smile in agreement while digging my fork into my pasta.

“So how long have you been together?” Justin asks us.

“Oh, we aren’t together,” I answer before Bode can say something stupid. “Bode, is my jailor for the next two weeks.”

Bode nearly chokes.

Justin just tilts his head to the side.

Bode coughs and pats his chest a few times. “She’s joking. We’re just friends.”

Justin looks thoroughly confused but continues, “How did the pasta turn out?”

“Amazing,” I say. “What about yours?”

“Divine,” he says.

“What are we making this afternoon?” I ask, looking around the table.

Susan pipes up. “The lemon ricotta cake.”

“Oh yummy,” I say.

I look at Justin and say, “Want to be my partner this afternoon?”

I feel Bode tense beside me, but I ignore him. Justin’s eyes flash to Bode before he answers.

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