Page 75 of Better Than Revenge
I smiled, imagining it. “As far as first kisses go, how was it?”
“He was an excellent kisser,” she said. “And it was even better for having waited.”
THEO CLIMBED IN MY CARSaturday morning after we finished our workout. I was still a little sweaty from all the lunges we did at the end of our session.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t take my car?” he asked.
“Are you a car snob?”
“Yes.” He smiled to let me know he was at least partially joking.
“We’re taking my car, and you aren’t going to judge the trash.”
“I don’t see any trash,” he said, looking around.
I kept my car relatively clean, but there was an empty Taco Bell cup in the drink holder. I pointed to it.
“I’m judging you,” he said.
“Fair.”
“What’s the plan?” he asked, buckling his seat belt. “Are wemeeting your friends there for the surfboard search, or are we picking themup?”
“Oh…neither.” I actually hadn’t told them. It hadn’t even crossed my mind. Deja probably worked today anyway.
“Just us, then?” he asked.
“Just us.” I pulled away from the curb.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“About it just being us? Yes, very.”
“Funny,” he said. “No about this visit.”
“Yes. I’m worried that the board isn’t going to be in the shed. That I’m getting my hopes up. I really want to find it for my grandma while she still has good days.” There was a hair tie around the gear shift, and I twisted it several times while I drove.
“I’m sure it’s hard to watch her slowly lose more of herself.”
“It is. That’s why I’m on this mission, I guess. It feels like something I can control in the whole process because so much of it Ican’t.”
“You like to control things? I hadn’t noticed.”
I playfully smacked his arm. “I’ll have you know that I barely edited my most recent episode.” Which was true. I’d kept my loud laugh and even a few filler words, telling myself I needed to worry less about how other people saw me and more about being authentic.
“It was a really good episode.”
“You listened?” I asked, glancing his way. Was he going to mention the kiss?
“I did.” He turned his attention out the window. “Thanks for letting me come today.”
“Can I ask you a question?” It was something I’d been wondering since reading the Facebook message from Alice with him on Thursday after flag football.
“You sound serious. Should I be scared?”
“No, it’s just…why did you want to come? Why are you interested in finding the surfboard?”
“You’re always questioning my motives,” he said. “I wanted to come because your grandma’s story is super interesting and I want to see this surfboard.”