A Date with Fate Read Free Page A

really.
    Rule number one: compliment them.
    â€œThat’s an amazing seagull,” she said warmly. She didn’t even have to fake it. He really was good. “You’re properly talented, Josh.”
    Josh closed his sketchbook, clearly surprised to see Eve standing there. “Thanks,” he said. “What are you doing out here?”
    Eve knew the rules as well as if she’d had them tattooed on the insides of her eyelids. Rule number two : add a little mystery .
    She turned to face the waves, taking care to pull her hair well back from her lips. “I like to think out here sometimes,” she said in her most serious voice. “School can get a little too . . . intense. The sea makes everything clearer.”
    â€œI find that too,” he said, looking interested.
    Boys were so predictable. The puppy-tummy stage was already only a few steps away.
    â€œCan I sit with you?” she asked, flicking her eyes sideways at him.
    Josh laid out his coat so she wouldn’t have to sit on the sand and patted the space. “Best view in the house,” he said.
    It was a great view, the way the waves curled and dashed themselves against the sand. There was something mesmerizing about it. If it weren’t for the fact that Eve was losing the battle between her hair and the wind, she would have almost said she was enjoying herself.
    Rule number three , she thought . Ask questions. A LOT of questions.
    â€œDo you come out here a lot?”
    He nodded, opening up his sketchbook again. “All the time.”
    Eve shifted so she was looking directly into his eyes. They were lovely eyes. Bright green eyes. She put her whole soul into her next question.
    â€œWhat makes this place special for you?”
    Josh fiddled with his sketchpad, and Eve felt a little flicker of pleasure. He couldn’t hold her gaze. She’d work on that. Coax him gently into the sunlight. Let him know that it was OK to look as long as he liked.
    â€œProbably the same thing that makes it special for you,” he replied. His head was bent over the page, his pencil making swift marks on the page. “The peace of it. The grandeur.”
    Grandeur was a nice word. Eve liked it. She nudged very gently against his shoulder. “What are you drawing now?”
    â€œSomething I’ve been working on for a while.” He flushed, looking nervous suddenly. “Do you want to see?”
    She put her hand on his arm. “I’d love to see anything you want to show me, Josh.”
    He fumbled a little, opening up the sketchbook. Eve stared at the little panels, the word bubbles, the energy of the pictures. “You’re drawing a comic book?” she said.
    â€œA graphic novel,” he said a little tightly, and shut the sketchbook with a final-sounding slam.
    Eve realized that she was pushing this too fast. Josh would wriggle off her hook if she didn’t tread carefully. She changed tack.
    â€œI didn’t know there was a difference,” she said quickly. “I don’t know anything about graphic novels. I didn’t mean any offence.”
    She gazed at her hands in what she hoped was a suitably humble kind of way, waiting and hoping for the moment when Josh would relax again.
    â€œComic books are for kids,” he said after a moment. “Graphic novels are on a different level. I’ll show you what I mean.”
    He got his sketchbook out again, opening it up to a central page covered in strong dark lines. Eve felt a wave of relief. She hadn’t lost her fish yet.
    As Josh explained the concept behind his graphic novel – something about a quest in a magical land – Eve mentally constructed the perfect wardrobe for him to wear to her party. It would have to match her dress, but not in an obvious way. It was all about getting the right feeling. A touch of blue somewhere. Maybe on his socks?
    â€œWhat do you think?” Josh was looking at her expectantly. Eve