A Song for Julia Read Free

my father would approve of.”
    Crank leered at me and leaned forward suddenly. “You’re saying your father wouldn’t approve of me?”
    I looked in his eyes and took a deep breath. They were blue and clear, very clear, and his bleached white hair made them stand out in a way that made me want to look into them all day. He stared at me as if he was trying to see inside. I swallowed, my throat dry. “My father would definitely not approve of you.”
    He smiled, a crooked, boyish grin that made my heart beat a little faster, and for the first time I noticed that one of his bottom teeth was slightly crooked. It was cute.
    “When do you go back to Boston, Julia?”
    I swallowed and took a deep breath. “I’m taking the train back in the morning.”
    He winked. “You know the city? I’ve never been here before. Show me Washington? We’ll have a good time.”
    “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I’ve got a pretty hard and fast rule. I stay the hell away from guys I’m attracted to.
    His grin, which was turning insufferable, got even bigger. “I know it’s not a good idea. That’s why we should do it.”
    I narrowed my eyes at him. “And what exactly are we going to do during this time?”
    “We’ll start with margaritas and see where those lead.”
    I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Then I laughed more when he pumped a fist and said, “Score!”
    “You’re not very subtle, are you?”
    He shrugged, a motion that somehow involved his entire upper body. “Do I look subtle?”
    “Appearances don’t mean everything.”
    He looked at me through half-lowered eyelids. “Okay. Let’s find out how much they mean. We don’t know anything about each other. So let’s guess … about each other.”
    I suppressed a laugh. That’s when the waitress came back, and he ordered us both margaritas, and I ordered a salad.
    “All right. But you go first.”
    He grinned. “Okay. Let’s see—I know you go to Harvard. And you dress like you mean business. I’m thinking you don’t relax much … you don’t get out and play much. Only child. You’re from … California or maybe Oregon, based on the accent. Your father’s … an executive? With a bank, maybe? You’ve never smoked pot. And that stud in your nose was a major act of rebellion.”
    I giggled. Oh, God. Giggling, seriously? He was just ridiculous. “That’s it?”
    “Hmm … I’m guessing you’ve never missed a day of school in your life, unless it was for something life threatening. But inside, there’s a part of you that wants to break out … and do something crazy.”
    He grinned and said, “Okay, how did I do?”
    “Well, I’m not from California, or anywhere really. But I guess it counts, because my family lives there now. I’m definitely not an only child; I’ve got five sisters. Carrie’s a senior in high school, Alexandra is twelve, the twins are six, and Andrea is five. And … no, I’ve never smoked pot. My dad’s a retired ambassador, so I spent most of my life all over the world. And … rebellion’s never been my thing. I’ve got a pretty good life, there’s nothing to rebel against.”
    It’s amazing how you can say a lot of words that are all true, and completely obscure the truth at the same time. I was an expert at that. I spend my life spinning a web of half spoken truths; an armor weaved of words that do nothing but hide who I am.
    He grinned and very gently shook his head. “Nothing to rebel against? Nothing at all?”
    “Nope,” I replied. Except maybe my mother, who controlled every moment of my life. But that’s more than I was willing to say.
    “That’s sad,” Cranks said. “Everyone should have something to rebel against.”
    I frowned, scrunching my eyebrows together. “I’ve never heard anything that crazy in my life. How can you say that?”
    He shrugged, leaning far back in his seat with his hands in his pockets. “The things you rebel against are the things