Falling for You Read Free Page B

movies.”
    “Why do you sound like you’re trying to cover something up, Mr. Martin? Hmmm? Been sneaking out when Daddy’s not looking?” I pulled open the shop’s junk drawer. No tape.
    It was always like this with Leo. Fun. Easy. I was always happy when I got the chance to see him.
    “All right. You caught me. There’s this twenty-three-year-old girl who is smoking hot and scored me a fake ID. The things we do for love, you know?”
    I pulled a bunch of paperwork out of the in/out basket. There it was. “Ooooh, a secret life. The stuff good books are made of.” I handed him the tape. “Speaking of which, I’m almost done with The Crucible . My teacher called it ‘chilling and delicious.’ Chilling, yes. Delicious, I’m not so sure. But I need something else to read. Any suggestions?”
    “I’ve heard Catcher Eats a Pie is pretty tasty.”
    “Oh, that sounds good,” I said, my mind racing. “Or maybe Pecan with the Wind ?”
    “ Pride and Asparagus ?” he quipped back.
    I laughed. “Oh no, chilling and disgusting. Okay, seriously. You always have your nose in a book. Help me out here.”
    “Do I look like a librarian?” He walked toward the door. “I’m a barista, Rae. Big difference.”
    “But you’re a barista who reads! Actually, I think you’re my only friend who likes to read. Think about it and get back to me, okay?”
    He grinned. “I will. Next time I see you, I’ll be ready. Just can’t think of anything right now. You know how it is when your brain is screaming, ‘Work to do, work to do!’ ”
    I did know. That was another thing about Leo. He was my only friend who understood what it’s like to juggle life and school with a job. My other friends didn’t need to work. I was glad I had him to talk to about that sometimes.
    “Bye!” I called out.
    He waved before he hustled out the door, and I thought, There should be more guys like Leo . I hoped Nathan was as nice as him. Maybe I’d get lucky and Nathan would like to read too. Or he’d confide in me that he secretly wrote poetry in notebooks that he kept hidden in his room.
    What was I doing? I didn’t even know if Nathan and Iwould be able to carry on a decent conversation, and here I was hoping he’d share his deepest secrets with me?
    I felt butterflies in my stomach at just the thought of Nathan. I wanted to blame Alix and Felicia for getting my hopes up, but I knew it was all me. I couldn’t deny that I often envied my friends, with their boyfriends who lavished them with love. I wanted a little lavishing too.

late for dinner
    BUSINESS PICKED UP, AND I ENDED UP STAYING LATE TO HELP NINA finish some bouquets. It was six thirty when I pulled into the driveway, and I knew a certain someone would not be happy with me.
    I got out of my truck, the smell of cut grass and twilight all around me. Dean stood at our faded picket fence with the lawn mower, talking with one of the neighbors, Mr. Pulley. Each had a beer in his hand. Well, how nice. Dean actually knew how to share.
    Dean smiled and waved. “Hey, sunshine, good to have you home. I’ll be inside in a minute.”
    “Sunshine?” What the—are you kidding me? Mr. Pulley smiled and waved, so I did the same. What a picture-perfect scene. We’d become experts at creating magical illusions.
    I hurried inside to get Dean’s dinner going. What couldI make that would be fast? A frozen dinner would be the quickest, but I couldn’t remember if we had any. My mom hadn’t been shopping lately. She was probably waiting for payday.
    I opened the freezer door, hoping for the best. “Oh, thank God,” I whispered. There was one Hungry-Man left. Even better, it was his favorite, Classic Fried Chicken.
    Dean lumbered in as I tossed the plastic tray into the microwave and set it to cook for five minutes. “I count on you for dinner at six thirty, Rae. You know that. It’s really not too much to ask.”
    “Something came up at work,” I told him. “It’ll be ready in a few