Labor of Love Read Free

here—although, yes, I did plan to keep an eye out.
    No, my coming here had more to do with putting distance between me and home. Getting away, far away, worked for me. I had no desire to run into my ex-boyfriend. I was hoping that before school started his family would move to Alaska or Siberia. Never seeing him again would totally work for me.
    Nudging me, Amber whispered, “He has a really nice smile.” She nodded at the guy behind the counter.
    Okay, great. Amber, the skeptic, was suddenly a believer. I touched the brim of my white cap. “No hat.”
    I was a little taller than she was, and I wasn’t at all stocky. I wasn’t as tall or thin as Jenna, either. If we were in a fairy tale, I’d be the one who was just right—hey, it’s my fairy tale.
    â€œMaybe he just doesn’t wear it when he’s working,” Amber said.
    Maybe.
    â€œAre you a Kansas City Chiefs fan?” Amber asked the guy as he set our order on the counter.
    He scowled, as if he’d been insulted. “Are you kidding? Saints.”
    â€œOh, right.” She gave me a look that said, What’s his problem?
    His problem was probably that he was working and we weren’t. I knew the feeling.
    We ordered sweetened tea, paid for our order, and sat at a nearby table.
    â€œOkay, so he wasn’t the one,” Amber said.
    â€œThere is no ‘the one,’” I assured her, before sipping my tea. Nothing is better than sweetened tea on a hot day. I took a bite of my éclair. The filling was a combination of custard andcream, with a wicked amount of chocolate on top. Really good.
    â€œOhmigod!” Amber exclaimed, after taking her first bite of praline. “This is the best I’ve ever tasted. It just melted in my mouth.”
    â€œI think New Orleans is famous for its pralines,” Jenna said.
    â€œIts pralines, its music, its voodoo, its beads. We’re going to have so much fun,” I said.
    â€œIt’ll be the best summer ever,” Jenna admitted.
    â€œAlthough I think you’re wrong to swear off guys,” Amber said. “It’s like my dad is always saying: When you fall off the horse, the best thing to do is get back in the saddle.”
    I started shaking my head. We’d spent hours discussing the unfairness of it all. All I really wanted to do now was escape into summer.
    â€œI think Amber’s right,” Jenna said. “Look, we’re going to be here for six weeks. We’re bound to meet guys, guys who are available. Why not hook up with one? Just for fun, just to have someone to do something with? Have a summer fling? Get Drew out of your system,completely and absolutely.”
    Why not? Because it was scary to think about liking someone new, knowing how much he could hurt me. I didn’t know if I could do a casual relationship, if I could keep my heart from getting involved. I’d fallen for Drew really fast. And who could blame me? I mean, how many guys these days bring a girl flowers on their first date? And, okay, it was only three flowers, and I think he’d plucked them from my mom’s garden, but still—the thought counted.
    â€œLook, Drew was a jerk,” Amber said. “Chad would never hurt me like that. And I don’t care what the psychic said. He’s the one. I totally love him.”
    â€œBecause you totally love him, I should hook up with somebody?” Amber is one of my best friends and I love her, but sometimes I can’t follow her thought process. Like the comment about the Corning Ware.
    â€œNo, I’m just pointing out that not all guys are going to do something to hurt us.”
    â€œJust don’t say absolutely not,” Jenna said. “Keep yourself open to the possibility that youcould hook up this summer—temporarily anyway.”
    â€œBut we’re not here to hook up. We’re here on a mission.”
    â€œBut I don’t see why we can’t