Supernatural Summer Read Free Page B

declined his offer or asked for my okay to date him.
    "If you want to know more about Audrey, maybe you should give her a call?"
    His brow crinkled. "Why would I want to talk about her?"
    "The other day, you were all about, you know, ‘is she seeing anyone?' "
    "That was for my brother. Audrey's into older guys, right?"
    "She is."
    "He might ask her out. But he's kind of a flake, so no promises. So, you want to hang out?"
    The little pinpricks returned. They skittered up the back of my neck to the top of my head. My greatest fantasy was being handed to me, along with a ginormous problem. The guy of my dreams was asking me out, and I was without Audrey, my usual cover. I swallowed, hard. I could do this. I had to do this.
    "Coffee would be great," I beamed.
    While Josh ordered lattes and sweets, I scanned the café for the safest place to sit. A table in the back held the most promise. The windows were bare and the surrounding spaces were empty. I took a stack of newspapers—already ruffling and falling onto the floor—and dropped them in the recycle bin on the opposite side of the room.
    Josh set our order and a few napkins on the table. I tucked the napkins under my cup and hoped for the best. Talking to Josh was easier than I'd dared to hope. At one point, I fell into a dreamy haze, mesmerized by the way his teeth flashed when he smiled and said my name. For all the time I'd spent dreaming about him, I never imagined that we'd hit it off this well.
    I looked into Josh's eyes, and he held my gaze. A heartbeat passed, two, then three. That proved to be my tipping point. Our table started to shake. I grabbed it and held it still.
    "Whoa, that was creepy," he said.
    "Uh, that was kind of weird," I said innocently. A tingling sensation twitched in my nose. "Hey, do you smell smoke?"
    Our eyes dropped to the table.
    "Oh!" I said. The unused napkins were smoldering. Flames flared up.
    Josh calmly grabbed a rag off the counter and tamped the fire down. He laughed and leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. "I'd say that's proof that this place is haunted."
    "No kidding?"
    "That's the rumor. Some guy died in the building a hundred years ago, and strange stuff has been happening ever since."
    I knew for certain it was no ghost interrupting our date, but I was happy to run with his theory. "So, you believe in that sort of thing? Ghosts and, I dunno, paranormal stuff?" I casually finished my drink, acting like my every hope didn't hinge on his answer.
    Joshua pressed his lips together and seemed to consider how to reply. "Yeah. It'd be cool to see one. That doesn't make me too much of a geek does it?"
    I had to bite my tongue to keep from bursting into a goofy grin. "I think it's cool, being open to weird stuff."
    "Oh, so you think I'm weird?"
    "No, that's not what I meant," I laughed, and my cheeks flushed.
    Joshua laughed, too, and I relaxed. I was pulling this off.
    Another latte and two scones later, he leaned across the table and took my fingers in his hand. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I held the table down with my free hand, just in case.
    "So," he said, "I'm going to Carey's party tonight. If you want, I could pick you up."
    "Yes!" I blurted. But a second later, I dreaded my impulse. What if I lost control while I was surrounded by classmates? On the other hand, if I turned down this date, who knows if I'd get another chance? "That would be great."
    "Excellent."
    "Excellent," I agreed.
    We added each other's numbers into our cell phones and made plans for the party while he walked me out. I was dancing on clouds, and I'm sure my energy was spazzing out, but there was nothing on the street for it to disrupt. Josh opened my car door for me and nodded at something on the seat. "Hey, I love those."
    I followed his gaze. It was the Mary's Gone Crackers that I'd bought for myself and Ram Dass. Ram Dass!
    "Uh, I'll see you tonight. Okay? Okay. Good." I closed the door before he could say another word. I resisted the urge to