Dad’s Prius was waiting out front. I climbed in the front and Jake climbed in the back.
“How was it?” Dad asked.
“Interesting,” I said.
Dad nodded toward the strip mall by the theater. “Do you guys mind if I run into the store and pick up some ice cream? Sheree and I were talking about some cold dessert.”
“No problem,” I said. Maybe I’d get a chance to talk to Jake in private.
Dad steered around the theater to the grocery in the strip mall. Everyone we knew hung out at the strip mall. There was a sub shop, a pizza place, and a gaming store.
As we pulled into a space, Jake said, “Did you know they raised their membership rates again at GamerCraze?”
“No.” Of course, the guys I knew would pay anything to access the online gaming they had.
Dad opened his door. “Back in a flash.”
“Zoe,” Jake said when Dad was gone. “You’re a really good kisser.”
“I am?” I turned sideways in my seat.
His green eyes searched mine.
“I mean, so are you. Kisses are always good, right?” If he hadn’t figured out that he was my first real kiss, I certainly wasn’t going to enlighten him.
“Well, yeah, but not like, that good.” He reached out and tweaked my nose. “Because that was really good. Maybe,” he started, and then he blushed.
I giggled. “You’re blushing.”
“So are you,” he accused.
I just giggled more. “I know, but I always blush. You don’t.”
“It’s not funny, Zoe.” His expression was serious. “This is bad. In fact, we have to do it again.”
That shut me up. “What?”
“I have to kiss you again.” His eyes held an earnest look. “I have to find out.”
Like I was gonna argue. “Okay,” I said with a shrug, intrigued by this whole intense, troubled side of him.
He scooted up in the seat. I closed my eyes. His lips touched mine.
Rap. Rap.
My eyes snapped open to the sight of Anya rapping on the car window. I got an eyeful of Anya’s horrified, angry, shocked face on the other side of the window. It was like a bad dream. But it was real.
I froze and Jake jumped backward, his eyes wide.
He turned to look out the window in time to see Anya’s last glare before she stomped off toward the pizza place with Brad in tow.
Jake just sat there. I sat there. My blood was pumping through my veins, and my brain was addled. I couldn’t begin to fix this situation.
“So Anya saw us,” I said softly.
In the theater, I hadn’t been too worried. But here, in the car, I’d felt like the kiss was real and private. Well, the very beginnings of a real kiss.
At least he wasn’t running after her. “I thought you were over her.” I was starting to get tired of all the surprises.
“I am,” he said automatically. Then he turned back toward me, giving me a lopsided smile. “Do you think your dad will be much longer?”
“No.” I’d forgotten he could pop up any moment.
“Your dad who has probably been kissing my mom the whole time we were in the movie.”
Not cool. I grimaced. That was an image I didn’t need. “Right,” I said, resigning myself to a life of loneliness. Dad had left the store and was coming toward the car.
Dad opened the car door and said, “Sorry about that, guys.” He handed me the cold bag of ice cream.
I tried to find a reason to blame Dad for what Anya had seen. He just had to have ice cream. He had to date Jake’s mother. Honestly, I wouldn’t have missed out on these kisses for anything.
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