“So….”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember my dad’s friend?”
“No, which one?”
“You know the tall guy with the mustache and the goatee. Sometimes he’s clean-shaven, though.”
“No, I don’t really remember him. What’s his name? Does he have a cute son? What’s his son’s name?”
“He doesn’t have kids.”
“What do you mean he doesn’t have kids? Don’t you have a crush on his son?”
“No, Nellie.” She shook her head. “I don’t have a crush on his son.”
What she was saying suddenly dawned on me. “You have a crush on him?”
“Maybe?” She grinned wickedly.
I was in complete shock. My best friend never kept secrets from me, and this was a big one. “How old is he? If he’s your dad’s best friend, he must be quite old?”
“Well, how old is the single dad in the store?”
“He’s a young dad, Shel. He’s certainly not old enough to be my dad!”
“So now you’re judging me?”
“Of course not! I mean, we’re mature. We can totally date older guys.”
“Can we, though?” Shelby made a face.
“Yeah, of course we can.”
“But, Nellie …”
“But what, Shelby?”
“Do you think they’d want to date us?”
“That I’m not sure of,” I replied, and we laughed again. “You want to watch a movie?”
“Only if you make some popcorn.”
“Of course, and hot chocolate. Come on, let’s head to the kitchen. I think that I got some last time I was at the store.”
“Yay!” Shelby followed me into the kitchen.
I was thinking about her idea as we headed down the hallway. I didn’t love it, but I actually didn’t hate it. There were so many things that I’d wanted to say to the guy in the store that I just hadn’t had the nerve to say in person. But in a letter, well, in a letter I could totally let him know exactly what I was thinking. In a letter I could come clean about everything.
Maybe her idea wasn’t so bad. I’d just have to make sure that when I left it in his shopping cart, I wasn’t seen. But I could be as smooth as a criminal, as smart as a thief if I wanted to. Maybe this would actually be quite fun.
I was going to do it. What could possibly go wrong with me leaving an anonymous note?
Chapter Four
I waited until Shelby was fast asleep and then I crawled out of the bed. I grabbed my laptop and walked down to the living room.
I had been thinking about Shelby’s idea all night, and I just couldn’t sleep. I was going to write a letter to the man in the store. He needed to know that his behavior was not acceptable. It was understandable that his kids were brats. It wasn’t their fault that they were acting out; they were most probably doing it because they wanted his attention, but he was too focused on his phone calls to notice. He’d complained to me about being on the phone, too, but I wasn’t responsible for any kids. He was the sort of father who really needed to be told off. And that didn’t make me a Karen; that just made me a caring citizen.
I entered the living room and was surprised to see my brother sitting on the couch.
“What are you doing up, Nellie?” Hunter looked up at me in surprise.
“What are you doing up, Hunter?” I showed him my laptop. “I have some work to do for school.”
“You’re actually doing work? I’m impressed.” He grinned. He held up his phone. “I’m waiting on Birdie to call me.” He shrugged. “With this time difference, sometimes I have to wait a little later.”
“Oh, wow. Never thought I would have seen my brother waiting up this late for a call.” I laughed.
“Well, she went out with her friends and I want to make sure she got home okay.” He looked a little sheepish. “That’s what you do when you’re in love.”
“Ah, that is so sweet.” I beamed at him. “I’m so glad you guys got back together. You know, I’ve always loved Birdie and, well, I had prayed and hoped that this would happen.”
“You prayed and hoped that we would get back together?” He looked surprised. “You never told me that.”
“Dude, I was always on your back about her. You didn’t realize that the reason I brought her up so much was because I thought you needed to be back with her?”
“No. I just thought you were being my bratty little sister.” He laughed. “So, what are you working on? Is it anything I can help you with?”
“No, it’s just a writing project, and I’m pretty sure I know what I’m going to write. I just have to do it.”
“Well, okay, then.” He nodded. “Shelby sleeping?”
“Yep. And Hunter?”
“Yes?” He gave me a suspicious look.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because whenever you say my name like that, I know you want something.”
“I don’t want anything. I just …” I paused. I had to phrase this in just the right way.
“Come out with it, Nellie. Just tell me what it is you want.”
“Well, Shelby was hoping she could move in and—”
“No way.” He shook his head. “You and Shelby can’t live together. Do you know how much craziness would be going on? And you know Mom and Dad would not be okay with that.”
“Hunter, please. You don’t even have to tell them.”
“I’m not going to lie to Mom and Dad.”
“You don’t have to lie to them. You just don’t have to tell them.”
“You know they’re going to ask me who’s moved in here.”
“Hunter, please? You have so many bedrooms. Maybe Shelby and someone else can move in them?”
“I know I have so many bedrooms, which is why I don’t understand why Shelby is sleeping in your room right now.” He made a face. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you guys were lesbians.”
“Really, dude? She’s been my best friend for ages. We always have sleepovers and we always share the same bed because that way we can gossip and laugh and talk and … You know, it’s just fun.”
“I know. Girls are very different from guys, trust me. When me and my friends slept over, none of us shared a bed unless we absolutely had to. And that was only one night in Vegas when we were only able to get one room and no one wanted to sleep on the floor.”
“Wah, wah, wah,” I said. “Poor you and your friends. You guys are just homophobes.”
“Whatever, Nellie. But look, I’ll talk to Mom and Dad, and perhaps they won’t mind Shelby living there if someone older moves in, too.”
“I wish you and Birdie would move back,” I said hopefully. “That would be the best.”
“You know if Birdie moved here, we wouldn’t be living with you. No offense, sis, I love you, but Birdie and I would need our own space.”
“Birdie wouldn’t tell me to move out,” I said confidently. “She’d know that she was helping me out, and she’d be happy to do it.”