“The girl who works at LoveBug?”
I nod. Charlene has been very friendly and chatty every time I’ve been in LoveBug. And she seems so smart—I saw her textbook once, so I asked her what she was studying, and she started going on way over my head about complex genetics.
“Ever notice she always has rodents on her clothes?” Cara asks.
I hadn’t noticed that. “What do you mean?”
“Every time I see Charlene, she’s got mice, or hamsters, or something like that on her shirt.”
“She’s a bio major. She likes animals. Maybe she wantsto be a vet.” I clap my hands together, delighted. “Where should we go? It needs to beromantic. But not, like, obviously romantic, because Miles doesn’t buy into that stuff.” What’s romantic but also, like, a normal thing to do?
“A walk on the beach?” Cara suggests.
I shake my head. “It’s still too cold.”
“A fancy meal? Sunsets? Ballroom dancing?”
“That’s it! It’sperfect!”
“Really? No offense, but Miles totally doesn’t seem like the ballroom dancing type.”
“No, not that—sunsets. We can go to Riverdale Park to watch the sunset.” Riverdale Park is a cute park not far from here that has a big west-facing hill. At sunset the view of the Toronto skyline from the hill is absolutely gorgeous. “I’ll set it up. You’ll see. Miles and Charlene won’t be able to resist the beauty of a Toronto sunset. Or each other!”
I go to LoveBug during my break at Cosmic, and thankfully, Charlene is there. I tell her I want to set her up with Miles from the bookstore, but only if she’s interested. I heavily imply that Miles is interested in her, which makes her face light up. Charlene is totally into the idea, which doesn’t surprise me. Miles is good-looking and smart. He’s a total catch. I text him as I’m leaving LoveBug.
Sana: Change of plans. We’re moving the festival meeting to Riverdale Park tomorrow.
Miles: Why? How are we going to have a meeting in a park?
Sana: Charlene wants to see the sunset. I’ll bring snacks. Do you have a picnic blanket?
Miles: Who’s Charlene? Not another blind date.
Sana: It’s not a blind date, because you know her. It’s a visible date! Charlene from the café. She’s into you.
Miles: The girl with the rat T-shirt?
I make a face. Why has everyone noticed Charlene’s rodent attire except me?
Sana: She’s studying bio at U of T. She’s smart, and a great conversationalist.
Miles: I still don’t know why I agreed to these setups.
Sana: Because you can’t say no to me. I told you that you would acquire a taste for me.
Miles: You weren’t kidding when you said you were determined.
Sana: Come on, Miles. It will be fun. The sunset view at the park is unmatched, and since Charlene works on Love Street, she’ll have ideas for the festival. She’s lovely. And she’s vegan, so she won’t throw fish at you.
Miles: Fine. I know where Riverdale Park is. I’ll meet you there. What time?
Sana: Seven. Don’t forget a picnic blanket.
On Friday after school, I prepare the most perfect date food for the picnic. I pack fancy cheese cut into cubes, a sliced baguette, hummus, gingerbread cookies, some grapes, and some dried dates. I know Charlene’s vegan, so she won’t eat the cheese, but there’s plenty of other stuff. I even have a cute little pint of fresh strawberries, which are without a doubt the most romantic food in existence. I consider dipping the strawberries in dark chocolate, but I don’t have time.
I dress in high-waisted, wide-legged pink jeans and a white T-shirt, topping it with a fantastic cardigan Mom made me out of variegated yarn in all the colors of the sunset—orange, red, yellow, white, and a touch of purple. I add a cute yellow bucket hat to finish my “early spring picnic in the park” style. I look in the mirror. “Perfect,” I say to Zuri. She meows in return.
With my backpack stuffed with food, I rush to grab a streetcar to the park after I leave the flower shop. Everyone will be meeting there, since Hannah and Cara are having dinner with Hannah’s friends first, and Charlene will be coming straight from her school, where she works in the lab. Miles isn’t working—and I still have no idea where he lives. I check my watch once I board the streetcar. I’m going to be a bit late.
