it’s the sound of the world’s smallest violin
Nellie
Rude
poking fun aside, I’m happy you two worked it out (:
because now we can double date!!!
it’s going to be perfect.
“Daisy!” Mom called from downstairs. “Jamie just pulled up!”
Junie flew by me first to bound down the stairs, all but knocking me into the banister. The frontdoor opened before she could get to it, and Jamie stepped inside quickly before shutting the door.
“Jamie!” Junie called, rushing up to him. She tilted her head back to peer up at him, batting her lashes. “Jamie, can I come with?”
“Next time,” he promised Junie, lifting a hand out to her for a shake. “What should we do?”
“A picnic!” Ivy called, jumping up as if she’d been invited, too.
Jamie chuckled, giving her a thumbs up. “Deal.” And then he turned to my mom. “I’ll have Daisy text you when we’re on our way home, Mrs. Carmichael.”
“Oh, don’t worry. Just have fun.” Mom gave me a smile from where she sat on the couch, giving the bottle of nail polish in her hand a shake. “Who wants their toes done?”
All of the kids yelled out “Me!” Even Theo.
Even as they hurried away, Jamie didn’t immediately open the door. “Your surprise,” he murmured to me. “I think you’ll like it.”
“You’re building the suspense quite high, so I’d open the door before you can’t live up to it.”
Jamie scoffed a little. “Brat,” he muttered with a small grin, but opened the front door.
In all honesty, Iwasexcited for whatever surprise Jamie conjured up. He typically had good ideas—and this one was no different. I didn’t really see anything until I stepped out onto the porch, and then saw it in the driveway.
Not Jamie’s car, but a dark red convertible sat parked with its top down.
“No way.” Despite purely not believing my eyes, a grin spread across my lips, and I rushed down the steps. “Noway! No way Beck let you borrow it!”
Jamie’s lips mimicked my smile as he trailed after me, his face a mirror reflecting my happiness. “It took a little persuading, but I let Nellie do the heavy lifting.” He lifted his hand, giving the keys around his finger a delicate swing. “He has a soft spot for you, apparently.”
I was so excited that I launched myself at Jamie, wrapping my arms around his neck and dragging him down. He tucked me close, his hand pressing gently at my back. “He has to be nice to the bestie,” I told Jamie with a little squeal. “All boyfriends do.”
“Right. Good thing I’m the boyfriendandthe best friend.”
I smacked him lightly on the arm, drawing back to grin at the convertible. “Where are we going?”
Jamie took a step back to open the passenger door for me. “I checked online this morning,” he mused, watching as I slid into the car, carefully shutting the door behind me. “And a certain art store is finished with renovations and finally reopened to the public.”
I gave another loud gasp, grabbing the top of the door. “You’rekidding!”
“As if I would joke about something as sacred as the Jefferson art store.”
Excitement lit through me as Jamie slid into the driver’s seat, starting the car up and easing down the driveway. “I can’t believe you finally fixed the pothole,” Imused as we eased out onto the road without bumping over the hole in the driveway.
“See, I’m notjustbook-smart.”
“I never doubted you.” I reached over immediately after Jamie put the car into drive, easing my palm against his. “Is this okay?” I asked him. “I know you normally like to drive with both hands on the wheel?—”
