AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’s sending me home? “Wait, why? I haven’t seen the rest of the building.”
“I…have work to do.”
My jaw drops. “Then can someone else show me around?”
“No,” he says in a dead voice. He leads me out of the mission control room and down a long hallway. “Everyone here has work to do. We have a big launch in a few months.”
I open my mouth to protest again and then shut it, studying his body language. His shoulders are stiff, hunched. Henry is waiting outside at the curb, right where we left him. He’d been there the whole time, and I suddenly feel guilty for making him wait so long while Evan and I fooled around.
Before Henry can step out of the car, Evan opens the door for me. I can’t help but feel like he’s upset at me for something. Since that moment in the mission control room when we were interrupted, he’s been acting cold and distant.
Leaning forward, he places a quick kiss on my forehead. “I’ll call you this weekend.”
I nod, get into the car, and watch as he disappears back into the building.
It’s been six days. Six long days since I’ve heard from Evan, and I can’t seem to focus on anything but the fact that he’s not calling me. I’m lying on the couch, clutching my phone, watching old Friends reruns when Sam walks through the front door.
“Maddy-bear!” She walks through the house until she finds me in the living room. “Oh, God, Maddy. This is ridiculous.”
“I’m watching Friends. What’s wrong with that?”
“Aside from the fact that you never watch TV except when you’re sick or depressed? And did you even shower today?” She plops down next to me on the couch and releases a heavy sigh. “Still no call from Kohl, I gather. Have you tried texting him?”
I glare at her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And yes, I did shower.” She flashes me a side-glance, and I know she sees right through me. “Fine.” I push out a breath. “I’ve texted him twice. No reply.”
God, saying it aloud is so much worse than thinking loser thoughts to myself. I should have a tub of ice cream between my knees and a spoon in my hand to complete the full picture.
“I checked your cubby at school and I found something that might cheer you up.” She hands me a plain white envelope, an excited grin on her face. “I rushed right over, and if it’s what I think it is, some celebrating is in order!”
I sit up and snatch the envelope from her hand. Holy shit. The results of my exam. Fear knots in my stomach and my hands shake as I open the envelope and read the letter. “Oh, my God.” I jump up and turn to Sam. “I passed!”
“I knew it—I’m so happy for you.” She throws her arms around my neck. “We are so going out tomorrow night! Let’s do some drinks and dancing. We’ll ask some other people to come with us. It’ll cheer you up.”
I’m so damn relieved, I could cry. I didn’t realize just how much the exam had been weighing on my mind. Letting loose is exactly what I need. “Awesome,” I say.
“Can we go to The Playroom? It’s a new club on Colorado Boulevard, and I’ve been dying to go.”
I nod. “Yeah, whatever. As long as they are serving alcohol and lots of it.”
At that moment, my cell phone rings. Glancing down at the caller ID, I see that it’s Miriam, and my heart leaps into my throat.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Madeline. Mr. Kohl would like to see you tomorrow night for dinner. Henry will pick you up at seven o’clock.”
“Wait, tomorrow night? What happened to the forty-eight hours notice?”
He’s been ignoring me for a week and now he just expects me to be at his beck and call? No way.
“Mr. Kohl would like to see you,” is all the answer I get from Miriam, as though that is reason enough for me to drop everything.
“Well, you can tell him that I have plans. My friends and I are hitting The Playroom tomorrow night.”
“Mr. Kohl won’t be happy. He had meetings rearranged so he could schedule with you. He was quite insistent.”
“Then he should have given me more notice,” I say unapologetically.
When I get off the phone with Miriam, Sam is staring at me like I’ve grown two heads. “Did you just blow off Evan Kohl?”
