I raise a brow. “You’re just figuring that out now?”
He shakes his head quickly. “No… and I don’t mean it as a bad thing. It’s just weird seeing you at a high school event. You know I barely talk to anyone from high school? And I only graduated a year ago.”
“Why not?” I fully intend to keep in touch with many people from my school. Maybe not Priya, but definitely my art class friends.
He shrugs. “I feel like if I saw them now, I could only be one person with them. I like the idea of maybe trying to be someone else.”
“What do you mean? Like you’ve changed since then?”
He shrugs. There’s a small smile on his face. “I guess I have. I was quiet and a big nerd in high school. And then I was with my ex, Giselle, for a long time, so everyone thought of us together. She was definitely more popular than me. I don’t know. I kind of like the option of people seeing more of me than who I used to be.”
I smile. I assume this is the girlfriend who cheated on him, so I get that he’d want to distance himself from his identity as her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. And now that I think about it, it’s kind of why I’m so comfortable with Miles. He has shown me that heseesmore of me than just one thing… the cheerful but idealistic one.
We dance a few songs together, even some faster ones so I can see that yes, Miles is a good dancer. And he’s clearly having a great time at a prom, of all places. Miles Desai is full of surprises.
When they announce that dessert will be served soon, we head back to our table completely out of breath. I start talking to my friend from painting about our final projects,when Miles suddenly says, “Holy crap. We did it.”
I turn to him and he’s looking at his phone, a huge incandescent smile on his face. He’s practically lighting up the whole ballroom. He’s breathtaking.
“What is it?” I ask.
He grins at me. “I got an email from Su Lin Tran’s assistant. We got the approvals. The Love on Love Street Festival is going to happen this summer. They approved the road closure, the—”
“Oh my goodness!” I interrupt whatever he’s saying to clap my hands together, laughing. “We gotapproval?” I’m so happy that I launch myself at Miles, practically climbing onto his lap and wrapping my arms around him in a hug. This is seriously thebestnews.
He laughs, then hugs me back. He feels warm and solid in my arms, and he smells so good up close. When I finally let him go, it’s not because I want to. “We did it,” I say.
He nods, still smiling widely at his phone. “It was such a long shot, but apparently Su Lin Tran agrees that something like this can add visibility to the unique street. She’s completely on board. She wants to meet with our committee soon to go over the plans, but we got the hardest parts approved—the road closure for the festival day and the signage and pole banners.”
I shake my head, grinning. “We should celebrate.”
He nods. “Yeah, we should. I’ll check with Julie and Ajit tomorrow—”
I shake my head. “No, let’s celebratenow. I want, like… cake or pie or something.”
Miles looks around the banquet hall. “Aren’t they serving dessert?”
I nod. I know what dessert is—defrosted cream puffs and a scoop of cheap ice cream. This banquet hall isn’t exactly top tier—the school couldn’t afford better.
And besides, if we stay, I’m going to have to explain why we’re so happy to everyone at the table, and I kind of want Miles to myself right now.
“Let’s leave,” I say. “Mrs. Kotch gave me one of her Cakes for Two to sample yesterday. It’s in the flower shop.”
Miles’s eyebrows furrow. “You want toleaveyour prom?”
I grin. “It’s fine. It’s just a dance, right? I wanted the night to be memorable, and it definitely has been, thanks to you. But now I want to celebrate this huge accomplishment, and it’s weird to celebrate here with my classmates. What do you say…? Want to eat a German-style cake in a flower shop with me, or do you want to stay here for freezer-burned ice cream?”
He’s got that intense thinking look on his face, but eventually he nods. “Sure. It’s your night, so your choice. And how can I say no to cake?”
I beam at him. Miles Desai alone and cake. My prom night just got so much better.
When our Uber gets to Love Street, Mom’s light is off. I have a key to the shop, and after I open the door, I disable the alarm system.
“Your mother doesn’t mind you hanging out here in the middle of the night?” he asks as I turn on some lights in the main part of the store.
“Nah. I even used to have sleepovers in here. A friend and I would pretend we were fairies, and the back roomwas an enchanted forest. Mom used to make me flower crowns with her cutoffs.” I take off my jacket and hang it on the hook in the back room. It’s weird being in here in a floor-length satin gown, but I don’t want to go upstairs because it will wake Mom up.
“Your mom is really…” He doesn’t finish the statement.
