“Perfect. Meet me at eight? I’ll text you the address and we’ll compare notes.”
“You have notes for me?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.
He gestured to his head. “They’re churning up here somewhere. I’ll find time to put them down. I will need a written list of your wishes as well.”
“You’ve already seen them.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt to have them in front of me. Besides, writing them down is a good way to help the manifestation.”
I frowned. “Have you been talking to Claire?”
“She was my friend before she was yours,” he defended with a smile.
“Fine. But, let’s set one ground rule right now.”
Leo stopped smiling and took on a serious tone almost instantly. I could appreciate that about him.
“We keep our business between us.”
“Definitely.”
“Especially when it comes to Nate. You saw how he acted at the party. I want to have a drama-free summer.”
Something in Leo’s eyes changed, but it didn’t stay around long enough for me to figure out what it was.
“I agree.” He nodded. “Wholeheartedly.”
* * *
“You going somewhere?” Mom was at the kitchen counter, fixing a plate of leftovers. Since school was out, she didn’t have to dress to set an example for her students. She wore her typical Star Trek marathon uniform: bicycle shorts and a large Barcelona ‘92 Olympic tee. Her braids were pulled into a neat bun with a bright red scarf protecting her edges.
“Considering it.” I tucked my phone into the back pocket of my jeans, hiding the evidence as if I was still a little kid she could demand the truth from. I took a seat at the bar, trying to look like I wasn’t in any hurry.
She raised a brow. “You’re wearing your best shirt.”
I touched the bow holding together my frilly wrap top. Yes, I’d put some effort in my outfit. I needed some extra confidence tonight. Leo invited me to his place, which should be casual. It would have been casual if I’d actually been there before.
Nate didn’t start getting invited to Leo’s place until they nearly graduated. A lot of kids at our private school seemed very wary about inviting over anyone who didn’t already live on the coast. Wealthy circles rarely expanded, no matter how friendly you got to someone on the other side of the fence.
“I’m thinking of hanging out with a few old friends now that more people are back in town.” Lying was a gut reaction when it came to Mom.
“It’s a shame you don’t have much of a poker face, Kira,” she lamented while placing her full plate in the microwave. “I thought I taught you as much.”
In any other household, that might be a joke. In the Anderson household, poker faces were a way of life. Keeping calm was how you made sure people didn’t learn your weakness. It was why Mom could never get in Nate’s head long enough to mess with him, but; she was a fixture in my mind.
“Whoever you’re meeting, I hope you take things slow.” She moved to retrieve her warmed food from the beeping microwave. “I’m sure you’re aware by now, but sometimes you can be a bit much.”
I kept quiet as she walked past me to go back to the living room. Being “too much” was her go-to criticism for me. She said it to help. At least, that had been the original purpose. Nowadays, I wasn’t so sure.
“What’s up, what’s up?” Nate asked, coming in from the other side of the kitchen with enough enthusiasm to make me smile a little. “You look nice.”
My shoulders relaxed. “Thanks.”
“You trying to come to this party with me?” Nate started rummaging through the cabinets for something. “Leo ditched me for some new girl he’s hanging with, so I got room in the truck for one more.”
I brushed my fingers across my brow at the mention of Leo’s cancellation. “No, I already have plans.”
“Finally getting out of your room?” Nate grabbed a bottle of dish soap and a roll of paper towels.
