“Bye!” Bianca, Lucia, and Mei-ling said in a chorus.
As Emilia turned away, Lucia stuck out her tongue to the side and gave me afuck yeah!look that wouldn’t have been out of place on Miley Cyrus – or the Sex Pistols.
Then she grabbed an imaginary person’s hips with both hands –
And started air-humping like she was a guy having sex doggy style.
OH MY GOD.
Bianca mouthedLUCIA!and slapped her arm. Mei-ling covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh.
I turned around and hustled out of the café with Emilia before she could look back.
31
As we walked out of the café, I went over to the Mercedes and opened up the passenger side door.
“What are you doing?” Emilia asked in confusion.
“Driving you home.”
“We can just walk. It’s only six blocks.”
“…oh… okay,” I agreed, and shut the door.
I walked next to her in awkward silence.
We turned down a cobblestone street and went thirty feet before she finally asked, “Why are you making this weird?”
“Because I promised I wouldn’t see you again!”
“Do you notwantto see me again?” she asked.
“What?! No! This is great!”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I thoughtyouwouldn’t want to see me again!”
“No,” she said, then blushed. “I… I missed you.”
My heart swelled. “Really?”
“Yes.”
For the first time in days, I felt happy again.
“I see you’re wearing the necklace.”
She touched it with her fingers and smiled. “Yes.”
“So,” I said, “I have to ask…”
She looked at me warily.“What?”
“You didn’t want to go out with me because of what I do for a living, right?”
“…yeah.”
