“Watch it!” Gilda said. “I like the girl.”
Mimi rolled her eyes. I knew there was still bad blood there because of the wedge Francesca tried to drive between Caleb and Katherine.
“And the one you called Bodybuilder Barbie?” Mimi continued, “We went to a gym and found her. We didn’t figure Jacob would like her because she could probably whip his butt.”
I laughed. “He did say that.” I licked my lips. “What about Jessica? His date last night?”
The girls exchanged glances.
“Do you like him, Monica?” Mom asked.
“God help me I do. I think about all the reasons why weshouldn’tdate, and my heart hurts. Iwantto be with Jacob.”
“But?” Mom prompted.
I told them about the girl at the grocery store and then how Roger left the Fisher-Price telephone on my doorstep saying Jacob left his cell phone. That got a huge laugh from Mimi.
“Roger’s an idiot,” Gilda said. “He doesn’t count.”
“But what about the girl?” I argued. “I’m sure a lot of people will see us in public and think I’m either paying him to be with me, or there must be something wrong with him.”
“Let me ask you this?” Mom said. “Who are the most important people in your life right now?”
I huffed. “That’s a no-brainer. Brody, all of you, Kieran.”
“There’s not a single person in that mix who doesn’t like Jacob,” Mom said. “Not that you have to please us, but we’d be ecstatic if you got with Jacob. We like him. That’s why we picked him out for you.”
Could I do that? Could I throw away the hang up about our age difference and just be with Jacob because I wanted to be with him?
“How do you feel right now?” Ingrid asked. “He told us what he said to you. How does that make you feel?”
“Sad. Lonely. Sad.”
Mom smiled and hugged me. “I think you have your answer, Monica.”
I groaned. “But he told me he wasn’t going to ask me out anymore. That if I wanted to be with him, then I’d have to be the one to initiate it.”
Mimi shrugged. “So initiate it!”
“How?” I huffed. “What on earth could I do to show him that I’m serious about us?”
“It would have to be big,” Mimi said.
“Very big,” Gilda agreed.
Mimi snapped her fingers. “I got it!”
Chapter 21
“It’s a go,” Mom said.
“I’m going to put you on speaker phone,” I said. “I’m still trying to get ready.”
“No problem. So, I had Sheriff call Frank Carson and tell him what’s going on. Frank then called Daniel to tellhimwhat’s going on. Daniel is on board and agreed to call Jacob. Now Jacob is under the impression he’s helping out with the talent show at the senior center tonight. See…easy peasy.”
I inhaled deeply, then slowly let it out.
“You okay, honey?” Mom asked.
