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“That’s so cool,” she said. “Does that mean you’re gonna drop out of school?”
“Nah. Gotta finish that for my mom,” I said, leaving out the fact that she wouldn’t actually know I finished.
“I’m in class with you,” she reminded me. “I get the feeling you’re not always there.”
I laughed. “Teachers tend to overlook stuff like attendance when you tell them you’re traveling for sports.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, you should try it,” I teased. “But seriously. I’ll miss some classes when I fly out to compete.”
“I’d love to watch you.”
“I’ll let you know when I’m local.”
That earned me an excited smile, and I wondered if she thought that meant we’d be seeing each other again—outside of class.
“Well, you clearly know what I like to do in my free time. What do you like to do?” I asked, realizing I didn’t really know anything about her.
“I’m an influencer.”
“What type?”
“Oh, you know, makeup, beauty, travel, food.”
“Sounds like you do it all,” I said.
She shrugged. “I love all the beautiful things in life.”
“Do you have a lot of followers?”
“You could say that.”
“How many?”
She shrugged.
“How many?” I repeated.
“Three million.”
“Shut up,” I said, knowing it wasn’t easy to get that many followers.
She laughed. “I’m serious. People like to see what I’m posting.”
“More like they like looking at you,” I said, instantly regretting the fact that I didn’t filter that one.
She stifled a smile, but the twinkle in her eyes told me she liked knowing that I thought she was beautiful.
I stared at her across the high-top table, wondering if I could actually date a girl like her. Someone who enjoyed good food and seeing the world. Someone who jumped on a snowboard just to be with me. Someone who would definitely go home with me tonight. “You ever been to Switzerland?”
She smiled. “Not yet.”
5
GISELLE
“Those are pretty,” Shay said from behind the counter of my boutique.
