Page 42 of Romantic

Brandon

That’s awesome! Way to go!

Annie

Thank you for helping me with this ♥

Brandon

You deserve this!

But you don’t want to date me, ever. I tap the moonstone and try to think of all the sweet things Jack said to me yesterday.

***

When I finish my piano performance, Pepper runs up to me holding a shiny Honeycrisp apple. “I heard you got the job!” She hands me the apple and a card with an acrostic poem that spells my name. I read it out loud.

“A is for Amazing, Awesome, and Adventurous

N is for Never boring

N is for No one has better hair

I is for Interesting, Intelligent and Imaginative

E is for Extra Everything, Especially love”

My voice wobbles a little on the last line. I feel so loved by Pepper.

Standing a few feet behind her, Brandon nods with a ghost of a smile, the platonic friend I always believed him to be. I smile back, all the while fiddling with my ring.

“I’m so excited,” Pepper continues. “When you move to Redwood City, we’ll see you all the time.”

“What’s this about you moving to Redwood City?” Jack asks as he joins us. He just drove in from Monterey.

“I got the job!”

“What job?” Jack looks perplexed.

“Remember the one I was so excited about, teaching eighth grade English? I have so many ideas.” Brandon watches us intently. I swiftly turn all my focus on Jack, ignoring Brandon’s presence, but it’s a struggle. I feel his stare like the heat from a bonfire.

“You don’t need that job,” says Jack.

“Actually, I do. Not all of us are independently wealthy.”

“But what’s mine is yours.”

“That’s sweet of you to say, but it’s just not true.”

“It will be soon enough.” Jack takes my hand and starts walking. “Let’s go—I’ve planned a very special dinner for us tonight.” He puts an arm around my shoulder possessively.

I can’t help it. I glance back at Brandon. His eyes are trained on me, but his face is inscrutable. I smile and wave, but he doesn’t acknowledge me. He simply turns and walks away.

***

For dinner, Jack planned a sunset cruise on his newly repaired boat—Queen Mab.

“I approve of the name,” I say as we board.