“Good,” he says. Then he takes one look at me and laughs. “You have sugar all over your face.” #51 в контекст | | |
I wipe my mouth off with the other side of the napkin. #52 в контекст | | |
| | |
“All right, all right.” Then it’s quiet, which makes me nervous. “Can I put some music on?” I start pulling out my phone. #54 в контекст | | |
“Actually, do you mind if we just drive in quiet for a while? I can’t have music blaring in my face before my caffeine kicks in.” #55 в контекст | | |
“Uh . . . sure.” I’m not sure if that means he wants me to be quiet too. I wouldn’t have agreed to come on this little outing if I’d known I would have to be silent. #56 в контекст | | |
Peter has a serene look on his face, like he is a fishing-boat captain and we are floating placidly along in the middle of the sea. Except he isn’t driving slowly; he is driving really fast. #57 в контекст | | |
I stay quiet for all of ten seconds and then say, “Wait, were you wanting me to be quiet too?” #58 в контекст | | |
“No, I just didn’t want music. You can talk as much as you want.” #59 в контекст | | |
“Okay.” And then I’m quiet, because it’s awkward when someone tells you you can talk as much as you want. “Hey, so what’s your favorite food?” #60 в контекст | | |
| | |
“But what’s your favorite? Like, your favorite favorite. Is it macaroni and cheese, or um, fried chicken, or steak, or pizza?” #62 в контекст | | |
| | |
I let out an aggrieved sigh. Why does Peter not get the concept of picking a favorite thing? #64 в контекст | | |
Peter mimics my sigh and laughs. “Fine. I like cinnamon toast. That’s my favorite thing.” #65 в контекст | | |
“Cinnamon toast?” I repeat. “You like cinnamon toast better than crab legs? Better than a cheeseburger?” #66 в контекст | | |
| | |
| | |
Peter hesitates. Then he says, “Yes! Now quit picking my choice apart. I stand by my choice.” #69 в контекст | | |
I shrug. “Okay.” I wait, give him a chance to ask me what my favorite food is, but he doesn’t. So I say, “My favorite food is cake.” #70 в контекст | | |
| | |
| | |
“You just gave me so much shit for not picking,” he begins. #73 в контекст | | |
“But it’s so hard to pick one kind!” I burst out. “I mean, there’s coconut cake, the kind with white frosting that looks like a snowball—I like that a lot. But then I also like cheesecake, and lemon cake, and carrot cake. Also red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, and chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting.” I pause. “Have you ever had olive-oil cake?” #74 в контекст | | |
| | |
“It’s really, really good. Really moist and delicious. I’ll make it for you.” #76 в контекст | | |
Peter groans. “You’re making me hungry. I should have gotten a whole bag of those donuts.” #77 в контекст | | |
I open up my brown paper bag and pull out his sandwich. I wrote a P on his in Sharpie so I’d know whose was whose. “Do you want a sandwich?” #78 в контекст | | |
| | |
“I mean, I was making one for myself, too. It would have been rude to just bring one sandwich and eat it in front of you.” #80 в контекст | | |
Peter accepts the sandwich and eats it with the bottom half still wrapped. “This is good,” he says, nodding. “What kind of mustard is this?” #81 в контекст | | |
Pleased, I say, “It’s beer mustard. My dad orders it from some fancy food catalog. My dad’s really into cooking.” #82 в контекст | | |
| | |
| | |
Halfway into the ride, Peter starts weaving in and out of traffic, and he keeps looking at the clock on the dashboard. #85 в контекст | | |
| | |
“The Epsteins,” he says, rapping his fingers on the steering wheel. #87 в контекст | | |
| | |
“They’re an old married couple with an antiques store in Charlottesville. Last time, Phil got there five minutes before me and cleared the whole place out. That’s not gonna happen today.” #89 в контекст | | |
Impressed, I say, “Wow, I had no idea this business was so cutthroat.” #90 в контекст | | |
Like a know-it-all Peter smirks and goes, “Isn’t all business?” #91 в контекст | | |
| | |
| | |
We’re at a stoplight when Peter suddenly sits up straight and says, “Oh, shit! The Epsteins!” #94 в контекст | | |
I was halfway asleep. My eyes fly open and I yell, “Where? Where?” #95 в контекст | | |
“Red SUV! Two cars ahead on the right.” I crane my neck to look. They are a gray-haired couple, maybe in their sixties or seventies. It’s hard to tell from this far away. #96 в контекст | | |
As soon as the light turns green, Peter guns it and drives up on the shoulder. I scream out, “Go go go!” and then we’re flying past the Epsteins. My heart is racing out of control, I can’t help but lean my head out the window and scream because it’s such a thrill. My hair whips in the wind and I know it’s going to be a tangled mess, but I couldn’t care less. “Yahhh!” I scream. #97 в контекст | | |
“You’re crazy,” Peter says, pulling me back in by the hem of my shirt. He’s looking at me like he did that day I kissed him in the hallway. Like I’m different than he thought. #98 в контекст | | |
We pull up to the house and there are already a few cars parked in front. I’m craning my head trying to get a good look. I was expecting a mansion with a wrought iron gate and maybe a gargoyle or two, but this just looks like a normal house. I must look disappointed, because as he puts the car in park, Peter says to me, “Don’t judge an estate sale by the house. I’ve seen all kinds of treasures at regular houses and junk at fancy houses.” #99 в контекст | | |
I hop out and bend down to tie my shoelace. “Hurry, Lara Jean! The Epsteins will be here any second!” Peter grabs my hand and we run up the driveway; I am breathing hard trying to keep up with him. His legs are so much longer than mine. #100 в контекст | | |
