Page 47 of Jingle Bell Jilt
“I did, and the one I got him is by far the best one I’ve bought to date.” I chuckle.
“Best as in not terrible?” I hear the hope in her voice.
“Nope. Best as in it’s the most terrible sweater I’ve ever found. I wish I could’ve found it for one of my brothers.”
“And how did he react to your weird family traditions?”
“Hold on, I’ll text you a picture.” I pull up the picture we took outside the theater, both of us laughing and pointing at each other’s sweaters. I look at it for a second before I send it to Maggie.
“Did you just sigh when you were looking at the picture?”
I scoff. “No.” Yes. I totally did. But I’m not about to admit it to Maggie.
“Have you sent it yet? I still don’t have it.”
I pull myself back to the present and quickly press Send. “Okay. It’s on its way,” I say.
“Woah. He’s sick.”
I roll my eyes. “Mags, just because you teach high school doesn’t mean you can get away with trying to sound like a teenager.”
“Fine.” She sulks. “But he is easy on the eyes.”
“Yeah, he is. But I sent that so you could see his sweater.”
“Oh my heck, he wore that to a movie theater?” She starts to laugh, only getting out a few words in between chortles.
“I know, see? Nathan would never have even tried that sweater on, let alone gone out in public. I feel more like me around Evan than I ever did around Nathan.”
Maggie clears her throat. “I tried to tell you that Nathan changed you.”
I nod and bite my cheek. “I know and I didn’t listen. I guess I didn’t see it until now.” I sigh. “You know, I think if Evan and I had met under normal circumstances, I could see us dating. But I don’t know about now.”
“What’s the problem? Does he not seem into you?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. There’s been a couple of times when I thought he might kiss me, but then he didn’t, and I don’t know if I’m just misreading things. I mean, I haven’t had to read those kinds of signals in so long. Maybe I’m just out of practice and doing it all wrong.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“No—” I know what she’s going to say, and I don’t think I’m prepared to take that step.
“Then next time you feel like he might kiss you, just make sure you finish the job. It’s just as Charlotte Lucas told Elizabeth inPride and Prejudice. ‘He should be in no doubt of your feelings.’”
“I’m pretty sure Jane Austen said it much better,” I say to misdirect the conversation away from me kissing Evan.
“Whatever. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah. I do.” I sigh and pull my legs up, resting my chin on my knee.
“Promise me you’re going to do it. And then promise me you’ll call me immediately.”
I can still hear the baby wailing through the phone line. “It sounds like you have more pressing matters right now.”
“Promise me, Shay.” She stays on the line even as I can sense her milk coming in from over the phone.
“Fine, I promise. Now go rescue Dean from the screaming baby.”
“He’s Dean’s baby too.”
