Page 52 of Lies and Lullabies
It was like living withtwolawyers. “Maybe.”
Vivi clapped her hands, as if it were a done deal. Then she wiggled off the bed and went to choose which dolls would have the honor of riding to the park.
* * *
Twenty minutes later,the intercom buzzed.
That was fast. I went to the door and pressed the button allowing the messenger access to the elevator.
Vivi came skidding out of her bedroom. “Your boring papers are here?”
“I think so. Unless you ordered a pizza.”
Her forehead crinkled. “We alreadyhadlunch.”
I laughed. “I’m kidding. Go find your shoes.”
Vivi tore out of the room again. The messenger tapped on the door, so I pulled it open.
And came face to face with Jonas.
For a long moment, I just stood there like an idiot, staring into his indecently attractive turquoise eyes.
“Hi,” Jonas said quietly, his lips twitching.
“Why are you… here now?” I sputtered.
He frowned. “I told you I was coming to Boston for a show.”
“Tomorrow night,” I protested. I’d assumed I’d have a good twenty-four hours before we shared a city.I’m not ready.
There had been other times when his band played Boston venues, I’d wondered where he was, and if he’d even remember me.
If a girl could get a degree in self-torture, I’d already have the diploma. With honors.
Jonas put a hand to the back of his neck, still peering at me. “The show is tomorrow night, that’s true. But we drove all night so that I could sign papers for my new lawyer.”
“Oh,” I said stupidly.
Vivi clattered into the room behind me. “I’m ready!” she yelled.
I turned to see her pushing her toy double stroller, a doll strapped into each side. When she saw Jonas at the door, she stopped. “Oh, it’s you again.”
Jonas burst out laughing. “What a greeting. From both of you.”
Vivi had her hands on her hips. “Did you bring the boring papers? I can’t go to the park unless they come.”
He held his hands out to the sides, empty. “Sorry.”
“You want to see my dolls?”
“Sure!” Before I could argue, Jonas had slipped past me into the living room. He went right over to the rug and sat, criss-cross applesauce, as if it were a perfectly ordinary part of his rock-and-roll day to plop down for a tea party. “Introduce me.”
Vivi began an elaborate description of the merits of each doll. I stood by my open door like a zombie, trying to figure out just how this had happened. The door buzzer went off again, and because I was standing right beside it, I jumped.
The messenger had finally arrived. I buzzed him up and signed for the package.
“Yes!” Vivi leaped to her feet. “We can go to the park now.”
