Page 46 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions
“Yes.”
She blinked, surprised. “Really?”
My cheeks went hot. The fact that I’d immediately tried to make amends was more telling than openly admitting my feelings to her. “He didn’t accept my apology.”
She laughed.
Which was justevil.
“Well, you probably didn’t deserve his forgiveness.” She shrugged. “Words don’t mean shit, Alex. It’s actions that count. You know that.”
She was right, so I didn’t argue.
“Besides,” June continued, “George isn’t like the other people you interact with. He’s aMilton. He can’t be bought, charmed, or manipulated.” June nodded up and down, cheerful again, her tears forgotten. Mission accomplished. “If you’re going to get on his good side, you’re going to need to be more creative. And also stop playing games. Miltons don’t like games.”
“I know.” I didn’treallyknow. How could I? I’d only just met him. But…it was true that no one in his family had ever treated either of us differently because of our background or our surplus of money. They were no-nonsense by nature, and because of that, the Miltons were the fairest people I’d ever met—aside from Roderick’s parents. Hell, they might as well have been his second set, considering how often I interacted with them.
It made a cosmic amount of sense that George would need more than flowery words. Something tangible, maybe? An apology gift?
My thoughts spun.
“I have a good feeling about him. Plus, I’ve never seen you act the way you did earlier today, even if your flirting totally bombed,” June said, interrupting my plotting. “Call it intuition, but…I think George would be good for you. ”
How the hell could she possibly know that? She’d spoken to him less than I had, for god’s sake.
“You had a good feeling about Paris, too. And we ended up getting mugged—and our tickets to Madonna were counterfeit,” I pointed out.
“Still.” June’s smile only grew. Her eyes were shining. “I know setting you up with him is a little…unconventional.”
“Considering he’s your fiancé’s ex? Yeah. I would think so.”
“But Roderick has only ever had nice things to say about him. That he was a total fucking sweetie when they dated.” June’s hands expanded, fingers fluttering as she ticked off each fact by closing a finger into her palm. “Thathe was incredibly loyal. Afiercefriend. That he was honest. That he was never afraid to be who he was.”
“Thanks for the TED talk.”
“It didn’t work out with them for good reason,” June continued, on a roll now. She clapped her hands together. “Obviously,their personalities didn’t clash romantically. There was no sexual chemistry.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Not like what Roderick and I?—”
“Ew. No. Do not finish that sentence.”
It amazed me that she could say any of this without a single ounce of jealousy.
Mostpeople would feel threatened if their partner spoke so highly of someone else.Mostpeople wouldn’t talk about the sexual chemistry their fiancé had with his ex—or lack thereof. But not my June. Her heart was disproportionately large for her tiny frame. And the only petty bones she possessed were borrowed from me.
“They were too different and too young—and now that they’re older they’re even more incompatible. Butyou…” June sucked in a breath, eyes lighting up. “Maybe you guys could mesh? The way they didn’t. You could be…uh.”
Oh jeez. Here came one of her signature metaphors.
“You could be the peanut to his butter.”
That was even worse than usual. Didn’t even make sense.
“Maybe,” I conceded. “I still don’t know him.”
“But your chemistry is off the charts.”
“True.”
“So, maybe…apologize again tomorrow?Showhim you’re not an asshole all the time. Stop playing games with his feelings. Drop your guard a bit. ” I balked at the suggestion. “Just a little!” She was quick to interject. “You could see how it goes. See if there’ssomethingthere to explore,” June urged. “Even if the arrangement is only temporary. How are you ever going to know if you don’t try?”
