“I have some good news, though,” Saylor announces. “There’s this woman, Lara J., who’s mutuals with my mom. She just opened a cookie shop in West Adams that definitely counts as a small business. We can interview her. I was gonna message her in the morning when we get in the car.”
“I can do it,” I say, nerves punching up in my chest.
“Are you sure? I feel like this should also be a part of our bargain. I do all the hard communication work.”
I don’t mean to make a face, but I do. “Nah, I’ll do it. That’s what we agreed to anyway.” Saylor’s already done more than enough. She and her mom are the main reason I now have two hundred followers. “Just send me her information. My mom grilled me on how to send a professional email in like eighth grade. I should probably give it a real-world try.”
“Okay,” Saylor says.
“Are you packed?” I hear a deep voice say through the phone. Probably Saylor’s dad. I’ve never heard him speak before.
“Noooo…” Saylor looks up and winces.
“Well let’s get off the phone. If you need help, we gotta do that before bed. We’re leaving early.”
“ ’Kay. I’ll be off in two minutes.”
“I’ll be back in three.”
I see Saylor roll her eyes and stick her tongue out and then her door closes. “Sorry. Big John Ford is the ultimate airport dad.”
“Are you guys flying?” Santa Barbara is super close, but I can see Mrs.Ford arranging a helicopter just for the plot.
“No. He just likes to be out the door when he wants to be out the door. I guess I gotta go.”
“ ’Kay. I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Would it be weird if I came straight to your house after? Like just jumped out of the car on Overland and ran right to your house.”
“Well, since I don’t want you to break your other arm, just tell me when you’re back and I’ll come pick you up.”
“Okay,” Saylor says. “I will.”
We’re both quiet for a second. There are some heavy words on the tip of my tongue. Not love, that’s silly, butI like you so much,I miss you alreadyandI don’t want you to go.
“Text me,” I say instead.
“And I’ll send you pictures.”
“Yeah,” I say, feeling a smile spread out across my face. We say our goodbyes, and I roll back on my bed. I’m still not sure exactly sure what we are, but I’m liking this more than friends stuff a lot. I’m also glad my parents are downstairs. They don’t need to hear the dreamy sigh that just slipped out of me.
26
Heaven
It’s a holiday, but here I am in the Yeuns’ kitchen having a serious business meeting with my mom and Miss Kelly. Dad and Mr.Rick are probably talking over the grill about Tony Hawk and what it’s like being an aging skater. Their favorite subject. Axel and Jake are in the front waiting for me. Jake wants to film something with sparklers using his new Steadicam rig. I’m happy to help, but first business.
“Real quick, I just want to say, nice hair,” Miss Kelly says.
“Thanks, my dad did it,” I say, trying not to mess with the two rope twists hanging over my shoulders.
“Impressive.”
“A remnant of the bingo makeover,” Mom tells her. “After, what, like six years, she asked Warren to open Dad’s Kitchen Salon again.” She leaves out the part where Dad hugged me, pretended to cry, and then turned right back to his mad scientist self, insistent on getting my parts just right.
“Love it. Okay, back to the matter at hand. I gotta give it to Cristine Ford, she remains thorough,” Miss Kelly says. “I just asked her what exactly she wanted you to do at theparty and she sent me a whole dossier. This feels more like a convention than a slumber party.”
“Do you think I should do it?” I ask her. I glance over at Mom. She’s already talked to Mrs.Ford and given her approval, pending my approval, which for me also means pending Miss Kelly’s approval.