“Over there, chicas,” Esmeralda, the aging woman from Mexico City who owned the restaurant, said in a heavy accent as she pointed to a booth against the wall. The place was already crowded with Bellamy High students. The cheap tacos and quesadilla lunch special made it a popular hangout. The girls slid into the booth, Maddie and Keisha on one side, Brooke by herself.
“It feels like forever since the three of us had lunch,” Keisha said. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have Keisha present. She was good at facilitating truces.
“That’s my fault,” Brooke said, glancing up from her menu at Maddie. “I’m trying not to attack people anymore in karaoke bars.” It worked. Maddie smiled. The tension seemed to drain away.
“Are you guys both going to Riley’s party on Friday?” Keisha asked as Esmeralda dropped off a basket of chips and salsa. They both nodded.
“Sucks we have that cheer camp the next morning,” Brooke said.
“Yeah, it’s hard to teach kids when you’re hungover,” Maddie added.
As if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Keisha said, “Just don’t drink.”
Brooke and Maddie burst out laughing. Of course they were going to drink. It was a party.
“You’re going to be one of those girls that goes to college and becomes a total lush cuz you never did anything bad in high school,” Brooke teased.
“Exactly,” Maddie agreed. Teaming up on Keisha, even in jest, made Brooke feel a little closer to her best friend.
“You should put that on a fortune cookie and maybe it’ll actually come true,” Keisha quipped back. Brooke laughed and so did Maddie. “Are you bringing that guy?”
“Not sure yet,” Brooke said, even though she’d already told Jake he could come. She wanted to be excited about integrating him with her friends, but she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him.
“I thought you liked him,” Keisha pushed, dunking her chip into the bowl of salsa.
“I do.” Brooke wasn’t sure what else to say.
“He drives a Ferrari.” Keisha turned to Maddie to fill her in. “Super rich.”
“Really? A Ferrari?” Maddie looked at Brooke, shocked. Brooke nodded.
“I don’t care about his car, though. I mean, it’s cool and everything, but I don’t know. On one hand, I feel like he’s my soul mate, and on the other, something’s off.”
“Off how?” Maddie asked.
“It’s hard to explain. I think I just need more time to figure it out.” Jake’s high-pressure tactics were still nagging at her, and during third period, as she was pondering the magically moving alarm clock, she’d wondered if maybe Jake had crept up to her room and gone through her nightstand or something. If her mother wasn’t the culprit, he was the only other option. Oh god, she’d admonished herself, forget that stupid alarm clock already!
“No reason to get serious,” Keisha said with a shrug. “You’ll end up breaking it off anyway when you leave for college.”
“You’ve never heard of long-distance relationships?” Maddie asked. Brooke wasn’t sure if she was talking about her and Jake or Maddie and Tryg.
“Ask anyone. They never work out. You know it’s not forever, so just date for fun.”
Brooke had never been one to “date for fun.” The point of dating was to see if she wanted to be in a relationship, wasn’t it? Besides, it was hard to envision keeping things casual with Jake. He was so intense, and she got the sense that when he wanted something, he was all in. After the confrontation with Tryg at Wally’s on Main, she couldn’t imagine Jake would be fine with her casually dating other guys. And quite frankly, the thought of Jake dating other girls made her jealous.
As Keisha droned on relaying stories of people she knew who failed miserably at long-distance relationships, Brooke’s thoughts drifted back to Jake. If thoughts of him with another girl made her jaw tighten, that must be a sign she really liked him, right? She wondered what he was doing in that moment. Was he having lunch with some high-powered client at a fancy restaurant downtown? Was he slaving away in a room all by himself developing his next big app? As if on cue, she heard a text message come in.
Jake: Would you like to come over to my place tonight for dinner? I’ll cook.
Brooke couldn’t help but smile. When she glanced up again, Maddie had a smirk on her face.
“That’s him, isn’t it?” Maddie asked, reaching for Brooke’s phone. Brooke giggled and held it out of Maddie’s reach.
“Yeah. He wants to cook for me tonight.” Brooke fluttered her eyelashes in mock superiority.
“That’s so sweet,” Keisha gushed. “I love it when guys do stuff like that.” Brooke saw Maddie’s expression darken. A few months prior, before Maddie and Tryg had broken up for the second time, Maddie had lamented how Tryg never did anything nice for her. Brooke was sure Maddie was the one feeling a bit jealous now.
“Are you going to go?” Keisha asked. “I bet his house is bigger than Riley’s.”
“Is that even possible?” Maddie asked. “The guy has a chandelier in the closet.”
Brooke was too busy considering Jake’s request to respond. The idea of spending time with him did sound fun. And maybe seeing where he lived would help her get to know him better and convince him to open up a little more.
“I’ll go.” Brooke picked up her cell to respond.
Brooke: Sure. Text me your address and the time. BTW, the only meat I eat is fish.
A moment later, Jake texted back a gif of a swimming fish, its tail pumping from side to side as it swatted away little wavy strings of fish poop. Underneath, he’d added 6pm and his address. It was a date. Brooke laughed out loud and turned the phone to show her friends.
Keisha giggled, but Maddie just gave her a wan smile. It looked forced and Brooke put the phone away wondering if it was in bad taste to flaunt the funny, sweet guy she’d met to someone who knew deep down she was stuck with a loser.
“Are we cool again?” Brooke asked Maddie once Keisha had peeled off to go to her locker in senior hall. “Do you believe I wasn’t going after Tryg? I’ve got my eye on someone else.”
“Yeah,” Maddie said. It wasn’t convincing, though. Brooke could tell Maddie wanted to get past their fight too, but there were still hard feelings about Tryg. And probably the string of blowups that had happened the past year thanks to Brooke’s condition.
“It really sucked not having my best friend to talk to,” Brooke said, sincere. Maddie smiled, but Brooke could feel the distance between them still present.
“Have fun on your date tonight.”
“Thanks,” Brooke said, hoping she really meant it. They hugged. It wasn’t the hug she was used to getting from Mads, but at least it was something.
Eleven
Over the Moon
Brooke threw on a cute cold-shoulder top with her jeans and boots and left her mom a note that she was going out on a date with Jake. She’d be back by ten o’clock—her weeknight curfew.
Punching Jake’s address into the GPS on her phone, she followed the directions onto the Vine Street Expressway and got off near Dilworth Park. Turning onto Jake’s street, her stomach jumped into her throat. In front of her was a tall, green glass building supported by heavy white columns. It stretched so high, she would’ve had to get out of her car to see the top of the building. It must cost at least a million dollars to live here, Brooke thought as she pulled up to the valet in front. A young man, not much older than her, in a crisp black suit, opened her door.
“Welcome to the Monrovian, miss.”
“Thanks,” Brooke said, suddenly feeling embarrassed about her car. He was probably used to parking Escalades and Range Rovers. A doorman opened the door for Brooke and she entered the posh, beautifully appointed lobby. The walls were glass from floor to ceiling with long, mustard-colored drapes and a crystal chandelier. It was breathtaking. Brooke found herself just standing there looking around, taking it all in.
“May I help you?” a voice called. Brooke turned
to see the concierge, a stocky, clean-shaven man standing beside a gorgeous arrangement of exotic flowers in an oversize vase. She walked over to him.
“Hi. I’m here to see Jake Campali?” It came out more like a question than a statement. The man, who wore a name tag that read Ben smiled and stepped behind the counter.
“You must be Brooke Emerson.” She nodded, surprised he knew her name. “I just need to see your ID and have you sign in right here.”
Brooke pulled her driver’s license from her purse and handed it to Ben. Then she used a plumed pen to write her name on a sheet of paper tacked to a silver clipboard.
As she did this, Ben picked up a phone and dialed. “Mr. Campali,” Ben said after picking up the phone and touching a button, “Miss Emerson has arrived.”
“Of course,” Ben replied after a short pause and hung up the phone. He motioned for Brooke to follow him across the sea-foam-green carpet that stretched across the lobby floor. “Mr. Campali is in the penthouse.”
Ben held a key card against a pad inside the elevator and pressed the PH button. It lit up, and Ben stepped out of the elevator. “Have a wonderful evening.”
“Thank you,” Brooke said as the doors closed and the elevator began its ascent. There was a huge, framed mirror inside the elevator, so Brooke took the opportunity to check her makeup. I should have worn something nicer, she thought. Everything about this place was intimidating. I can’t believe this is where Jake comes home to every night. She’d pictured him living in a beautiful condo, but this was beyond her wildest imagination.
With a sharp ding, the elevator doors opened and Brooke stepped into a small private waiting area with two velvet chairs and a coffee table. There was a single set of double doors in front of her, the left one slightly ajar. He has his own waiting area? Unreal. Brooke poked her head in, uncomfortable.
“Jake?” she called.
“Come on in,” she heard him yell from somewhere deep inside the condo. As Brooke stepped into a large foyer that opened into the living room, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Wow, she thought as she looked out the glass window at city hall. She was so high up, she could see the illuminated face of the clock and statue of William Penn. What an incredible view of the city. Oh my god, I can see all the way to the Delaware River. She wasn’t sure if she’d said the “oh my god” part out loud or not.
“You made it.” She turned around to see Jake standing in the doorway in jeans and a completely unbuttoned button-down shirt. Her gaze drifted to the tanned skin covering his washboard abs. Catching herself ogling him, she quickly looked away. Don’t be pervy, she thought.
“This is unbelievable,” she gasped and turned back to the window. She didn’t know which was a better view, the city spread out before her or the sight of his reflection in the glass walking toward her. “I can’t believe you live here.” He slipped his muscular arms around her from behind, setting his chin gently on her shoulder.
“As soon as the realtor showed me this place, I fell in love with it. This is the prettiest time. Just before dusk.” He pulled her closer to him and moving her hair to one shoulder, kissed her delicately. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Sure.” Brooke’s senses were so overwhelmed by the sparks that were flying between her and Jake she hardly knew what she was agreeing to. Jake walked to the wet bar at the far side of the room and opened a bottle of red. Brooke eyed him as he twisted the wine key until the cork popped out. Was he going to keep his shirt unbuttoned all night? Good lord, how would she ever concentrate on anything he was saying?
“Cheers,” Jake said as he returned with two glasses and handed one to her. She clinked his glass and took a sip. They both looked back out at the expansive view of the city.
“Would you like me to show you around?”
“Yeah. I’d probably get lost without a guide.”
Jake laughed. “It’s only three bedrooms, so I doubt that.”
Brooke followed Jake down the hallway. “We’ll start with the two most important rooms. . . .”
“The bathroom?” she joked. He flashed a smile at her.
“Okay, three. There’s the bathroom in there. One of ’em.” He half motioned to a closed door and continued down the hall.
“That’s my office, where I do all my work. Super messy, I know.” Brooke poked her head in. Messy was right. She thought her room was bad? The gigantic desk sported two oversize computer monitors and was littered with books and papers. It was the only room of the penthouse she’d seen so far that looked lived-in, and it made her feel more at ease.
“So that’s where the magic happens, huh?” she teased.
“I like to think the magic happens in here,” he teased and led her into the master bedroom.
“Wow,” Brooke said, genuinely impressed. It too had sweeping views of downtown Philadelphia with city hall front and center. As Brooke entered and walked toward the four-poster king-size bed, she caught a faint scent of his cologne. He must’ve put it on as soon as Ben announced her arrival. Brooke smiled.
“If I lived here, I don’t think I’d ever leave,” Brooke mused with a grin.
“If you lived here, I’d never leave either.” Jake flashed a smile and sipped his wine.
“Well, it’s beautiful.”
“So are you,” Jake whispered as he stepped closer. She turned toward him and he took the glass from her hand and set it on the side table. Then, sliding his fingers into her hair, he pulled her into a kiss. Brooke could taste the sweetness of the wine on his tongue. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his. It was warm and inviting. Lost in the moment, she felt his hand slide down her back until his thumb hooked the waist of her jeans. Excitement shot through her. The physical attraction between them was so powerful, she’d never felt anything like it.
When they parted, Jake stepped back. Brooke felt breathless. He smiled and handed her wine glass back to her and looked down at the expensive watch on his wrist.
“Wow. It’s later than I thought. We need to go,” Jake said with urgency.
“We’re leaving?” Brooke was almost disappointed. She would’ve been perfectly content just kicking off her shoes, stretching out on his couch, and making out the rest of the evening.
“I’d planned to cook dinner but I didn’t get a chance to go to the store, so I made us reservations. Is that okay?”
“I’m game for anything,” Brooke assured him, hoping it wasn’t someplace she’d be completely underdressed.
“Good, because I think you’ll like this,” Jake said as he hastily buttoned his shirt.
Taking her hand, Jake grabbed his wallet and keys and led her back out to the elevator. When they got inside, instead of pressing the Lobby button, he pressed R. Brooke assumed it must be a parking level and was surprised when she felt the elevator go up. The doors opened to a narrow hallway on the rooftop.
As Jake pushed open the door to the building’s roof, a deafening chopping noise hit them and Brooke stepped out to see a helicopter sitting several yards away on a landing pad. Brooke was stupefied. They were going to dinner in a helicopter?
Jake turned to see her reaction, then grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the helicopter, their hair and clothes whipping wildly in its downwash.
The pilot hopped out and opened the door so they could climb inside. Brooke had never been in a helicopter before. Exhilarated and terrified at the same time, she looked out her side window at the edge of the building, before feeling Jake reach over and tug on her seat belt.
Brooke thought the noise of the rotors would disappear once the door was shut, but it was still loud.
“What are we doing?” she tried to yell over the clatter, but Jake held up a finger for her to wait. Looking around, he found a headset with a mic that extended in front of her mouth like the one the lady on the news wore when she reported from the helicopter about traffic. Jake handed it to Brooke, helping to adjust it. Then he put his on as well.
“Can y
ou hear me?” he asked, grinning. His voice sounded strong in her ears. Brooke nodded.
“What did you say?” he asked as the pilot got in and closed her door.
“Are you guys ready to go?” The pilot looked back over her shoulder, her blond bob tucked behind her headset.
“We’re putting our lives in your hands,” Jake said to the pilot, winking at Brooke. She got the sense from their familiar banter that they knew each other. Did Jake take a helicopter all the time? This was absolutely crazy.
“Have you ever been in one of these before?” he asked. Brooke shook her head. She couldn’t believe she was sitting in one right now. Four and a half hours ago, she was bored in class, and now they were going to dinner in a helicopter. A real fucking helicopter?! Every time she was with him she went from typical high school junior to some fantasy princess.
“Where are we going?” Brooke asked, grabbing Jake’s hand in excitement as all her reservations about him melted away. This might actually be the best day of my life, she thought.
“You’ll see,” he responded coyly. “It’s a surprise.”
Twelve
A Little Too Perfect
This is unreal, Brooke thought as the helicopter lifted off the roof and swung out sideways over the building. Brooke shrieked and squeezed Jake’s hand tighter, hoping they wouldn’t die.
“Relax,” he said with a grin and pointed to the statue at the top of the clock tower. They were right in front of William Penn’s face—his chiseled features staring in at them. It was absolutely thrilling. Brooke couldn’t think of any other way to describe it.
“Flight time is one hour to New York City,” they heard the pilot say.
“Oh my god,” Brooke gasped, her hand clutching the front of her shirt. “We’re going to New York?!” Brooke loved the hustle and bustle of New York, but she rarely got to go. This is unbelievable.
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