The Unexpected Everything

I’d been talking about Clark a lot to my friends—the way you can when you have a crush on someone you know absolutely nothing about.

Are you going to stay and watch the rehearsal?”

“No,” Bri, Toby, and I said in unison

We’re starting from the top of act two in fifteen.”

Palmer jumped up. “Fifteen minutes!” she yelled, as actors started to jump down from the stage and stream up the aisles. “Be back in fifteen, guys.”

“He just said that,” Toby said.

“I know. But for some reason, it’s my job to repeat times loudly.”

I was about to ask Palmer what the hell was going on, when the group continued. “He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts!”

“What. Is. Happening?” Toby said from her seat next to me, her eyes wide and fixed on the stage, where the cast had begun to jump around in circles, chanting, “Red leather yellow leather red leather yellow leather.”

but there always seems like the possibility that something might change this time around

Or meet at home?

I stared at the last word he’d typed. I knew what he meant, of course. He meant the house we were both currently living in. But whenever I saw or heard that word, I always thought of the farmhouse first. Our house in Stanwich Woods was never the place that came to mind

Why was I upset that he’d rather someone else walk his dog? I tried to tell myself it was because it would mean I’d miss out on getting my first regular client. But as I looked up at him, at his deep dimples and his unfairly long lashes, I knew that wasn’t really the reason. “

His tail was wagging so hard that his whole back half was swinging from side to side. I took a cautious step toward him, but Bertie jumped in the air and ran as fast as he could out the door again

You ready to go for a walk?” “Walk” seemed to be a word this dog knew, as he immediately sat, his tail thumping rapidly on the ground

there were floor-to-ceiling built-ins on all sides of this very large room, and they were absolutely crammed with books. It was the kind of room—big couches, comfy chairs—that you would expect a TV in, but I didn’t see one anywhere. All I could see were books