Flat-Out Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

she said with agitation. “You have to help out.”
    She reached a hand up to his midsection, trying desperately to keep him vertical, but each time she seemed to find the perfect spot for the base flap, Flat Finn would lean precariously forward or backward, causing Celeste to tighten her free hand. Julie could see that the carpeting was not going to allow a successful outcome, and Celeste’s cheeks flushed as she became increasingly frustrated. Panicked, even.
    “You have done this before, Flat Finn! You can do this!” she pleaded.
    Julie watched the scene before her and wondered what the hell she’d gotten herself into by setting foot in this house. Celeste was looking rather frazzled, and it was hard to watch this kid in such a state, so Julie stood up and took Flat Finn by the shoulders. If everyone else was going to normalize this, she might as well hop on the bandwagon.
    “You know what? Guys always like to lie down and just sprawl out. They’re lazy like that. I wonder if that’s what he wants.” Julie noticed Matt poised nervously at the far side of the room, clearly considering whether or not to intervene. He took a step forward. Julie shot him a look and he stepped back. “Besides,” she continued to Celeste, “Flat Finn can’t see the computer from up there. He should be on the couch with us.”
    Celeste looked at Julie for a moment, and then her face brightened. “I think he would like that very much.”
    Julie lifted Flat Finn from the nubby, unsuitable carpeting, swung him sideways into the air, and laid him on his side on the couch.
    “Be careful,” Celeste urged from her crouched position on the rug.
    “He’s fine. And there’s still room for us.” Julie took her seat again, leaving enough room behind her so that Flat Finn did not risk getting any flatter. “Just don’t lean back, or we’ll be in trouble. Come sit down and tell me which pictures he wants to see.”
    Celeste rounded the table and sat down gingerly. She leaned her head over Julie’s lap, peeking at Flat Finn’s face jutting out from behind Julie’s back. “He definitely wants to see the red dress ones first. He could hear me talking about them and suspects that you look hot and sultry. Again, his words, not mine.”
    Julie laughed. “Well,
I
suspect Flat Finn is a pervert, and he’s going to be disappointed, but he can see the pictures anyway.” Julie opened the photo and waited for an assessment. She did look cute that day, she had to admit. While the dress was a little low-cut and fell a few inches above the knee, it was also soft and flowing. She liked how the straps crisscrossed over her back and tied in a bow.
    Celeste paused for a moment. “He is not disappointed. He thinks that you are beautiful and that you should Facebook Finn.” She paused again. “He doesn’t mean that to sound as dirty as it does.”
    Julie swallowed. “Flat Finn is on Facebook?” She’d love to see
those
status updates.
Got strapped to the roof of the car today for a trip to Starbucks. Would have loved to taste caramel mocha, but can’t move arms and so was forced to stare longingly at delicious, hot beverage. Will the taunting never end?
    Celeste sighed, clearly exasperated at Julie’s stupidity. “Not Flat Finn.
Finn
. Go find him on Facebook. You are on Facebook, aren’t you? Matty and Finn are, and Matty lets me sneak on with him so I can see Finn’s page. Shhhh,” she said, holding a finger to her lips. “Mom and Dad would not approve whatsoever. They hate any sort of social networking site and consider it indicative of lower intelligence.”
    “I suppose he’s on Twitter too?”
    “Absolutely not. Are you?”
    Julie shook her head. “I have a strong aversion to Twitter, and yet there is a social obligation that forces me to pop in and spy on celebrities now and then. I don’t get Twitter. It’s impossible to follow conversation threads, and it’s too easy to spend hours and hours clicking on random names, and