My Boyfriends' Dogs Read Online Free PDF Page B

through blue sky. A tiny flock of geese soared in the distance, their honking so faint I might have imagined it. Then everything came together. This green-eyed dog, Adam—this dog that had knocked me off my feet in the morning—belonged to this green-eyed boy, Went—the boy who’d been knocking me off my feet ever since.
    And that’s when it happened. I think the instant I’d seen Went strolling up the hall of Millet Central, I must have stepped one foot over that invisible line, the line that circles the whole world, the line of no return. And now, meeting Adam, hearing the geese, and gazing into Went’s knowing eyes, I lifted my other foot and crossed over that line of my own free will.
    I was going to make Went Smith my boyfriend, my first real boyfriend. And there was no going back now.

5
    A new confidence spread through me as I faced Went. “Come with me. I’ll give you a free tour of Millet, Missouri.” I took a couple of steps. Adam followed me. Went did not.
    â€œI . . . uh . . . ” He glanced toward the drop-off and pickup lane.
    â€œIs your dad picking you up?”
    â€œNot exactly. Carly offered to give me a lift.”
    The old Bailey Daley would have stared at her feet and felt like an idiot. She might have pulled out a funny line or two, but she would have escaped as fast as she could. Not the new Bailey. “Adam doesn’t want to ride with Carly.”
    Went laughed. “Adam said that?”
    Carly’s black Mercedes was edging through the mass of cars. The Mercedes was used, but still. It was a Mercedes. She honked the horn. Went squinted over at her.
    I took hold of his hand. “Are you coming with Adam and me or not?” I held my breath. I’d crossed the line. No going back. No going back.
    Went broke into a smile. “Let’s get out of here.”
    We took off running up the sidewalk, away from the parking lot, away from school. Adam barked at my heels. I laughed so hard I could barely see where we were going—through the back lot, across the street, weaving through lawns.
    Went was laughing as hard as I was. He didn’t let go of my hand, or I didn’t let go of his, or both. Adam ran circles around us, nearly tripping me twice.
    â€œWhere are you taking my dog and me?” Went shouted as we dashed through an overgrown playground with two broken swings and no kids. We slowed to a jog. Hands on hips, he leaned forward, like he was trying to catch his breath.
    Maybe I was in better shape than I thought because I wasn’t even breathing hard. Or maybe air was thicker over the line, in the alternate universe. “We’re going job hunting. You said you needed one.”
    â€œActually, I think I said that’s what my dad wanted.”
    â€œIt’ll be fun,” I assured him. “Thrill of the hunt and all that.” I led Went to the only cinema in Millet. “Ta-da! The Millet Movies, where I had my first real job!” Even in sunlight, the old theater looked dark inside and out. The sidewalk out front suffered from jagged cracks.
    â€œThey still run movies here?” Went frowned up at the prewar marquee.
    â€œOnly on weekends. But we run two movies—count ’em, two movies—in different rooms at the same time. Actually, it’s more like one big room with a thin wall down the middle. The advantage of this architectural design is that you can see one movie and listen to the other. Two for the price of one.”
    Went squinted up at the marquee. “I get it. It’s retro, right? Old movies?”
    I could tell he was serious. “Nope. First-run only. Are you saying you’ve already had these movies in Los Angeles, California?”
    â€œNot for a long, long time.”
    â€œHuh.” I stroked Adam’s ears, and he groaned with pleasure.
    Went cupped his hands to peer in. “Think they’re hiring? I take a mean ticket.”
    â€œI’m sure