The Smartest Girl in the Room Read Online Free PDF Page B

then
tell me all about why you’d rather spend the evening with a little
kid like me than go to that frat party."
    "Can you be bribed out of part two?"
    "Not unless the bribe is my diploma."
    He clucked his tongue. "Dinner it is
then."
    "Let’s see: there’s Friday’s but every time
I’ve gone there before, I’ve gotten food poisoning. There’s Chili’s
but I made myself something Mexican for lunch...oh!" She smiled and
clapped her hands. "Au Bon Pain!"
    "That is the best dinner of your life?"
    "No... but I’ve sort of been in the mood for
one of their cheese sandwiches."
    "We could always walk down to Newbury
Street."
    "I’m so not in the mood to wait in a line on
a Friday night with the beautiful people while I’m holding all of
my stuff."
    "Au Bon Pain it is!"
    "Cool. Do you mind going to the one on the
upper level? The lower level can get so crowded."
    "Sure, but then you have to explain your
touch of agoraphobia."
    "Huh?"
    "You’ve managed to talk your way out of
dancing, Newbury Street restaurants and a ‘crowded’ Au Bon Pain.
That’s starting to sound like a pattern."
    "It is. It’s all part of my plot to get you
alone with me." She smiled. "And I guess it worked."
    "Is that the truth, or just your way of
trying to end the conversation?"
    "That," she touched the tip of his nose
lightly, "would be telling."
    They walked to the escalator and then through
the bridge to the adjoining mall in a comfortable silence. While
riding down, he turned around. She looked up at the ceiling, trying
to suppress a giggle, but couldn’t. She started laughing, then he
followed, and by the time they got to the other side they couldn’t
stop.
    "People must think we’re crazy," she finally
said.
    He looked around. "Nah, I think they get
it."
    "You’re not very gallant, you know."
    "Did you want me to carry you through the
revolving doors?"
    "No, but maybe we could go to your car."
    "Wow, things are moving along pretty
quickly."
    "I’d like to get rid of these bags."
    "Oh! Okay, you stay here and I’ll bring the
bags to the car."
    "Thank you. And for your reward I’ll get you
a drink. What’s your poison? Don’t say coffee."
    "Elixir of the gods, but you’re right. How
about a diet coke?"
    "Ew! Are you serious? I’d rather get you a
coffee."
    "What’s wrong with diet coke?"
    "I don’t know. I’ve always spat it out too
quickly to be able to give a full description."
    "I wouldn’t want to force you to compromise
your values."
    "Diet coke it is. I’ll just make sure not to
handle it too much." She playfully tossed her bags at him and then
practically skipped away.
     
    ~~~
     
    He stood for a moment and watched her leave.
The stupid grin started to leave his face and a more serious smile
replaced it. He kept it on as he found his way to the garage.
    Nineteen , he kept reminding himself as
he waited for the elevator to arrive. Ireland , he thought
when he stepped in to the elevator.
    Three months is not a very long time ,
he thought as he arrived at his floor. Yeah, but a lot can
happen in three months. What if she meets someone else, but doesn’t
do anything because she’s noble? What if she meets someone else and
I can’t do anything about it? What if she gets out of school so
quickly I’m not there when she graduates?
    He shook his head as he put the bags in the
car. He walked back to the elevator, trying not to think about
curve of her lips when she listened to him talk. Maybe she could
come with me. Right, and bail on everything she’s worked so hard
for? And I’ll just put her in my suitcase for the whole trip.
    She shook the diet coke at him as he
approached. "As promised."
    "And I thought you weren’t going to touch the
stuff."
    "For you, anything." He smiled at that and
sat down. Emily leaned in. "So, the other part of the arrangement
was that you tell me what happened between you and the
fraternity-which-I-cannot-name."
    He put his elbows on the table. "The thing is
I’m not sure I can provide