This One Is Mine: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

Maryam had said was “He’s actually kind of cute.”
Actually
kind of cute. Sally wondered, Why the
actually?
    “Hey! Look who it is!” Maryam had reappeared and was spinning Sally around by her shoulders. “Jeremy! This is my friend Sally.” Sally found herself, without ceremony, face-to-face with Jeremy White. He was pressed against a wall, a beer high to his chest.
    He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Sally.”
    Sally shook it. Clammy. “Likewise,” she said.
    “I can’t believe you came to a party,” Maryam said, and punched Jeremy in the shoulder.
    “You told me I had no choice.” He shot a glance at Sally, but before she could engineer a seductive smile, he looked down.
    The tension that had been building in Sally’s neck and shoulders all day swooshed down her spine and disappeared. Tonight would be easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. “I’m a big fan of your column,” she said. “I don’t know how you do it.”
    “I have a secret system,” Jeremy said.
    Sally pantomimed pointing a gun at him. “We have ways of making you talk.”
    “I’m scared,” he replied to her left cheek. She worried a zit had sprung up.
    Maryam laughed. “You guys are totally made for each other.”
    Sally felt a flush of excitement that what she was thinking had just been spoken aloud. “Maryam, look! They have five-layer dip.” Sally gave her a little wave.
“Your favorite.”
Maryam glowered and walked off.
    “It involves finding the value in a spread,” Jeremy was saying. “Even a half-point discrepancy — especially if it’s a valuable half point from three to three and a half — can be statistically significant.” It took Sally a second to realize he was still talking about his betting system.
    For a geek
. That’s what Maryam must have meant: he’s actually kind of cute
for a geek
. Jeremy had perfect posture. His chin was tucked in, as if to create an extra half-inch distance between himself and the world. He had pale skin and lots of sandy hair, with no signs of balding. He looked slender under a crumply button-down and wide-wale cords. It was a good start, something Sally could work with. “I think it’s so amazing you work at the
LA Times,
” she said.
    “I work at home. I’ve only been to Spring Street once.”
    “Even better! Working at home!”
    “Gee. Everything makes you happy,” he said.
    “I guess I’m just one of those types of people.”
    “I’ve never heard of the type who is happy one hundred percent of the time.”
    “Try me.”
    “That would require spending every day and night with you.”
    A joyous “Aah —” was all that came out.
    A dumpy, unattractive woman in sweatpants butted in. “Let me know when you’re ready to go,” she said to Jeremy.
    Sally waited for an introduction, but there was none. “Hi, I’m Sally Parry,” she had to say.
    “I’m Jeremy’s neighbor.” She had a big mole on her cheek.
    “Jennifer drove me here,” Jeremy said. “I don’t drive.”
    Jeremy didn’t drive here?
What about Sally’s plan? If he didn’t drive her home, she couldn’t bring him upstairs. If she couldn’t bring him upstairs, she couldn’t tease him. If she couldn’t tease him, she couldn’t send him away, flummoxed and erect. This was a four-alarm disaster! “That’s so fascinating!” Sally squealed. “I wish I had a neighbor to chauffeur me!”
    “There you go again,” he said. “Happy about everything.”
    “Whatever,” Jennifer said. “I’m ready when you are.”
    “I’m having fun,” he said to Jennifer. “Do you mind staying?”
    The neighbor girl looked Sally up and down. Sally stood her ground with confidence. Jennifer turned to Jeremy. “Let me know when you’re ready. I have to get up early.”
    Sally had to think fast. Jeremy was totally flirting with her, but were just five minutes face-to-face enough for him to ask her out? This blind date had taken three whole months to maneuver. Sally had only six weeks before Jeremy became