A Novel Idea by Aimee Friedman Read Free Book Online Page B

” I picked randomly, “for our next real meeting, in April.”
     
    Neil, James, and Scott groaned, Francesca beamed at me like I was her new best friend, and Audre elbowed me in the ribs. It didn’t matter. Nothing could bother me anymore. Philippa Askance would give a reading at the Book Nook, my club wasn’t a total flop, and best of all, I was definitely going to see James again.
     

Six
    “Don’t kill me,” Audre said over the phone as I walked briskly up Seventh Avenue, my cell tucked between my chin and my shoulder. “But I can’t make it to Operation: Find Philippa. My baking class got rescheduled, and if I don’t go, my parents will use that against me until the end of time.”
     
    It was a sun-soaked Saturday—the first day in March that felt like spring—and I was flip-flopping toward the Starbucks on Carroll Street where the book group was supposed to meet. (Over e-mail, we’d decided against the Book Nook because Griffin doesn’t work there on Saturdays, and this didn’t count as an “official” meeting.) In addition to my flip-flops, I was celebrating the weather with the cropped, olive-green eBay jacket my mom had finally lent me money for. That, paired with a tank top and jeans, was enough. I love when it starts to get warm out.
     
    “I totally understand,” I told Audre, even though her news was a bit of a bummer. Audre’s parents, the usually-chill Mr. and Mrs. Legrand, think their Gourmet Diva daughter should aim for Yale, like Langston. But Audre is all about cooking school, so she and her ’rents clash. She takes this baking class at a community college to prove to them she’s serious about it.
     
    “So now you and Scott have both bailed,” I added, heading toward Carroll Street. “He’s hosting some charity auction for Millay today. Or maybe that was last week. I can’t keep track.”
     
    “Well, say hi to James for me—if you can,” Audre laughed. Of course I’d already filled my best friend in on my crush—it’s impossible for me to keep secrets from Audre, even if I want to. She’d already guessed I was head over heels when, according to her, I’d been “checking out his fine, rain-drenched body at the last meeting.” I hadn’t denied it.
     
    Then I saw James for real, standing outside Starbucks with his arms crossed over his chest, looking thoughtful and gorgeous.
     
    “Gotta go,” I whispered to Audre, clicking off.
     
    “Um, hey, Norah. I think it’s just you and me,” I heard James say as I approached him, my pulse tapping like crazy.
     
    “What do you mean?” I stopped short, so I wouldn’t have to come too close. Sitting across from James in the darkness of Art House, practically half-naked, had somehow been comfortable; standing with him in a regular-me outfit in broad daylight was freaking me out. Normal, right?
     
    “Neil has a math team competition this weekend,” James explained, not really looking at me. “And Francesca showed up like a second ago, but when I told her I didn’t think anyone else was coming, she made up some excuse and ran away.”
     
    Only because Griffin’s not here, I thought, annoyed on Audre’s behalf. Then I remembered Audre. And Scott.
     
    James was right. It was just the two of us.
     
    “So … ,” I said, firmly telling myself that we were not on a date, “how should we work this?”
     
    James brushed his thick, dark hair out of his eyes. “Well, before Francesca left, she promised she’d try to call Philippa’s agent on Monday. And Neil said he’d look up her editor.” He shrugged. “I guess we could kind of walk around and see if we run into her somewhere?”
     
    Semistalking Philippa actually sounded like fun, so before I could get too nervous, I agreed.
     
    Silently, we wandered up and down side streets, under blooming trees, the sun warming us. Park Slope is laid out in a neat little grid, so it’s easy to roam for a while and not get lost. We were turning the corner onto 3rd Street