Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park Read Free Book Online Page B

Celeste thought, but it reassured Matthew. “Yet, in terms of dating, if males are drawn to me for my appearance, they are soon discouraged by my other qualities. Eccentricities, of which I know I have many, do not hold universal sexual and romantic lure. I understand that.”
    Matt stopped them, and he looked her in the eye. “Listen to me. You don’t need to give a crap about universal anything. You give a crap when you have love that defies boundaries. That’s it.”
    “Is that what you had?”
    He paused, clearly uncomfortable. “I thought so.”
    “But it was not enough. Not enough to make you try with everything you had.”
    “Stop.”
    “You did not. Or you would be with Julie. I know that you are fantastically in love with her. Still. But that does not, I gather, matter.”
    “That’s different. Circumstances changed. She got that great job in Los Angeles with the UC–Davis study-abroad program. She had to go. I mean, she’s in charge of creating programs in different countries and communicating with universities all over the world. It was an amazing position for her, and she earned it. And I had to stay here for M.I.T. ”
    “So there. You have proved the point. If you and Julie were not able to rise above simple challenges such as location, I decidedly cannot rise above what is clearly a more catastrophic set of problems.”
    “Location is not simple. And what about you is catastro—“
    “Wait! California!” She stopped short and jerked Matt back.
    “Huh?”
    Celeste scanned the street. “I just remembered something.”
    And there, across the street from them, was Border Cafe. It was already five-thirty, past the start time of the Barton event. Not that she would have gone inside anyway. Church Street was bustling tonight as people headed for their favorite restaurants and bars, and a line was forming outside The Brattle Theatre. She moved her head to see past pedestrians. A young man in a bright blue hooded sweatshirt and black down vest stood out front, holding open the door for diners who were entering and exiting, and he did so with such style that Celeste couldn’t help but be intrigued. Each time he reached for the door handle, he simultaneously performed a dramatic bow, complete with a sweeping hand gesture, followed by a quick, full-body spin. The patrons were eating it up.
    “It has a slightly tacky sign, does it not?” she murmured.
    “What has a what?” Matt asked.
    “That restaurant. I have never noticed it. I was invited to something there tonight, but I politely declined.”
    “You’ve lived here your entire life and never noticed Border Cafe? I’ve failed you as a brother, clearly. You want to grab dinner? I feel a craving for a margarita or nine.”
    “What? Now? No. No, certainly not.” But she could not take her eyes off the boy who stood out front. He bounced on his toes a few times and then hopped in the air and landed by the door just in time to let out more customers, who he then saluted very properly and marched alongside with high knee-lifts as he escorted them to the next block. The three girls giggled in response to his antics as the boy dashed back to his post.
    “Hello?” Matt waved his hands in front of her face. “Celeste? What are we doing? If we’re not going in, then let’s go. It’s getting cold.”
    “Sure. Okay…” But she watched the boy. “Let’s cross here.” She dragged Matt across the street, causing a taxi to brake hard.
    “No, that’s fine. I don’t mind if that taxi hits us. Really. Hospitals are fun on Saturday nights,” Matt grumbled. “No one’s ever there.”
    “They are indeed fun,” she replied, only half paying attention.
    As they slowly walked toward the restaurant, she made eye contact with the boy in the hoodie. He paused for a moment—just a moment—and tilted his head to side. She took in the way his soft brown hair did a sort of whooshing-off-his-face thing that she quite liked. As if on cue, he ran a hand