Into the Garden (Wildflowers 5)

"Well, lately, he's been different," Misty revealed with a suggestive smile. "He lives nearby and on at least two occasions, he stopped by when I was outside. Once, when I was washing the car and once when I was reading a magazine. He talked a lot and stood there watching me, and the way he looks at me now is a lot different. You know how sometimes a boy has an expression on his face that makes you feel naked? It's something like that. I think he was this much away from asking me on a date," she added, holding up her thumb and forefinger.

"Why didn't he ask?" Star questioned

suspiciously.

"Like I said, he's very shy," Misty said. "Which I like," she quickly added. "Too many boys think they can say anything they want to you, even if you're a complete stranger. Chris is ...the sensitive type," she decided after a moment.

"Maybe he's so shy and so sensitive, you'll scare him when you invite him," Star said.

"Maybe she won't," Jade interjected. "Does he hang around with a nice crowd or what?"

"Yeah, his friends are okay," Misty said. "My mother likes his family, if that means anything"

"Snob city," Star muttered.

"We're just trying to reassure ourselves, and do due diligence," Jade defended.

"Do what?" Star asked.

"Check their backgrounds so we don't invite the wrong people," Jade explained. "Isn't that why we're having this meeting?"

"Excuse me, I forgot." She turned to Misty. "Do you know his blood type?" she asked.

"What?"

"We should also get a urine sample," she continued. "Very funny," Jade said. "Who do you want to invite, big shot?"

Star laughed and threw an impish glance my way before settling back.

"Remember when I was telling you about Lily Porter's cousin, Larry?" Star asked.

"No," Jade said.

"Passed right over your head or below your nose?" Star asked her, eyes blazing.

"I forgot, all right? We haven't exactly been doing nothing these days," she explained in a highpitched voice.

"I remember," I said. "He's in the army, right?"

"That's right, Cat. Good. How did you remember with all that's going on?" she asked, giving Jade a side glance "Must be you think of something else besides your nail polish."

"That's not fair," Jade cried.

"All right, I'm sorry. Anyway, he's coming home on Tuesday and I'm going to meet him and I was thinking," she said, smiling, "if he's all he looks like, I'd invite him."

"That sounds good," Misty said. "He'll certainly be mature being in the army and all."

"Oh, he's mature," Star said, smiling. "He's twenty."

"Twenty? Why, he's closing in on social security," Jade quipped, seizing the opportunity for payback. "Why go out with such an old man?"

Star glared at her a moment and then broke into a smile.

"Okay, one for you," she said.

Their attention turned to me.

"Who do you want to invite, Cat?" Jade asked.