Little Criminals
“Wow,” George says.
“Wow what?” I ask, coming into the kitchen. George and my father are comparing notes on Brown like they’re old pals.
“That bag,” George says. “I love it.”
“You do?” Hmph. After my roller-coaster date with Sebastian, which ended with us making out in his car in my driveway until my father switched the outdoor lights on and off, the last person I want to see is George.
“I was thinking,” I say to George now. “Instead of driving all the way to this inn, why don’t we go to The Brownstone? It’s closer, and the food’s really good.” I’m being cruel, taking George to the same restaurant as Sebastian. But love has made me evil.
George, of course, has no idea. He’s annoyingly agreeable. “Wherever you want to go is fine with me.”
“Have fun,” my father says hopefully.
We get into the car, and George leans over for a kiss. I turn my head and his kiss lands on the side of my mouth. “How have you been?” he asks.
“Crazy.” I’m about to tell him all about my wild two weeks with Sebastian and how I’m being stalked by Donna LaDonna and the two Jens, and the nasty card in my locker, but I stop myself. George doesn’t need to know about Sebastian yet. Instead I say, “I had to take a friend of mine to this doctor to get birth control pills, and there was a girl who’d obviously had an abortion and—”
He nods, keeping his eyes on the highway. “Growing up in the city, I always used to wonder what people did in small towns. But I guess people manage to get into trouble, no matter where they live.”
“Ha. Have you ever read Peyton Place?”
“I mostly read biographies. When I’m not reading for class.”
I nod. We’ve only been together for ten minutes, but already it’s so awkward I can’t imagine how I’ll get through the evening. “Is that what they call it?” I ask tentatively. “‘The city?’ Not ‘New York’ or ‘Manhattan’?”
“Yeah,” he says, with a little laugh. “I know it sounds arrogant. Like New York is the only city on earth. But New Yorkers are a little arrogant. And they do think Manhattan is the center of the universe. Most New Yorkers couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.” He glances over at me. “Does that sound terrible? Do I sound like an asshole?”
“Not at all. I wish I lived in Manhattan.” I want to say “the city,” but I’m afraid I’ll sound affected.
“Have you ever been?” he asks.
“Not really. Once or twice when I was little. We went on a school trip to the planetarium and looked at stars.”
“I practically grew up in the planetarium. And the Museum of Natural History. I used to know everything about dinosaurs. And I loved the Central Park Zoo. My family’s house is on Fifth Avenue, and when I was a kid, I’d hear the lions roaring at night. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Very cool,” I say, hugging myself. I’m strangely cold and jittery. I have a sudden premonition: I’m going to live in Manhattan. I’m going to hear the lions roaring in Central Park. I don’t know how I’m going to get there, but I will.
“Your family lives in a house?” I ask stupidly. “I thought everyone in New York lived in apartments.”
“It is an apartment,” George says. “A classic eight, as a matter of fact. And there are actual houses—townhouses and brownstones. But everyone in the city calls their apartment a house. Don’t ask me why. Another affectation, I suppose.” He gives me a sidelong glance. “You should visit me. My mother spends the entire summer at her house in Southampton, so the apartment is practically empty. It has four bedrooms,” he adds quickly so I don’t get the wrong idea.
“Sure. That would be great.” And if I could get into that damn writing program, it would be even better.
Unless I go to France with Sebastian instead.
“Hey,” he says. “I’ve missed you, you know?”
“You shouldn’t miss me, George,” I say with coy irritation. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know you enough to miss you. To think about you, anyway. Is that all right?”
I should tell him I already have a boyfriend—but it’s too soon. I hardly even know him. I smile and say nothing.
“Carrie!” Eileen, the hostess at The Brownstone, greets me like I’m an old friend, looks George up and down, and nods approvingly.
George is amused. “They know you here?” he asks, taking my arm as Eileen leads us to a table.