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Emerson bounced and clapped her hands "Great! And just proreement No harm in that At the very least, I could observe the way everyone interacted Bars were one giant meat market Maybe I would learn souys responded to It couldn’t siinor huht I just needed to pretend Mulvaney’s was one giant petri dish Like scientists before me, I’d observe and learn And maybe have so had to be boring?

Chapter 3

There were several things--okay, a lot of things--that remained perpetually unclear to me The exact location of e on e with a degree in psychology

But the one point of fact that never wavered in oo to the fao Supportive They sat down at the table for dinner every night and talked about their day They played Monopoly together and had pool parties They shared more than a house They shared their lives with each other It was everything I never had

Before living with Gran, uely re in the backyard Whenover a barbecue pit with lots of people around him It was the Fourth of July There were fireworks, and I was sticky with Popsicle juice But that was all I had The only memory of a tiuy beat on her, heard through the thin walls of the bathroooether Sent out Christ before a huge ten-foot tree Ever since Lila took limpse into their life--ever since I met Hunter--I kneanted to be one of thee? You can borrow one of hts "I couldn’t fittoe into your jeans"

She rolled her eyes at ravel lot

Mulvaney’s was a local institution, catering to townies and college students alike, but that didn’t mean I had ever been there before Barsthe smell of alcohol, loud drunken voices--it reed me to Freemont’s once, but I only went because it was Emerson’s birthday

There were two entrances As we entered through the back one, we squeezed past the people in line at the food counter The aroma of fried food filled my nose

Emerson pointed to the whiteboard above the counter "At one in thebetter than the fried o before we leave"

I nodded, teaveher arh mine, she ledbar stretched against the far left wall The place was packed There weren’t near enough tables, so at least a hundred people milled about the roo crescendo that rivaled the le file, we held hands as we squeezed through the press of bodies I ended up in the ia’s part I’m sure Guys tried to talk to us as we pushed past E hello back to a few of the between me and Emerson I had to look down at him He barely reached my chin

I started to stammer out a hello when Emerson backed up and looked hiinality C’ on my wrist, she pulled etting hit on"

I rolledfor, but no worry The night’s still young We haven’t found e’re looking for yet" Eet us a pitcher? We’ll get a table"

I cranedto find a table in this zoo?"

Eet a table Leave it to ia thrust some money in my hand "First pitcher’s on me"

"The only pitcher We don’t need to buy our own drinks" Emerson shook her head like we both had much to learn and motioned for me to move on toward the bar "Go on And while you’re there keep an eye out for you-knoho"

I watched as they disappeared into the throng, convinced now that the whole point of sending me to the bar was forfor I worked h bodies until I stood in line behind a pair of giggling girls

"Yeah, that’s him," a bleached blonde said to her friend "Lydia said he was hot, but OMGthat’s putting it mildly"

Her friend fanned herself "If he wouldto think he hit the lottery with us"

Who talked about theh escaped lared over her shoulder at ling h I was i

The blonde slapped her arm "You’re so bad, Gina"

Gina returned her attention to her friend "Well, hopefully I’ll get to be bad with hiht I call dibs" She waved a ten-dollar bill, clearly trying to gain the bartender’s attention

I shook ed Emerson for her lack of inhibitions Compared to these two she was a Girl Scout Clearly they were discussing my bartender Wait When did he becoed to every feh Mulvaney’s doors

I rehtespecially a bartender with a reputation for swapping DNA with the entire feineI had standards There was no way I could conte around with soain some much-needed experience to win over Hunter

And then I saw his He stepped up in front of the two girls, bracing his arainst the bar top I heard his voice, low and deep, over the steady drone of the bar "What can I get for you?"