Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(4)

Hey, baby. How’s it going over there?

I flipped my phone sideways to landscape mode so the on-screen keyboard was bigger and easier to type on. Just great. Really great.

His reply was almost instantaneous. Lousy day, huh?

I poured out my woes to him, though in the end, I was feeling kind of stupid for complaining. What I had endured was about the same as any overworked person in a coffee shop.

Maybe I was just feeling exhausted. I was fired from my old job in publishing due to the company’s profits going in a downward spiral, and for two months, I had been working at the coffee shop. I get tired easily, especially when I used to sit in my cubicle for hours, but now I have to be on my feet eight hours a day. I had been trying to look for a new job, but so far, no luck.

After a while, my phone buzzed again. When’s your shift off tomorrow? Todd’s going to Boston this weekend, so why don’t you come and stay over?

I hesitated for a second. I have an extra shift during the weekends, and Jason’s place is way farther from the coffee shop. He lives near the university, which is in the outskirts of the city. Still, it had been a while since we had seen each other, and I miss him. Messaging and calling aren’t the same as having his arms around me. And besides, I bought a super sexy Victoria’s Secret babydoll slip last month—the price tag is still attached. What better chance to wear it?

“Sure.”



* * *



Before I arrive at Jason’s apartment, I decide to make a detour to the supermarket. While I am picking through tomatoes, trying to find the best ones for making salsa, my phone rings.

“Hey, Kat!” Paige’s voice, excited and bubbly, transmits from the speaker. “Guess what happened?”

I wonder what it can be that is making her so excited. Generally speaking, Paige rarely has to worry about anything. Having inherited Mom’s beauty and Dad’s brains, she’s popular, pretty, and smart. If she went to a prestigious school in a big city, it might be more difficult to stand out, but in our small rural high school, she easily gets all the attention.

“Jennifer Lawrence is filming in Oakleigh, and you got to be an extra on the set?”

“Ooh, nice guess.” She giggles. “You’ll never believe it—I got that freaking grant for Australia!”

I almost crush the tomato in my palm into pulp. “The one you were talking about that includes a round-trip ticket, tuition fees, and a monthly stipend?”

“Yup. It’s for one year only but renewable for three years!”

“Wow.” I knew my sister was smart, but I didn’t imagine that she would be so freaking awesome. “Congratulations, little sis. I’m so proud of you.”

“I was mad when that exchange program terminated last year. I so wanted to visit Australia after Gabriel told me all those stories when you were still dating. But this is even better! You’ve got to visit me once I’m settled.”

“You bet I will.” I imagine myself petting a koala or a kangaroo. “Have you told Mom yet?”

“I would have, but she’s probably still on the plane.”

“Don’t tell me she’s going to see Ryan.”

Ryan is this middle-aged widower who has a son around my age. He and Mom met during my graduation ceremony, and it was love at first sight. At first, we didn’t take it seriously because the guy is from Canada and they only met for like a day, but it turned out that Ryan is pretty serious about Mom. He flies to Chicago and then drives up to our house every quarter. A few months ago, he took Mom on a luxury cruise tour in Alaska.

“Yeah, I know. Mom is crazy about him, but he’s even crazier about her. Most of the time it’s Ryan flying down to see Mom, though you can say it’s because he can afford to. If this continues, we’ll be getting a stepdad soon.”

We’ve met Ryan. He seems nice, but still . . . I guess I still need a little time to get used to the prospect of having a stepfather. It has always been the three of us in our family for about fifteen years. But maybe it’s because I don't know Ryan well enough. Ever since I moved to Portland, I only see my family like twice a year.

“And speaking of Ryan, he’ll be coming to my graduation in June. They’ve chosen me as valedictorian. Oh, and bring Jason. I owe him one for helping me with my applications!”

I have to smile. “I need to check with Jason—I think he might have his qualifications coming up, but I wouldn’t miss your graduation for anything.”



* * *



When I get to Jason’s house, lugging multiple shopping bags full of groceries, he opens the door even before I raise my hand to knock.

“When I heard footsteps on the front porch, I knew it would be you.”

“It had to be me.” I flash him a cheeky grin. “Because you’d be in big trouble if you were expecting someone else.”

“Nah, because I have no life.” He chuckles, pulls me close for a kiss, and relieves me of my bags. “Geez, Kat, there must be enough tomatoes to feed an army in here. Let me guess—homemade marinara sauce?”

“Sure, if you can wait several hours for it to get done.”

“I’ll wait,” he says, but I know he’s joking, of course. “Honestly, I swear you can quit your job and open an online business with canned jars of sauce.”