Charmed Thirds_ A Jessica Darling Novel - Megan McCafferty [25]
“Hi-YA!”
“Jessie! Your boyfriend here is a natural with kids!”
I glanced at Marin, who was reaffirming this statement by gleefully wrapping Pinky the Poodle's feather boa around Marcus's neck.
“He should be a manny! I'd hire him in a second!”
Marin danced in circles around him, screeching with approval. “Pretty!”
“Tell me,” Marcus said, sensing my need for attention. “How was your day?”
I omitted the part about waiting around by myself for an hour and just cut straight to how cool and nice everyone was and how my opinion is highly valued because the next issue is True on New Jersey.
“So the whole time you're in New York, you have to think about home,” he said.
“Yes,” I said. “The irony does not escape me.”
“It never does,” he said.
“PEE! POO!” added Marin, still spinning around Marcus.
“Sooooo . . . Jessie,” Bethany cooed. “I told Marcus that he is welcome to stay as long as he wants.”
Marcus gave me an Isn't-that-great? grin.
I should have grinned back. Not only should I have been happy that at least one person supports our relationship, I should have been thrilled to spend more time with him. But I'd been looking forward to brainstorming ideas for Tyra. Plus, it was kind of disturbing to see him and Bethany so chummy. I don't get along with my sister, so Marcus certainly shouldn't be expected to.
I didn't notice that they were waiting for me to say something until I felt the weight of their eyes on me.
“Awesome,” I said, finally. “Awesome.”
the fourth
Tyra thanked me for my ideas, but didn't say anything else about them, which, I assume, means that she wasn't blown away by my insights as I had wished. I had particularly high hopes about a piece I'd pitched about the reclamation of the pejorative “guido.” I supplemented my story idea with a “poem” (quotations necessary because it has no discernible rhyme or meter) written by the webmaster of jerseyguido.com:
FRIDAY NIGHT RALLY
BY JOEY “THE SAINT” SANTERELLO
You sit at your desk
Where you feel like a loser five days a week
It's 4:30
Living for Friday night
Living for the shore
Where you're always young and crazy
Even if you're old and lazy
Go out, go wild, just go!
Just a half hour of hell left
Until you can head for heaven
You wipe away a tear
Thinking about that first beer
PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR!!!
Yesterday I was summoned to Tyra's office.
“What are you doing this weekend?” she asked.
“I'm spending it with my boyfriend,” I said vaguely.
The ambiguity was twofold. First, the only real plans I had for the Fourth involved having lots of loud, uninhibited sex with my boyfriend. My period had ended, but I couldn't get freaky-deaky with Marin sleeping all goo-goo and innocent in the nursery next door. I didn't want to be responsible for scarring her subconscious. I planned on taking full advantage of the fact that BG&M were headed for the Hamptons for the holiday.
And second, I hoped that this answer was sufficiently specific that I didn't sound like a loser, yet noncommittal enough that maybe Tyra would give me an assignment for the magazine.
“You have a boyfriend?” She slapped her hands to her cheeks Home Alone style. “You don't strike me as the type to have a boyfriend.”
“Uh.” Did I strike her as the type more likely to have a girlfriend? DAMN THIS HAIR.
“You seem too independent to have a boyfriend,” she said.
Oh.
“Well, Marcus isn't your typical boyfriend,” I said.
“Well, have fun with him,” she said.
Good advice. Since we've been in the city we haven't had much fun. Together, that is. While I've been answering phones, opening mail, and fetching lattes, Marcus has been having a blast as Marin's unofficial manny. Every day I come home to hear about how they've had a grand old time with Bethany, skipping along the promenade, sharing sticky-sweet Popsicles and hours and hours of laughs. I shouldn't be surprised that Marcus has had such an effect on my sister and niece. He's charmed Bethany and Marin just like he won over my grandmother Gladdie. His charisma spans the generations.
But I was