Adorkable(26)

After a time, she sighed. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I looked up, shocked to see the sheen of tears in her eyes. “I would’ve been fine with you dating Becks so long as he treats you well—which I have no doubt he does. ‘Yesterday’? You actually thought I’d buy that?”

I was floored. Was she actually saying…

“You don’t have to lie,” she continued. “This has obviously been going on for some time. But you didn’t have to keep it a secret, Sally. I would’ve understood.”

I couldn’t believe it. Her quick acceptance was so unlike Hooker’s flat-out refusal I had a hard time forming a reply.

“Sorry,” I said after a beat. “I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”

“Oh God,” she said suddenly, raising a hand to her lips, “I feel so stupid now about helping Lillian with all those blind dates.”

This was going much better than I’d expected. “Ah, don’t feel too bad, Mom.”

She sniffled. “I just can’t believe you never told me. I mean, I’ve always thought of myself as a cool mom. You know, a friend as well as a parent, hip to the ways of the young crowd.”

I leaned over to place a hand on her shoulder. “You are, by far, the hippest mom I’ve ever met,” I said, looking her in the eye.

“Yeah, right.”

“Mom, it’s true.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, but I love you for it.” She took my hand in hers, a smile playing on her lips. “So, why didn’t you just wait for Becks to ask you? Was he really dragging his feet that much?”

I shook my head at the idea. Becks ask me out? That was a laugh. “Becks would’ve never asked me first.”

She looked confused. “Why not?”

Because, I answered mentally, even if Becks was the one who’d needed a fake girlfriend, he wouldn’t have had to ask me. Girls would line up for a chance at him, fake or no. There were just too many other options, and besides, I was completely off his radar.

What I said was “Because he just wouldn’t.” Shrugging, I stood up, stretched and went to get my wand and cloak off the counter. “The kids will be arriving in about twenty minutes. I should get going.”

“Why not, Sally?” Mom stepped in front of me, arms crossed, tiara sparkling, and I realized I had made a mistake.

Trying to laugh it off, with a flourish, I swirled the cloak around my shoulders and said, “Well because for all his strengths, Becks has never appreciated my flair for the dramatic.” The pinky to thumb thing started again, soundless this time because it was on her arm. Dropping the act, I decided to get real. “Come on, Mom. You’re not seriously asking me this. With every other girl vying for his attention, why the heck would he notice a bookworm like me?”

And then I stopped, suddenly realizing I was wrong. Becks had noticed me. Out of everyone else, he’d picked me, Sally Spitz, as his best friend. For once, I was happy to be wrong.

“Sally, you’re gorgeous,” Mom said, arms falling to her sides.

“Yeah, o-kay,” I said, moving around her. A bit of sarcasm leaked through despite my best efforts. When I got to the door, she stopped me again, planting herself in front so I couldn’t leave. “Mom, I really need to go. They can’t start without me.”

“Okay, okay.” Lowering her chin, she narrowed her eyes. “But I’m serious, Sally Sue Spitz. You are my child, my baby, and nobody calls my baby ugly. Nobody. Not even you.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Now Mom, gorgeous is a bit of stretch don’t you think?”

“Gorgeous,” she repeated firmly, slipping the top button of my cloak into place. “Now, go on before you’re late. Those kids are probably tearing the place apart. When will you be home?”

“Not sure,” I said and then added the cherry on top. “I’m going over to Becks’s house after.”

A light lit in her eyes. “Oh, okay. Good. Have fun.”

Turning, I smiled to myself, knowing she was totally sold. One down, I thought, one to go. Look out, Hooker, I’m coming for you next.

“Oh, and Sally?”

As I got to my car, I looked back.

“Not too much fun, alright? Becks is a good boy, but…he is a boy. Tell him I said to keep it in his pants, okay? No babies for my baby, get me?”

I couldn’t get away fast enough.

“Love you,” she called as I drove off. “Say hi to Becks for me.”

Through the embarrassment, I felt a sweet buzz of triumph steal up my spine. The F.B.F. train was rolling now. There were really only two train seats that needed filling, and Hooker’s butt was about to be planted into one of those seats—whether she liked it or not.