'Yup.' Okay, I know it is totally bad of me to still not have told her or Dad about my being an Espressologist.
And I probably still wouldn't tell her, but I kind of have no choice now–since I'm going to be on TV and all.
'I love that show. The girls always dress so cute,'
Mom says.
'I know,' I agree. This is one of those moments when I know my mom is really my mom and not just some lady who found me on her doorstep and took me in (which I was 98 percent sure of up through freshman year in high school).
'I don't get the whole Espressology thing, though,' she says. 'What makes you an Espressologist?'
'Well, because I say so, mostly,' I reply with a laugh, and we start walking again. 'I'm the one who made it up.
I'd been studying people and their drink orders for months and I just figured out a way to match them. And, well, it works.'
'You've already been doing this for a couple of weeks, you say?
'Yeah.'
'Why didn't you tell Dad or me?' she asks.
Shoot. I knew she'd ask that. 'I don't know,' I say.
'Partly because I didn't know how you'd react and partly because I didn't want you in there taking pictures or something and turning it into a scrapbook page.'
'That's a fabulous idea!' Mom says.
'Oh no, Mom, don't do it.'
'When you are putting yourself on television, you kind of leave me no choice. This is big!'
'I know. That's what scares me,' I say. But she's not really listening anymore. I'm sure she's already envisioning what embellishments and stamps she will use on the scrapbook page.
'When does the show air? I'm going to have to call my mom, Grandpa Turner, all of your aunts and uncles ...'
Mom trails off and sits down on a bench, PDA now in hand, taking notes. I knew she'd react this way to the news. I guess this makes up for my not being a cheerleader freshman year like she wanted. I plunk down next to her on the bench and wait for her to stop writing. 'Mom?'
'Hmm?' She doesn't look up.
'Can we get going? Em is supposed to come by and help me get ready for Friday.'
'One more second,' she replies, and enters something else. 'Okay, no problem, sweetie. Let's get you home.'
Mom loops her arm through mine and we head toward the exit. 'I'm so excited that you are going to be on The Gabby Girlz, honey.' She beams at me. I wish I was more excited.
An hour later Em and I are plopped down on my bed, eating strawberry granola bars and staring at my Espressology notebook, lying open between us. Em is helping me memorize the different drinks and descriptions so that I can be even faster with my on-the-spot matches.
'Are you getting a lot of e-mail from your matches?'
Em asks.
'Oh, loads! It's fun always having a ton of e-mail in my in-box. It's kind of like getting fan mail.'
'Heck yeah, you have a ton of fans. Including me,'
Em gushes. 'You are a real-life Cupid! How many matches have you made now?'
I quickly scan my totals in the spreadsheet. 'Forty-six.'
'That's amazing, Jane! Think about it... that's ninety-two people you've made happy for the holidays. No wonder you are getting fan mail!'
I smile. 'I guess it really is pretty big. I didn't realize I had done so many matches already. Now I've got to match myself for the holidays.'
'With Will?' Em teases.
'Of course!' I say. 'He came in last night when I was working and I told him about Friday and The Gabby Girlz and everything. He said he wouldn't miss it for the world.'
'Aww, he 50 likes you.'
'I hope you're right. I mean, I think he does. He is giving me all the signals. When I was making his drink he stood at the pick-up counter talking to me and he even took one of the straws out of the holder and was rubbing it up and down my arm. I mean, who does that to someone he isn't interested in?'
'Um ... riiiiiight,' Em says.
'Oh, shut up,' I tease. 'It was cute. It was a cute thing, not a creepy thing.'
'If you say so. Personally I like having my arm rubbed with plastic spoons, but, you know, whatever turns you on,' Em says, dodging the pink-lips pillow I throw at her head.
'He was talking all seductively to me, too,' I add.
'Really? What did he say?'
'Okay, the words weren't like uber-seductive, but his tone of voice was. He was all deep and smooth and velvety. And he was telling me how he really needed a special someone in his life to share cold nights with–'
'Cheesy!' Em interjects.
'Whatever!' I return. 'Anyway, like I was saying, he said he wants someone special and he was hoping that I would be able to find his perfect match on Friday night.'
'So, you are really going to do it? You are going to match him with you?'
'Definitely,' I say. 'Enough with this flirting and teasing, I want to actually go on a date with Will. I'm going to tell him I'm his match. But after The Gabby Girlz thing is finished. I won't be able to think of anything else until the interview is over.
'Oh, Jane, I'm really happy for you. Really. I was feeling bad that I am all happy in love with Cam and you still don't have anyone.'
My stomach drops a little. 'Are you really in love with him now, Em?' I ask. 'I mean really?'
'Well, I think so. I mean, it's not like Jason or anything. But nothing is going to be like Jason, right?'
'Is Cam in love with you?' I ask.
'I don't know,' Em murmurs, thinking. 'He's not that open with his feelings.'
We are both silent for a moment. 'Well, I'm happy for you, too, Em,' I say, trying to look the part. Though I feel like crap for not actually being happy for my best friend.
15
I'm already getting anxious as I head into work today.
Tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow I will be on TV.
Tomorrow I will meet the Gabby Girlz. I've been shopping all morning, looking for the right outfit. Okay, so I took one more tiny emergency day off from school. Just this one last time. I mean, I'm meeting the Gabby Girlz, who always look perfect, so I've got to look perfect, too. Not to mention I'm hooking up with Will tomorrow night as well.
It's a HUGE night for me. I found the dress after three hours of shopping this morning. It's a clingy black (Derek insists that I still wear black under the red apron) V-neck dress with long sleeves that widen a bit at the wrists. It comes down to just above my knees, so I'm going to wear it with my new high-heeled suede black boots.
