Authors: Sandi Perry
"Ritchie,"
she
shook
her
head.
"I'm
so
sorry.
There's
something
wrong
with
me."
"I'd
have
to
agree,
except
I
think
you're
near-perfect.
Stop
shaking
your
head
and
don't
tell
me
I
deserve
better,"
he
laughed.
"You're
amazing,
and
I'm
crazy.
I
even
sound
crazy
to
myself,"
she
clutched
her
throat.
"But
you
do
deserve
better.
For
instance—"
"Ouch,
no,
have
mercy—not
the
set-up."
She
widened
her
eyes,
"How
did
you
know?"
"I've
sat
in
this
seat
before.
It's
fine
that
it
didn't
work
out,
I
kinda
sensed
it
from
the
start.
But
we
started
out
as
friends,
and
I'd
hate
to
lose
that."
"I
would,
too."
She
chewed
at
her
lip
and
then
spoke
quickly,
"I'm
simply
informing
you
that
Emily
has
a
crush
on
you
and
put
it
on
ice
while
we
dated.
Here's
her
card."
She
slid
it
toward
him,
"How
about
it?"
He
seemed
to
mull
it
over
and
shrugged
his
shoulders,
"Sure,
why
not?"
*****
Allison
stood
at
the
rink
at
Chelsea
Piers
and
watched
the
group
of
boys
and
girls
whirl
past
her.
Michael
Essex
came
up
beside
her,
"You
don't
want
to
take
a
spin
on
the
ice?"
"I
will
if
you
will,"
she
said.
"It
frankly
makes
no
sense
to
me,
what
could
be
interesting
about
this?"
"I
think
it
becomes
interesting
when
you
fall
and
a
cute
guy
skates
over
to
help
you
get
back
up
on
your
feet,"
she
said
as
she
pointed
to
the
middle
of
the
rink
where
one
of
the
chaperones
was
helping
a
laughing
Kaitlin
get
back
on
her
feet.
He
frowned.
"Do
you
think
I'm
that
guy
doing
that,"
he
tipped
his
head
at
another
young
boy
reaching
out
his
hand,
"to
your
Mum?"
"I
don't
know—are
you?"
"I've
been
wondering
about
it
myself,"
he
said
quietly.
"Are
you
okay
if
we
spend
time
together?"
"Are
you
asking
my
permission?"
He
nodded
his
head.
She
observed
him.
"I
can't
figure
you
out.
You've
had
me
guessing
from
the
start.
I
know
we
got
off
to
something
of
a
rocky
start,
but
you
know
what?
You're
okay.
My
mother
deserves
some
companionship
from
a
classy
guy
who
knows
how
to
treat
a
woman
like
a
lady.
One
favor,
please.
Keep
your
intentions
clear
and
above
board."
He
bowed
theatrically,
"Yes,
Mademoiselle,
thank
you
for
your
blessing.
I
will
take
your
warning
with
utmost
gravity."
****
The
group
of
twenty-five
tweens
had
made
the
move
from
the
ice
to
the
party
area
down
the
hall.
There
were
food
stations
set
up
that
were
divided
into
countries
featuring
each
of
that
nation's
specialties.
There
seemed
to
be
an
extra
long
line
at
Mexico
with
tacos
and
fajitas
making
a
strong
presence.
Allison
was
on
line
with
her
mother
and
a
couple
of
other
adults
at
Japan.
"I
guess
sushi
is
a
little
too
sophisticated
for
thirteen-year
olds,"
Vivienne
said.
"I'm
grateful
for
that—it
means
more
for
me,"
Allison
said.
"This
sashimi
is
heaven."
"So,
Michael
spoke
to
you?"
She
nodded,
"Did
you
ask
him
to
do
that?"
"Believe
it
or
not,
I
still
feel
I
need
my
kids'
approval
when
I
do
something.
I
can't
decide
if
that
means
we
have
a
good
relationship
or
a
terrible
one."
"It
means
you've
been
a
mom
longer
than
you've
been
anything
else,
and
it's
high
time
you
started
thinking
just
about
you.
Be
selfish...it's
good
for
your
skin."
Her
mother
smiled,
"I
hope
Kaitlin's
having
a
good
time.
It's
hard
to
tell
what
makes
a
thirteen-year
old
girl
happy;
I
almost
feel
sorry
for
Michael."
"Yeah,"
Allison
agreed,
"he
has
no
idea
what's
about
to
hit
him."
The
next
afternoon
Allison
took
Kaitlin's
birthday
present
over
to
the
apartment.
She
was
astounded
at
the
tasteful
opulence
as
she
was
ushered
into
the
expansive
entryway.
The
housekeeper
told
her
to
wait
for
Michael
and
Kaitlin
in
the
parlor.
She
was
quite
sure
she
had
never
been
in
a
parlor
before,
and
wondered
what
she'd
been
missing.