Perfect Match (19 page)

“Either way,” Alex said, leading me over to the windows to watch the snow, “I can't think of anyplace I'd rather wait out a storm.”

It was a good thing that most of the partygoers agreed with Alex, because the snow didn't let up until almost sunrise.

We rocked the dance floor pretty hard until about three in the morning, but eventually exhaustion caught up with everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Bennett and Morgan were huddled near the bar, gazing into each other's eyes and having a heart-to-heart. But Camille and Xander had passed out on the lounge next to window, and Amory, Harper, and their newfound crushes looked like sardines, sleeping in a row on the catwalk. SBB and JR were wearing matching sleep masks and had changed into matching gray Ralph Lauren pajamas. Even I, who had a hard enough time sleeping in the world's most comfortable bed, found myself dozing on Alex's shoulder.

By five-thirty, he was shaking me awake.

The helicopter pilot was standing over us.

“The storm's letting up. You guys want to take the first flight back to the city? Best view in the world.”

Alex and I looked at each other and shrugged. How could we argue with that?

I went over to the sleeping SBB and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you for everything,” I said. “Thank you for being SBB.”

“It's Sally,” she murmured in her sleep. She was going to have to break the habit soon enough.

I laughed and took Alex's hand as we walked out to the roof.

The city had never looked so beautiful. As the last few flakes fell around us, the gray glint of sky behind us started to glow a pinky yellow. Thick, powdery snow coated the treetops and cars below us. Even the East River looked shockingly pristine.

“It's so quiet,” I whispered.

“It's so perfect,” Alex said, taking my hand as we took off. “Look out there, near the Fifty-ninth Street tram. I think I see a raven's nest—that's amazing.”

“Wait,” I remembered. I was glad that I finally got to be the one to say, “There's more.”

When I reached into my tote to reveal a gold-wrapped
gift with a bow the size of the small box, Alex's eyes lit up.

“I didn't get to give this to you on Valentine's Day,” I explained. “Or at the dance, or at the hot dog stand. I'm not going to let another minute go by.”

“You didn't have to get me anything, Flan.”

“Yeah, right!” I said. “You have no idea how much I stressed over what to get for you—or what I bought initially and had to return when I came to my senses.” I shuddered, remembering the mocket, which seemed like years ago. “But when this idea came to me, I knew you were going to love it.”

Slowly, Alex unwrapped the box. As soon as he pulled out the compact pair of binoculars I'd special ordered from GRDN, a hipster nature store in Park Slope, a huge grin spread across his face.

“Do you have any idea how long I've been wanting these?” he said, holding up the binoculars to his eyes.

“Only about as long as that red-tailed hawk's been in Manhattan,” I guessed. “Look,” I said, gesturing to the box. “There's even more!”

Alex pulled out the Audubon
Birds of America
guidebook I'd bought him to go with the binoculars.

“I hope you won't regret giving me this,” he joked. “I'm going to be dragging you back to the park all the time to go bird-watching now.”

“As long as there are hot dogs involved, I won't mind at all.”

We were flying directly over the park then, and Alex held the binoculars to my eyes so I could look down. The view of the barely waking-up city was unbelievable—and the binoculars were pretty sweet too.

Soon the helicopter started dipping back down near the Hudson River piers. I couldn't believe our spectacular sunrise flight was coming to an end.

“Before we land, there's one more thing,” Alex said, reaching under his feet. “I didn't get a chance to give you my gift yet either.”

He pulled out a long, thin shiny silver-wrapped box, which I promptly tore into.

“Oh my gosh,” I gasped, catching a glimpse of the corner. Even before I'd fully unwrapped it, I knew exactly what it was.

It was a framed print of the Spanish watercolor of the tidal wave that we'd been admiring at the Guggenheim last week. I'd always wanted to buy some of the artist's work to hang in my room. This was even more special because now I could think of Alex every time I looked at it.

“Do you know what I think?” I asked Alex.

“What?” he said, taking my hand.

“I think these gifts are the perfect match.”

“Kind of like another duo I know,” he said. My perfect match leaned in to give me the perfect kiss. The helicopter had just touched back down on solid ground, but I was pretty sure I was still flying.

Also by J. Minter:

the insiders series
the insiders
pass it on
take it off
break every rule
hold on tight
girls we love

the inside girl series
inside girl
the sweetest thing
some kind of wonderful
all that glitters

DON'T MISS A MINUTE OF FLAN'S FABULOUS LIFE—

“I wish I'd known Flan Flood in high school—and not just because she has a hot older brother with hot older friends (although that totally helps). Don't let the name fool you—this is one girl you must get to know, now.” —Lisi Harrison, author of the #1
New York Times
bestselling series The Clique

 

CHECK OUT
ALL
THE BOOKS IN THE INSIDE GIRL SERIES!

WWW.INSIDEGIRLBOOKS.COM

 

Find out how it all began in
the Insiders series, also by J. Minter

“The Insiders are
the
guys to watch. But if you fall
in love with them, get in line, right behind ME!”
—Zoey Dean, author of
The A-List

For more info on the guys, visit
www.insidersbook.com

 

Copyright © 2009 by J. Minter
and 17th Street Productions, an Alloy company

Electronic edition published in October 2011

www.bloomsburyteens.com

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

Published by Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Minter, J.
Perfect match: an inside girl novel / J. Minter. — 1st U.S. ed.
p.  cm.
Summary: As Valentine's Day approaches and her friends have called a boycott on boys,
high-schooler Flan decides to dabble in matchmaking so all her friends can enjoy the
upcoming dance.
eISBN: 978-1-59990-869-4 (ebook)
[1. Dating (Social customs)—Fiction. 2. Friendship—Fiction. 3. Valentine's Day—Fiction.
4. New York (N.Y.)—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.M67334Go 2009 [Fic]—dc22 2008039176