Free The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine Page B

him, and shouldn’t that be part of a dance? Shouldn’t you want to kiss your date? I mean, if it happens, great, but I’m thinking more about Logan. It doesn’t feel right.”
    â€œYou’re putting too much importance on what things should be like,” I said, popping back into my dressing room to try on my next choice—a strapless black-and-white brocade dress with a high/low illusion hemline. I fumbled with the zipper for a moment, then went back out to the mirror.
    Wren clapped. “Now that is you.”
    â€œAbsolutely.” Jazz grinned.
    â€œYep, I think this is it,” I said, twirling. The dress showed off my legs, which were seriously toned from months of crescent lunges and downward dogs. I pulled both Wren and Jazz next to me and we struck a vampy pose. The saleslady breezed in to collect the clothes off the reject rack.
    â€œHow are you girls— Ooh, so pretty,” she said. “What’s the occasion?”
    We stepped away from each other, giggling.
    â€œOh, um—Sadie Hawkins Dance,” I said.
    â€œFun. I have to say that red dress is lovely. Didn’t seem like much on the hanger, but on you it’s really smashing. Let me know if you girls need anything else.” She darted out of the dressing room with clothes draped over her arm.
    â€œSee?” I said. “Even the saleslady thinks you look smashing .”
    â€œShe’s not exactly impartial.” Jazz checked out the price tag near her armpit. “And hey, look, all of my birthday money and a month’s worth of working for my mom just for what’s pretty much a practice date.”
    â€œOkay, you’ve got to stop this—so what if you’re not in love with this guy? We all can’t be Wren and Gray.”
    They both gave me quizzical looks.
    â€œAren’t you in love with Zach?” Jazz asked.
    I laughed, but when neither of them joined in, I stopped.
    â€œNo, I’m not,” I said. It felt strange to be declaring it out loud in front of a three-way mirror—endless images of me saying the same thing. “I mean, I like him a lot— we have fun and all, but do I think this is love? Hell-to-the-no, but I’m not hung up on it. Neither is he.”
    My little speech was met with an uncomfortable silence. Was it really so awful that I felt that way? Wren checked her butt out in the mirror again. Jazz looked at the floor.
    â€œI just don’t know if I can do that. Be all casual,” she said.
    â€œOmigod—lighten up. Consider it an experiment. You didn’t ask the guy to marry you, it’s a freakin’ dance in a high school gym. You’re not going to wreck your love life with one awkward date. There are worse ways to spend a Friday night.”
    â€œShe’s right, Jazz. Kyle’s hot and you guys seemed to hit it off that night at the movies. I like the experiment idea.”
    â€œBuy the dress. Kiss the wrong boy. Flirt your butt off.”
    Jazz face-palmed, but laughed. “Guys . . . ugh . . . okay. Yes. You’re right.”
    â€œSuccess,” Wren said, waving her hand in the air as she returned to her dressing room.
    After our purchases, we wandered over to the food court to meet Mom in front of Jamba Juice. My stomach growled. A berry smoothie would not cut it. What I really wanted was a honking plate of nachos from the Tex-Mex food stand.
    â€œHey, you guys want to split nach—”
    The words stopped as my eyes landed on my mother.
    Sitting in front of Jamba Juice.
    â€œIs that Leif? With your mother?” Wren asked.
    â€œYes.”
    Was it him? He looked different in jeans, although I guess it was ridiculous to think he’d be roaming the mall in yoga pants and his mat strapped to his back. He had a life outside the yoga studio, of course. Damn, he wore it just as well. I could not for the life of me understand how my mothercould compartmentalize Leif into