Free The Oracle Rebounds by Allison van Diepen Page B

whom assume the man will pay.
    They grab seats. Their eyes say a lot of things that their mouths wouldn’t dare say.
    “It’s great to finally meet you in person,” he says. “I’ve been feeling a little nervous, I admit.”
    “You’re telling me.” She’s been having butterflies all week—and in the few minutes before meeting him, heart palpitations. “This is the first time I’ve met someone this way. It’s a new thing for me.”
    “It doesn’t matter how many people you meet, the nerves are always there. And the majority of the time it doesn’t end up with the kind of relief I’m feeling now.”
    “Are most people not what you expect?”
    “Let’s put it this way—I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. It can make you jaded sometimes.”
    “Obviously you haven’t given up hope.”
    His mouth quirks ruefully. “Two of my friends met their wives over the internet, so they keep the pressure on. Truth is, I’m a workaholic who isn’t into the bar scene. It’s a recipe for being single. So, no, I haven’t given up.”
    Tracey knows that it wouldn’t be hard for Mocha to meet women at bars. Maybe he’s looking for a connection that goes beyond the physical. He’s thirty-two, after all.
    “You said you were a lawyer, right?” she asks, sipping her coffee.
    “I’m an entertainment lawyer. I deal mainly with film options and contracts among actors, writers and studios. Sometimes I think I’m a slave to my BlackBerry, but I love what I do. You’re in high tech?”
    “Yeah, not nearly as exciting as the entertainment industry.”
    “You’re in such a male-dominated field. I’m surprised you haven’t been snatched up by now.”
    She recognizes the question: why are you still single?
    “There are a lot of guys around, just not what I’m looking for. I guess you could say I’m selective.”
    “In other words, you don’t want to settle.”
    “Exactly.”
    “I know what you mean. Most people settle, I think. And everybody wonders why the divorce rate is so high. It’s ridiculous. If I’m lucky enough to get married, it’s going to be for good.”
    She smiles. A man after my own heart.
     
    I flop down on my bed with a big sigh.
    Ah, whirlwind romance. It sweeps you up, leaves you suspended in the air and then lets go!
    Mom and I just got back from seeing Benoit off at the airport. I can still smell his cologne in my room, still taste his lips. My palm tingles where he kissed it and then pressed it against his heart.
    There is nothing about Benoit that isn’t wonderful. For the two weeks he was here, I was in love. Love is such an awesome drug. I walked through the hallways at school with a big smile on my face, knowing I’d be spending the evening with Benoit.
    All isn’t lost though. I will visit Benoit as soon as I can save up the airfare. It will mean months of extra shifts at Eddie’s, but it’ll be worth it. At the latest, I could see him by Christmas. Will I be able to hang on to this precious feeling until then?
    Yes. Absolutely.
    I go to my computer and look at the pictures we took with his digital camera. God, he’s beautiful.
    Rebound.
    The word pops into my mind like an unexpected hiccup.
    ReBOUND.
    Fine, I can accept it. Technically it has to be a rebound because Benoit falls within the timeline of my rebound equation. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m sure many people find true love within a rebound.
    I’m even thankful that Jared dumped me because otherwise my mom wouldn’t have taken an exchange student to cheer me up, I wouldn’t have met Benoit, and we wouldn’t have had two wonderful weeks together!
    Who knew that everything could work out so perfectly?

seven
    36 Days into Rebound Equation
    “So you’ve really never seen Glamour Girl before?” Amy asks Zink, who’s joined us for our Sunday-night ritual. It boggles her mind that anyone our age isn’t watching it religiously.
    “I usually attend Sunday-evening services at my grandmother’s church in