Free SVH09-Racing Hearts by Francine Pascal

supposed to be a surprise."
    "You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble, Lila. Really you shouldn't have," Roger emphasized.
    "There's that modesty again." Lila shook her head. "It's my pleasure to do these things for you. I was also thinking you're probably going to be very hot and tired after your race practice today. Why don't you join me for a little swim in my pool?"
    Roger's eyes grew wide. He couldn't imagine anything he'd like more--and anything that was so far from ever becoming a reality. "I'd like to," he said. "But I can't."
    "Why not?" Lila pouted, fingering his shirt seductively. "What can you be doing that's more important than that?"
    "I--I can't tell you," he said. "Not yet. Listen, I've got to get to class. I'll talk to you later." He ran down the hall before Lila had the chance to make him say something he knew he shouldn't.
    "We'll see what happens," Lila said, her face hardening. She wasn't used to being turned down, and she didn't like it.
     

Eight
     
    Elizabeth Wakefield peered around the stairwell door in her father's office building and looked down the hallway. She felt a little silly playing detective, but she'd come to the conclusion that she'd never figure out what her sister was doing unless she saw it herself. For an entire week Jessica had been staying late at the office, but her reasoning was starting to wear a little thin. How long could it take to fix up a supply cabinet? When she had entered the building, Elizabeth had had to sign in at the night guard's desk. She had deliberately scrawled her name illegibly--she didn't want anyone to recognize it. She was glad she had worn her jacket with a hood; with her hair covered and the hood tied closely around her face, the guard would be less likely to mistake her for Jessica. As she was about to get on the elevator, she had spotted Roger Barrett making his way toward the front
    of the building, pulling his mop and pail alongside him. Not wanting to embarrass him and not wanting to be spotted herself, Elizabeth had slunk toward the stairs and quietly walked up the four flights to her father's floor.
    Now, she tiptoed toward the office. Through the frosted glass door, she could see the silhouettes of two people standing close together, and from the sound of things, it appeared they weren't talking about legal matters.
    "Mmm . . ." Jessica murmured. "No one kisses the way you do."
    "There's plenty more where that came from," Dennis said.
    So it was a boy, Elizabeth thought, her deepest suspicions confirmed.
    "How'd you like that?" Dennis asked softly after what must have been one of the longest kisses in Sweet Valley history.
    "Delicious," Jessica said, snuggling up to him. "But doesn't it bother you just a teensy bit that we spend all our time in this office?"
    "I'd hardly call this suffering. Would you?"
    "Well, no . . ." Jessica began.
    Dennis continued. "Besides, where else can we go? Your dad thinks you're here doing your homework. What if he were to call up and get no answer?"
    "I'm not necessarily talking about weeknights," Jessica hinted.
    "We're just getting to know each other. We've
    got plenty of time," Dennis told her. "There's no need to rush into anything."
    Jessica sighed. "I suppose you're right." It wasn't her style to give up so easily, but she didn't want to let Dennis think she cared that much.
    The blond-haired boy traced Jessica's lips with his fingertip. "Hey, no frowns allowed here." He kissed her once gently, then again, with more insistence. "Tell you what. Let's go out right now."
    "But what about Dad?"
    Dennis thought a moment. "Call him up and tell him you're going to grab a bite to eat before coming home."
    "Great thinking," Jessica said, brightening considerably. She got up and went to the phone.
    That was Elizabeth's signal to make herself invisible. Moving like a cheetah, she found refuge behind a nearby water fountain and waited for them to come out of the office.
    The boy was helping Jessica on with her sweater.