Free Putting Boys on the Ledge by Stephanie Rowe Page A

you were all sexy and hot tonight, and Heath was totally into you, right?"
    "If you say so." I rather liked her assessment of the evening, however, and yeah, he'd seemed pretty into me.
    "So just when he thought he had you, you ditched him."
    I groaned. "Don't remind me."
    "No, no!" Allie grabbed my arm before I could bury my face in my arms again. "It's good! Now he's wondering whether you actually like him or not. He's got one foot on The Ledge, and that's going to keep his interest. If you like a guy, you never, ever, ever kiss him on the first date. That's the fastest way to get him not to call you again."
    "You kiss boys all the time," Natalie pointed out.
    "But I don't like them," she said, as if that made sense. "If I liked them, it would be totally different. I'd never kiss a boy I like, not at first."
    I stared at her. "That sounds strange."
    "Of course it is," Allie agreed. "Boys are strange. They like a challenge, though, and that's what you gave him."
    I pursed my lips. Was Allie right? Had I not totally blown it?
    "Blue, you've put your first guy on The Ledge. Heath is standing there in the wind, peering down at Storrow Drive, wondering how much he needs his spleen. His darling Blue, leaving him in the middle of the dance floor. What's a boy to do?"
    I giggled. "That's what he's thinking?"
    "Yep. And you can bet he'll come find you first thing at your next rehearsal together. Just to check in and make sure you don't hate him." Allie grinned. "Louisa would be proud."
    "I'm proud," Natalie said.
    "Me, too." Frances nodded her head.
    "Congratulations, Blue," Allie said. "You are now a woman."
    A woman, huh?
    A guy on The Ledge and a thong riding up my bum. Who'd have guessed?
     
    * * *
    "So you have rehearsal tomorrow night?" Allie was sitting on the feed bin, swinging her feet, while Natalie and Frances lounged on the pile of horse blankets in the corner. I was sweeping the floor, because Mom had told me that Colin couldn't make it today.
    Not a problem, because I didn't have rehearsal tonight. But tomorrow was a different story. "Yep. I guess I'll see him tomorrow, since all my scenes are with him and all." I hadn't seen him since the party. Five whole days to think about that night and try to decide whether Allie was right that Heath would be completely in love with me by the time I saw him, or whether I would be laughed at the minute I walked into the rehearsal hall. "How should I act? Should I apologize for leaving?"
    "No!" Allie stomped her foot on the bin for emphasis. "Remember, he's the one who needs to be unsure right now. Play it cool. Let him take the lead. Let him wonder if you're mad at him. Wear the thong. It'll put you in the right frame of mind."
    "I think I need more thongs. I can't keep washing that one all the time." I finished sweeping and leaned the broom against the wall. "And what if he tries to kiss me again?"
    "You should kiss him," Allie said. "Not a long one. Just a little one, and then cut him off."
    Natalie nodded. "Don't push him away too hard. He needs to see that you're worth the chase." When we all gave Natalie a surprised look at her Allie-type advice, she shrugged. "I've been listening to Allie for so long I know what she's going to say."
    "Well, okay, that's great advice, but there's one small problem with that." Or rather, one big problem. "I still don't know how to kiss! That was why I didn't kiss him in the first place. Not because I was putting him on The Ledge."
    "Who didn't you kiss?" Colin appeared in the doorway, a big, annoying grin on his face.
    Oh, God, I wanted to die right then, right there. Why, oh, why, did he keep walking into our conversations like this? This was completely humiliating.
    "Heath Cavendish," Allie announced.
    "Allie!" Okay, I was wrong. Now I was completely humiliated.
    "Really?" Colin leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms across his chest, as if he was going to stay and join the conversation. "I can't imagine many girls refuse to kiss