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.”We sat there in awkward silence for a minute.I willed Bear to bark at a police car siren, to race off with a heavy metal object, anything.Just get me out of this weird situation.Finally Conor forced a smile.“Well, maybe I’ll see you there if I get that suit thing together.In the meantime, I’d better get this cake order turned in.” He stood up and shoved the chair back to its original table.About twenty minutes later, I was about to go ask Conor for a coffee refill when he suddenly grabbed his coat and left the bakery.He didn’t even say goodbye to me.I watched him walk down the block and then turn the corner.“Where’s he going?” I asked Paula when I went up to the counter.She held out her hand, and I held out my mug.“He went to the market.We’re almost out of half-and-half and our delivery’s not until later today,” Paula said.“What did you say to him, anyway? You’d think he was dying.”“Not much,” I said.“He asked me to go to this party, but I couldn’t go with him because I’m going with his brother.”“Oh.Oh.” Paula nodded.“No wonder he’s acting like this.Do you know how much he and his brother compete? And do you know how long it’s been since he liked anyone?”Liked anyone? I thought.So Conor really did like me—he wasn’t just inviting me to spite Sean? “How long?” I asked.“I don’t know, exactly,” Paula said.“But I’ve known him a year and there’s been no one.Absolutely no one.”“Oh,” I said.I was surprised.Conor kind of sounded like me.He didn’t go around dating just to date.He hadn’t had tons of girlfriends, just like I hadn’t had more than one boyfriend, and even he hardly counted.So what was my situation now? I wondered.Did I have a boyfriend, or just a date for the Snow Ball?I went back to my table, sat at the computer, and emailed Jones.I wanted her advice, her take on things.I wanted to know what I should do.Instead I just asked her:JONES, are you coming down for Winter Carnival or not?Before she could respond, Conor walked back into the bakery carrying three plastic bags, filled with cartons of milk and half-and-half.I waited a minute to let him get settled, then walked over to the counter.“Want to go to Winter Carnival tomorrow?” I asked.“What?”“Do you want to go to Winter Carnival with me tomorrow? My friends were supposed to come down, but I don’t know if they’re going to.”He frowned.Oh, no.I’d totally said the wrong thing.I’d blurted out this invitation without thinking it through.Of course he didn’t want to go with me.I was seeing his brother; it was probably wrong for me to hang out with him.“It’s okay.You don’t have to,” I said quickly.“Never mind.It was just a…you know.An idea.”“No, it’s not that I don’t want to.” Conor opened the fridge under the counter and started loading it with half-and-half.“I’m supposed to work at Zublansky’s tomorrow afternoon, but maybe I can get someone to cover for me.I was just wondering who, and how much I’d have to bribe them.”“I’ll pitch in a few bucks,” I offered.He seemed kind of taken aback by that.Too forward, I wondered? But we were just friends—what I was saying was exactly what I’d say to Jones.“Brett would have to come, too,” I said.“Is that okay?”“Sure.No problem,” Conor said.“Could you leave Bear at home though? I don’t necessarily think we should let him knock down any other people trying to check out the carnival.”“I’ll take Bear to the off-leash park so he can run as long as he wants.Then we can be gone for a while and he won’t miss us,” I said.“And I’ll make sure Gretchen can handle us all being gone.What am I talking about? I’m sure she can.It’s like her dream when Brett and I leave the house.”Conor laughed.“Really?”“Oh, yeah,” I said.“I don’t know what she’s going to do when I leave to go home, actually.She’s gotten really used to having me around.”“Me too,” Conor said.Then he cleared his throat loudly.“You’re, you know, kind of blending in here.With the furniture.”“Thanks.I guess.” I looked behind me at the tables and chairs.I didn’t see any similarities, but whatever.“Anyway, about Winter Carnival.” Conor crumpled the now-empty plastic bags.“Normally I don’t go to that kind of thing.”“You don’t? Why not?” I asked.“I love Winter Carnival.”“Well, I’m not really into mini-donuts and pork chops on sticks.” Conor made a face.“Ever since I ate too many one summer at the State Unfair.”I laughed.“That sounds like a radical political group.”“No, it’s just what I call the ‘big get-together,’” Conor said, making a reference to the ad campaign for the Minnesota State Fair.“I definitely haven’t liked it since I lost in the pie-eating competition, actually.Though I do like the milk bar and the butter sculptures.”“Pie-eating? Don’t tell me about it.And don’t tell me about racing to eat any butter sculptures, either.But who did you lose to?” I asked.“I don’t know.Some guy from Roseville.Why?”“Just wondering,” I said.I’d figured that he must have lost to Sean, since it seemed like all they did was compete against each other, and gloat over who was better.“You know something? You have a lot of emotional baggage when it comes to the State Fair.What, do you just have to leave the state every August, so you don’t have flashbacks?” I teased him.“What’s the clinical term for that? Post-traumatic fair disorder?”“Yeah, well, anyway.I normally avoid these kinds of organized-fun-slash-torture events, but Winter Carnival can be kind of fun.Sure.I’ll go,” he said.“Great.” I smiled at him.Chapter 15“Don’t fall,” Conor warned as I stepped out of the minivan.“It’s really icy right here.”“And I have a history of falling.Is that what you’re saying?” I opened the side door and unclipped Brett from his car seat.He looked a little drowsy, but I had no doubt he would perk up once he saw the crowds of people milling around downtown St.Paul.Fortunately, we had a stroller with us, and it was one that Brett even liked.“Just be careful.” Conor tapped the ice with his boot.“They could use a little more sand here.”“That’s right—I forgot I was traveling with Mr.Snow Removal,” I teased him.“Hey, did you or did you not whack your head on the ice? Speaking of which, you feeling any after-effects?”I shook my head.“No, but Gretchen made me go to the doctor with her yesterday just to make sure.”“And? What did the doctor say?”“She said Gretchen’s leg is healing.Slowly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]