Speed Dating (21 page)

“I tried not to think that far ahead,” Eli said. “But yeah.” He wiped his mouth again. “Look, Holly. I don’t care what Otavio
did to Marisol. I don’t want to break up
with you. I want to keep seeing you.”

Holly looked into his gray, labyrinth eyes and realized that, in spite of everything, she still liked him. A lot.

“Will you?” he asked. “Keep seeing me? If you don’t mind dating a soap opera addict.”

“I don’t mind,” Holly said. “I’m becoming one myself.”

He leaned across the table. She met him halfway. They kissed. It was good. And now she finally had the answer to his mystery.
Or one of them.

“Are you sure you don’t want to break up with me?” Holly asked. “I have a sister you can fool around with, you know.”

“I’m sure,” Eli said. “From now on I’m writing my own script. And it says right here“—he pointed to his hand as if it held
a piece of paper—” it says here that we should kiss some more. A lot more.”

“Okay.” She kissed him on the lips. “But I reserve the right to ad lib, when I want to.” She kissed him again. “And to cut all
references to long-lost, evil twins.”

“Just keep kissing me.”

She did. They knocked over a glass of water, and she hardly noticed.

A question floated through her mind:
Can you find true love in six minutes?
She still didn’t know. The answer was: Maybe. But she was leaning toward Yes.

P
arallel Parking

S
ean led Holly to the dance floor. They danced for one song, and then dinner was served. Holly went back to her table.

“Dancing with Sean—how’d that happen?” Lina whispered to her.

“Did Mads notice?” Holly asked.

“She was in the bathroom with me,” Lina said. “I walked back in here first, saw you on the dance floor, and turned Mads back
around, saying she had crab in her teeth.”

Holly nodded. But she thought it was a little silly that Mads had to be protected from seeing her dance with Sean. It was
just a dance. It didn’t mean anything.

Still, for the rest of the night, Holly found herself catching Sean’s eye from across the room. They didn’t dance together
again, or say anything to each other. But whenever she looked at him, he was looking at her.

“I’m ready to go,” Holly said to Sebastiano toward the
end of the evening. “Do you need a ride?” Walker and Stephen were going to take Lina and Mads home, so Holly would be driving
home by herself.

“Sure,” Sebastiano said. “Let me just say good-bye to a few people.”

“Okay,” Holly said. “I’ll meet you out by the car.”

Outside, Holly found Sean leaning against her car.

“Heading home?” he said.

“Yep,” Holly said. She put her key in the door. Sean took her by the elbow.

“Hey,” he said. “I really like you.”

Startled, she turned toward him and looked up. He kissed her. When she’d recovered, Holly glanced around. Did anyone see that?
Did Mads? People all around were getting into their cars, but no one seemed to have noticed Sean and Holly.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” Sean asked.

Holly frankly couldn’t remember if she had plans or not. “I don’t know….”

“Want to go do something?” he asked.

She needed a moment to take this in. Was Sean Benedetto asking her out? Looked that way. She was curious to find out more
about him. But Mads’ face loomed in her mind. What would she think if Holly went out with Sean, her eternal crush, her personal
rock star?

(Circle the correct answer.)

Will Madison ever learn how to kiss correctly? Is it okay for Lina to tell her girlfriends how far she’s gone with her guy?
And how many dates will it take Holly to tell if he’s really “the one”? And, most important, will they ever figure out the
mysteries of guys and dating?