“It’s nice.” I don’t want to say it’s too cold for a summer and that I really wish I could be in Chicago or somewhere everything is under a mile away. Really, I don’t know why Brian even wanted to go to school out here. Sure, our old principal, Ms. Cabrera, was a UC Denver alum—and really, everyone loved her, between the motherly nature and spot-on character impressions—but I still don’t think any of the praise she had for the school outweighs the weather and lack of people of color.

“He’ll appreciate it even more when he gets a job,” Brian says. He twirls the straw in his water, which is weird because I don’t think I’ve ever seen Brian exhibit a nervous tic before. He must really be into Maggie. Sigh.

“Oh, you’re getting a job?” she asks.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. If she’s that important to Brian, it’s probably better I don’t chase her away with my biting wit and grade-A sarcasm. “Yeah, you know, gotta carry my weight.”

“My favorite bookstore is hiring, coincidentally. You should check them out,” she says.

I stare back at her blankly because working at a bookstore sounds boring as hell, and really, if I didn’t want Brian getting me a job, the last thing I need is a hand-out job from his girlfriend.

She doesn’t seem to realize that my look isn’t one asking her to continue because she digs into her little Kate Spade purse and pulls out a business card. “They’re small, and they mostly sell local books, but the owner’s really nice. It might be a good gig for you for the summer.”

I take the card because Brian’s watching, and I slip it into my pocket. I can’t say I’m planning to pursue the offer, but I can try to be polite about it.

“Is that the one that does all those readings and stuff?” Brian asks, and it’s so vague I’m not sure if he’s actually familiar with the place or just thinks it makes him sound more impressive.

“Yup, that’s the one,” Maggie says. She drops me a wink and says, “Once you’re working there, you should totally get me a discount.”

I smile at the joke—at least, I hope it’s a joke—and turn back to my phone. I’m down just over a thousand followers from this morning, and my stomach feels uneasy. Yeah, the Meet Cute Diary really isn’t faring very well. I’m gonna have to find some way to stop that troll before the whole thing goes up in flames.

Step 2: The Hand of Destiny

The moment Fate pushes you together despite all reason, and you realize this isn’t something you can just walk away from.

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