Just One Kiss novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: The Nice One

Perry Teller brought me a sunflower.

It was a real one, cut from his mother's yard that afternoon, with the stem wrapped in a wet paper towel and a rubber band.

"For you," he said, holding it out with both hands, like a diploma.

I stood in the parking lot of Putt-A-Round, Port Clement's only mini golf, and felt my heart go soft and flat at the same time.

"Thank you," I said. "That's really nice."

"It's from our yard. My mom says they're hardy."

"I love hardy."

His ears went red.

He was five foot ten, thin as a rake, with sandy hair that would not lie down and round glasses.

He'd ironed his shirt.

Across the lot, Ansel's truck sat in the shade of a dead maple with the windows down.

I did not look at it.

"I'll get the clubs," Perry said, and almost walked into the ticket booth.

We played all eighteen holes.

He was a terrible golfer and an excellent loser.

He apologized to a windmill.

On the fifth hole, a plastic gnome stood by the cup, and he said, "Sorry, sir," and set his ball down very gently.

I laughed so hard that I had to lean on my club.

"I'm sorry," he said, grinning. "I've never been on a date. Not a real one. I read a book about it."

"A book."

"It said to ask questions."

"What did it say to ask?"

"Your favorite color." He looked pained. "I forgot to ask that, so here: what's your favorite color?"

"Plum."

"Like your hair."

"Like my hair."

"That's a good color. I'd never be brave enough."

He meant it.

That was the problem.

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