The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant

Author:Jen Bryant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780375895463
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2010-11-08T22:00:00+00:00

RYAN

“Big house, expensive car and clothes, tennis-club membership, nice parties. But poor Lauren, she is not so happy with this beautiful life. She is always at Weight Watchers because she spends most of her days driving her two and a half bratty kids with smooth, pudgy hands and TVs in their bedrooms … driving them to their dancing lessons and soccer games and cheerleading practices.… Poor, poor Lauren!” Carmen looks down at me and frowns a clown’s frown … part real, part exaggeration.

“Two and a half bratty kids?” I ask jokingly.

Carmen considers the photograph once more. “Two or three—I can’t decide.”

I pretend to be disappointed. “And here I thought you were a real fortune-teller,” I say, shaking my head. I reach up toward her, and this time she grins, jumps into my arms, and kisses me.

“And what about you?” I ask when we finally come up for air. “What do you see in your future as far as a home and kids and a guy you can belong to?”

Carmen pushes me away suddenly. She steps back, her eyes narrowing. “Belong to? Is that what you said, Ryan Sweeney? Belong to?”

I shrug. I’m not sure what I said that has made such a dent in our romantic mood. “Well, yeah … but I can rephrase if you want.”

Carmen keeps her distance and studies me carefully, knuckles on her hips. She’s hands down the hottest girl I’ve ever seen. Finally, she grins and moves closer to me again.

“OK, I forgive you, Red,” she says, taking my hands in her own. “But you should know this: Carmen is free. Carmen belongs to no one. Ever.”

I try to listen to the words coming out of her mouth. But truthfully, right now I’d agree to anything she said. Anything. If she said, Ryan Sweeney, walk over to that rock and throw yourself off the ledge, I probably would. All I can do is wrap my arms around her and draw her closer, kissing her.

A group of hikers approaches from below. I slip my hands underneath her legs and carry her away from the ridge, laying her gently down under an ancient maple whose leaves are just beginning to unfurl. If you asked me to choose between food, sleep, good health, a million dollars, and Carmen’s body, well … the choice wouldn’t be hard. If you said that I, Cadet Captain Ryan Sweeney, Mr. Discipline Control Freak, would fall for a girl who made him feel like he had absolutely no control over anything … well, then you’d be the master fortune-teller. Because that’s exactly what has happened.

We spend the rest of the afternoon under that tree, getting to know one another a lot better. Finally, we head back to the gate, where we catch the shuttle to the bus stop at the mall.

“I can’t leave campus tomorrow … but is there someplace you like where I can take you for dinner next Friday?” I ask as we wait for the number 17 to take her home.

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