Beneath the Glitter: A Novel (Sophia and Ava London) Read Online Free Page B

voice—yelling “Popcorn!” and started after him. She saw the guy in the P ET P ARADISE V OLUNTEER T-shirt leap—literally jump, like he was in an action film—and catch Popcorn in midair just before he ran into the street.
    By the time Ava reached the guy he was on his feet, the side of his shorts and his shirt one long grass stain. “Oh my god, thank you so much,” she said. “I don’t know what happened. The leash must have slipped—are you okay? Are you hurt?” Noticing how Popcorn was licking the stranger’s face with wild zeal, Ava laughed. “Wow, Popcorn—that’s his name—the dog’s name, I mean—he totally seems to like you—he doesn’t usually lick strangers—oh my god, your clothes—if you tell me where I’ll pay to have them clea—”
    The guy turned Popcorn around, shoved him into Ava’s arms, growled, “Next time take better care of your dog,” and walked away.
    Ava stared after him for a few moments, feeling a little shell-shocked by his rudeness, before managing to call weakly, “You bet.”
    Under her breath she said, “Rude,” then turned her attention to Popcorn. “What were you thinking running off like that? Bad boy,” she started to say, but stopped herself. She wasn’t really mad at him, or even at the (meanie!) Pet Paradise guy, she knew. She was upset with herself. She never should have let go of his leash like that. She didn’t know what she’d do if something had happened to him.
    But nothing had, she pointed out to herself. He was fine. “You are fine, aren’t you?” she asked him, and the way he licked her face reminded her of what they’d learned in obedience school, that a dog’s long-term memory was about two minutes. “Do you even remember your brush with death?” she asked him, and he licked, her some more.
    She glanced around to see if she could get one last glimpse of Liam but all she caught was the top of his head surrounded by people near the main stage. Which was disappointing but it also meant that he hadn’t seen that mean guy yelling at her.
    She arrived at Toast just in time for dessert. “No thanks,” she said when Lily offered her some of her Tarte Tatin and one by one every fork at the table clattered onto the plate.
    “Did Little London just refuse dessert?” MM asked Lily in a stage whisper.
    “Are you okay?” Sophia asked, her concern somewhere between joking and genuine.
    “I’m in love,” Ava sighed.
    MM picked up his fork. “Oh, is that all? What is this, the hundredth time this year? You fall in love as easily as you fall asleep.”
    “Which I saw you do the other day next to a fifty-percent-off sale rack,” Lily added.
    “Ha ha. But this time it’s different,” Ava said. “This time it’s Liam Carlson.”
    “Of course it—” Lily started to say, then stopped. “Liam Carlson? The actor?”
    MM ’s boyfriend Sven said, “But he dates Whitney Frost, no? The one who is famous for making porno sex with the vegetables?”
    “It wasn’t porno, it was an indie film,” MM corrected him. “And they broke up a month ago.”
    Lily said, “I went to high school with her. Or with parts of her—she’s had so many enhancements there’s almost none of the original equipment left.”
    Sophia, ever the big sister, had a different question. “Isn’t Liam Carlson a lot older than you are, Ava?”
    “He’s only two years older than I am,” Ava said.
    MM frowned. “Are you sure? I could have sworn—”
    “Fine,” Ava huffed. “He’s three years, eight months, and seventeen days older than me. That’s hardly too old.”
    “Wow.” MM leaned back like he was impressed. “Someone was Wiki-ing while walking.”
    “I didn’t have to look it up on Wikipedia, I knew when his birthday was already. I’ve been in love with him since I was twelve,” Ava said proudly. “You see, it’s destiny. We were meant to be together.”
    As they all put in money to pay the bill, Lily sighed. “I guess while Sophia and I are