Part 19 (2/2)

”I suppose,” Grandmere said stiffly, ”I ought to be relieved I don't have to have an engagement party for you. No one gives promise-ring parties...do they? But I imagine you'll expect a book party someday.”

”If I get published,” I said, ”it would be nice.”

Grandmere sighed gustily and hung up. I could tell she was going to go have a Sidecar, even though her physicians have expressly ordered her to cut back on them (and I saw her with one in her hand throughout the night last evening. Either her gla.s.s was magic and never emptied, or she had several).

So, yeah. Exactly what Dad DIDN'T want: Looks like I'm a Princess with a Reputation.

On the other hand, at this point...I might as well live up to it, I guess.

Wednesday, May 3, Trig final Okay. Barely pa.s.sed that.

Moving on.

Wednesday, May 3, Lunch OH MY G.o.d!.

I was just sitting down at our table in the caf with my tofurkey burger and salad when my phone rang and I saw that it was my dad.

Dad never calls me during school unless it's an emergency or ma.s.sively important, so I practically dropped my tray and was all, ”WHAT?” into the phone.

Of course J.P. and Tina and Boris and Lana and everyone stopped talking and turned to look at me.

The only things I could think were: A) Grandmere finally croaked from too many Gitanes, or B) Somehow the paparazzi got wind of the fact that I'm going to have s.e.x on my prom night and spilled the beans to my parents, and I was busted. Could Tina be right? Had they finally tapped my phone?

Then Dad went, in a completely calm voice, ”I thought you'd be interested to know that a brand-new CardioArm was just delivered to the Royal Genovian Hospital, with a card indicating it was a donation courtesy of Michael Moscovitz, President and CEO, Pavlov Surgical Industries.”

I almost dropped my phone into Lana's fro-yo. ”Hey, watch it,” she said.

”A programmer named Midori came with the CardioArm to teach our surgeons a two-week course on how to use it,” Dad went on. ”She's at the hospital now, setting it up.”

Micromini Midori!

”I don't understand,” I said. I really was totally confused. ”Why would he do that? We didn't ask for one. Did you ask for one? I didn't ask him for one.”

”I didn't ask him for one,” Dad said. ”And I already checked with your grandmother. She swears she didn't ask him for one.”

I had to sit down, my legs having suddenly given out from beneath me. I hadn't even thought of Grandmere. She had to have been behind this! She must have browbeaten Michael into giving Genovia one of his CardioArms! No wonder he'd left my party early! Poor thing.

And all this time I'd been thinking horrible thoughts about him....

”Mia,” J.P. said, looking concerned. ”Are you all right? What's going on?”

”She must have said something to him,” I said into the phone, ignoring my boyfriend. ”She's got to be lying. Why else would he have done it?”

”Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea why,” Dad said, in a strange voice.

”You do?” I was flummoxed. ”Well, why? Other than Grandmere having cornered him the other night at my party and demanding one? Dad, she had to have.” I lowered my voice so the lunch gang wouldn't overhear me. ”There's a huge long waiting list for those things. They cost over a million dollars! He's not just going to have one s.h.i.+pped over to Genovia for free, for no reason!”

”I think there's a reason,” Dad said dryly. ”Why don't you call him to thank him? I imagine he'll probably tell you what it is over dinner.”

”Dinner?” I echoed. ”What are you talking about? Why would we go out to din-”

Comprehension dawned. I couldn't believe it had taken me so long to figure out what my dad meant-that Michael had sent the CardioArm because he still liked me. More than liked me, maybe, even.

I could feel myself starting to blush. I was grateful everyone at the table couldn't hear both sides of the conversation. That is, if they hadn't figured it out already from my end.

”Da-ad!” I whispered. ”Come on! It's not that! I mean-” I lowered my voice even more, grateful for the din of the cafeteria. ”He broke up with me, remember?”

”That was almost two years ago,” Dad said. ”You've both done a lot of growing up since then. One of you, in particular.”

He meant me. I knew he meant me. He certainly didn't mean Michael, who'd never been anything but calm and understanding, whereas I'd been...

Well, not.

Geek.

”Mia, what's going on?” Tina wanted to know. She looked worried. ”Is your dad all right?”

”Everything's fine,” I said to them. ”I'll tell you in a minute-”

”Mia, I have to go,” Dad said. ”The press is here. I don't think I have to tell you that something like this...well, it's big news in a little place like Genovia.”

No, he didn't need to tell me that. People don't make donations of million-dollar, state-of-the-art medical equipment to Genovia's d.i.n.ky hospital. Something like that was going to get major media coverage.

Way more, in fact, than Rene's efforts to open an Applebee's.

”Okay, Dad,” I said, in a daze. ”Bye.”

I hung up, feeling totally confused. What was going on? Why had Michael done this? I mean, I knew why my dad thought Michael had done it.

But why had he really done it? I'd seen how he'd walked out of my birthday party like that. It didn't make any sense.

Love, Michael.

”What's going on, Mia?” J.P. wanted to know.

”You look like you just ate a sock,” Tina said.

”It's nothing,” I said quickly. ”It was just my dad to say that the Royal Genovian Hospital got a donation of a CardioArm from Michael's company. That's all.”

Tina choked on the sip of Diet c.o.ke she was taking. Everyone else took the news calmly.

Including J.P.

”Oh, hey, Mia,” he said. ”That's great! Wow. That's a generous gift.”

He didn't look a bit jealous.

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