Page 53 of Meet Me on Love Street
“I can sell the flowers to you at cost to get the price down,” she offers.
I shake my head, excitement buzzing in me. “Nope. This issomuch cheaper than the permanent statue Iwanted. Charge the festival full price. Remember, the point of this festival is to bring business to local shops like yours. I want you to earn all you can from it.”
Mom smiles at me, proud. “Well, I can’t say no to that. I think this is something we should make together so it will align with your vision. We can make it the day before the festival. Remember when you used to help me with wedding centerpieces and large arrangements?”
I grin. I love the idea of helping Mom create it. “Yes! It will be like old times. I can’t wait!”
Thinking up two great ideas in one day has me as excited as when we first came up with the festival in the first place, which is great because all these issues with Miles and Cara almost made me forget why we’re doing this. I, and Miles, for that matter, don’t need tounderstandlove and relationships to plan an amazing Love on Love Street Festival. The festival isn’t really about love. It’s about this community. It’s about making sure Mom doesn’t lose her store, and Jenn can hire more people, and Mrs. Kotch can afford butter. It’s about all the other business owners and all the work they’ve done to build this little neighborhood into what it is now. And even if I don’t know a thing about relationships, Idoknow how to put on a kick-ass event.
I’mnotgiving up on the Love on Love Street Festival. Even if I have to plan it with a total player.
I feel my phone vibrate with a call as soon as I enter the apartment. It’s Miles. I was supposed to call or text him when I was done at school an hour ago, but I didn’t. I want to ignore this like I ignored his text earlier, but I’m more mature than that. “Hey, we still good to meet Su Lin at six tomorrow?” he says when I answer. “I can meet youat Queen subway station and we can walk to City Hall together.”
“Yeah, that works.” My voice is flat.
“I thought we could talk a bit tonight before… make sure we’re on the same page. Maybe after the bookstore closes?” He sounds… normal. Not like he’s kissing one stepsister the night before dating the other.
“I’m busy,” I say. “I need to work on my ideas for the park installation so I can show them to Su Lin tomorrow.”
“Oh, you have ideas for the park? What are you thinking?”
“Don’t sound so shocked. The park installation wasmyresponsibility,” I say. If I sound annoyed, it’s because I am. “I told you I’d think of something, and I did.”
“And you don’t want to tell me about it?” He’s annoyed now too.Good.
“No. You’ll hear about it in the meeting tomorrow.”
I hear him exhale. “What’s the matter, Sana?”
“Nothing’s the matter. I have a lot of work to do. I’ll see you at Queen station tomorrow.”
He says nothing for a while. In fact, I wonder if he hung up on me. Finally, he speaks. “I have no idea why you’re suddenly mad at me, but if you don’t want to talk about it, fine. I hope it won’t get in the way of our meeting tomorrow.”
“I know how to be professional. I’m not a child.” This time I end the call.
CHAPTER SEVENTEENSANA AND MILES GO TO CITY HALL
I end up staying up late to perfect my ideas for the park installations. I find a vendor online who sells eight-foot heart-shaped frames for floral design for only a bit more than renting one, and this way we could use it next year, too. As long as I keep to inexpensive flowers, the whole thing would still be under budget. The cost of the tile mural is a little harder to estimate, as I want reclaimed tiles, and the online prices for tiles from demolition are wildly variable. I eventually use a generous estimate, knowing that we can probably get the materials cheaper. I’m positive both ideas would be big draws to get people to the festival.
I have no clue what Miles will think of them though. Will he call the giant tree mural trite? Will he have an issue with the heart-shaped floral arch? These are all the kinds of things he was against for the park named after his precious Lionel Osmond Love. They are so… romance-y. But then again, he kissed me one night, then took my sister out a day later. Miles Desai apparently doesn’t have a problem with “romance” at all.
When I get to Queen station, Miles is waiting for me outside. After a brief hello, we walk to City Hall, barely speaking to each other on the way. Which is fine, even though seeing him for the first time since he kissed me onmy balcony is weird. He looks… Well, unfortunately, he looks hot. I guess he dressed up a bit for this meeting, because he’s in dark pants and a dark button-up shirt rolled up at the sleeves. His strong forearms are on full display with their corded muscles covered with soft brown skin. He looks so good that I really shouldn’t have been surprised that he turned out to be a player like every other good-looking eighteen-year-old in this city.
When we get to City Hall, a twentysomething South Asian woman meets us. She introduces herself as Alex, Su Lin Tran’s assistant, and takes us by elevator up to the councillor’s office. Su Lin looks younger than the pictures I remember from when she was campaigning a year ago. She’s small and looks to be in her early forties. Her straight black hair is cut in a no-nonsense bob, and she’s wearing dark pants with a black T-shirt and a royal-blue blazer over it. She smiles.
“Sana, Miles! So glad to finally meet you in person! Please, sit. Can I offer you a drink? I was about to get myself a coffee—I have a five-cup-a-day habit!” She laughs.
We tell her we’re fine, and then she excuses herself and leaves us alone in her small office. I’ve never been inside City Hall before. Through the window, I can see Nathan Phillips Square. It’s full of tourists and locals sitting by the water feature or taking pictures of the big TORONTO sign.
“You look different, again,” Miles says finally. “Not used to seeing you in… beige.”
I raise a brow. I’d put on my most professional outfit for this meeting—the same one I wore to meet prom vendors. A pale cream blazer—vintage, of course—with a pink blouse and dark dressy jeans. My hair is in a bun onthe top of my head, and I have pink lip gloss on.
“I told you I can be professional,” I snap, then sigh. I need to do a better job of masking the annoyance in my voice, because thisisn’tprofessional.
“I know. I didn’t doubt you could,” he says. I can’t read his expression. He looks away from me, gazing out the window. “I’ve never met someone who looks that beautiful in anything she puts on.”
What?I turn quickly to him, blinking. Before I can say anything, Su Lin and Alex come back to the office, each with a mug in hand.
