Read Online My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall - Free Book Online

around here consider Saturday date night, which is why I was thinking it would be a good idea if we went on one.” I’d said it so fast I didn’t know if Went could possibly have understood me.
    He laughed softly, but it didn’t feel like he was laughing at me. “Sure. But I’m not going to Millet Movies.”
    Relieved, I smiled at Amber and gave her the thumbs-up sign. “Don’t tell me you’ve seen both movies already?”
    â€œNo. But I rejected both movies already, like two years ago. Besides, Big Barry creeps me out. What else is there to do around here?”
    I looked to Amber. She was smushed next to me, her ear to the phone. What was there to do in Millet besides go to a movie?
    Amber swooshed her arm in front of her. She did this until I realized she was mimicking bowling.
    â€œI guess there’s a bowling alley, but I’m really lousy at bowling.”
    â€œNo bowling. If my buddies back in L.A. heard that I’d gone bowling, I could never return to California.”
    That made me want to bowl with him. No way I wanted him returning to California. “Hey!” I was getting another idea. “You like animals, right?”
    â€œDon’t tell me you want us to walk Adam on our big date.”
    I ignored that. “Any chance you could get your dad’s car?”
    â€œI think so. What’s in that pretty little head of yours?”
    Pretty little head? I liked that, coming from Went. “The zoo. There’s a zoo in Larkfield. It’s not L.A. or San Diego, but it’s fun. Went Smith, would you go to the zoo with me tomorrow?”
    â€œBailey Daley of Ukulele Lane, it would be an honor.”
    â€œYes!” Amber exclaimed, jumping to her feet and doing a little dance.
    â€œWhat was that?” Went asked.
    â€œNothing. So, we’re on?”
    â€œI’ll be by for you tomorrow morning. Night, Bailey.”
    When he said that, I melted inside.

9
    â€œYou were never this excited when I took you to the zoo,” Mom observed. She was still in her penguin PJ’s, worn in honor of my zoo date.
    â€œWas too excited about the zoo when you took me.” But I knew she was right. I’d been up since 6:00 A.M.—on a Saturday. I glanced at the clock—again. It was almost 10:00. “What time does the zoo open?”
    Mom kept cutting something out of a magazine, probably a contest. “I can’t remember, Bailey. Maybe ten? When did Went say he was picking you up?”
    â€œWe just said morning.” Which was idiotic. Why didn’t I nail down the time? Clearly, I needed girlfriend practice.
    An hour and a half later, I was a wreck. I’d worn a path by the window, watching for Went. I’d changed clothes twice and shoes once. Mom hit garage sales and came back to find me eating cereal out of the box, a nervous habit I’d developed in third grade.
    â€œCall him,” Mom pleaded. “If you don’t, I will.”
    â€œHe’ll be here. It’s still morning, right?”
    Finally, at ten minutes past noon, Went drove up and honked.
    â€œAbout time,” Mom muttered.
    I hurried out the door and ran to the blue Buick. I thought about giving Went a piece of my mind for making me wait all morning. I thought about tearfully explaining how hard it had been on me to wait and wait. But when I saw him behind the wheel, his muscled arm sticking out of a white tee, all I could think was how grateful I was that this hunk was mine. My boyfriend.
    Went’s tanned face lit up when he saw me. “Hey, Bailey! Ready to party with the animals?” He reached across the front seat and opened my door.
    I slid in and kissed him. The kiss kind of missed and landed on his chin. “On to the orangutan!”
    He revved the engine. “Hip, hip, hippopotami!”
    I buckled my seat belt. But if the Buick hadn’t had bucket seats, I can’t say how close I might have gotten to