It wasn't easy keeping Dad away from the gossip section of the newspapers, but I managed to dissect it before he searched the job ads. By the end of the day, it was obvious he hadn't seen or heard anything about me and Ash. He was totally calm.
My friends were a different matter. The first phone call came mid-morning and my cell buzzed, beeped and rang all day. I had to answer them away from Dad's prying eyes, but he still noticed.
"You're popular today," he said.
"Jen's got a new boyfriend," I told him. "You know what she's like. She can't stop talking about him." Liar liar pants on fire.
He seemed to accept my explanation and went back to watching TV. "I've got an interview for a job later. Working in a bar, just like my girl." He shot me a smile.
I flattened my lips into the sembla
