Meg Cabot - Boy Meets Girl

Contents

Dedication

Begin Reading

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Books by Meg Cabot

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher

For Benjamin

THE NEW YORK JOURNAL

New York Citys Leading Photo-Newspaper

Kathleen A. Mackenzie

Personnel Representative

Human Resources

The New York Journal

216 W. 57th Street

New York, NY 10019

212-555-6891

Ida D. Lopez

Craft Food Services

The New York Journal

216 W. 57th Street

New York, NY 10019

Dear Mrs. Lopez:

Last week, we met to address your continuing job-performance problems related to thegiving out of dissemination of serving of items from the dessert cart you operate in the newspapers senior staff dining room. These problems have persisted despite repeated counseling sessions withme my boss Amy Jenkins supervisors as well as staff training programs. Specifically, your refusal togive disseminate serve dessert to certain members of the senior staff has resulted in several written complaints from administrators at thisestablishment paper company.

Mrs. Lopez, your refusal to serve dessert to certain members of the papers staff is disruptive to food service operations, and the explanations that you have provided for your behavior are notsatisfactory wholly believable inexplicable acceptable. This letter is being issued as a written warning with the expectation that there will be an immediate and sustained improvement in yourwork attitude food service dissemination job performance. Failure to comply will result in further disciplinary action.

On a more personal note, Mrs. Lopez, please stop refusing to give senior staff members dessert, even if you feel, as you explained to me last week, that they dont deserve it. Which members of the papers staff do or do not deserve dessert is not your decision to make! And I would hate to see you asked to leave the food craft services department over something so silly! I would really miss youand your chocolate chip cookies!

Damn it.

From the Desk of

Kate Mackenzie

To do:

Laundry!!!!!!!!!

Finish disciplinary warning letter to Ida Lopez.

Pick up prescriptionsAllegra, Imitrex, Levlen.

Get new Almay pressed powder compact.

Find new apartment.

Find new boyfriend.

Get better job.

Get married.

Have successful career.

Have children/grandchildren/big retirement party.

Die in sleep at age 100.

Pick up dry cleaning!!!!!!!!!

Kathleen A. Mackenzie

Personnel Representative, LZ

Human Resources

The New York Journal

216 W. 57th Street

New York, NY 10019

212-555-6891

kathleen.mackenzie@thenyjournal.com

Sleaterkinneyfan:

What are you doing?

Katydid:

WORKING. Stop IM-ing me, you know the T.O.D. doesnt like it when we IM during office hours.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

The T.O.D. can bite me. And you are not working. I can see your desk from here. Youre making another one of those To Do lists, arent you?

Katydid:

It may look like Im making a To Do list, but really I am reflecting on the series of failures and bad judgment calls that have made up my life.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Oh my God, you are twenty-five years old. You have not even had a life yet.

Katydid:

Then why am I in such mental and emotional anguish?

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Because you stayed up too late last night watching

Charmed

reruns. Dont try to deny it, I heard you salivating over Cole.

Katydid:

Oh my God, Im so sorry!!!!!!!! Did I keep you and Craig awake?

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Please. Craig would sleep through a nuclear blast. And I only heard you because I got up to use the bathroom. These hormones make me have to go every five minutes.

Katydid:

I am so, so sorry. I swear I will be off your couch and out of your place just as soon as I get a line on a studio I can afford. Paulas taking me to look at one tomorrow night in Hoboken. $1100/month, third-floor walk-up.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Would you stop? I told you, we like having you stay with us.

Katydid:

Jen, you and Craig are trying to have a BABY. You do not need an old college roommate sacking out on your living room couch while you are trying to procreate. You did enough just getting me this job in the first place.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

You more than earn your keep with all the cleaning you do. Dont think I havent noticed. Craig even pointed out this morning that you had dusted the top of the refrigerator. Obsessive much, by the way? Who even looks at the top of the refrigerator?

Katydid:

Well, Craig, OBVIOUSLY.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Whatever. You cant afford $1100/month on your salary. I know how much you make, remember?

Katydid:

Its the cheapest place Paulas found me so far. That isnt on the same block as a methadone clinic.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

I dont understand why YOU are the one who had to move out. Why didnt you kick HIM out?

Katydid:

I cant stay in that apartment. Not with the memories of all the happy times Dale and I shared.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Oh, you mean like all those times you came home from work to find that, like, one of his bandmates had mistaken the closet for the bathroom and peed on your suede boots?

Katydid:

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BRING THAT UP AT WORK? You know it always makes me want to cry. I really loved those boots. They were perfect Coach knockoffs.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

You should have thrown his stuff out onto the fire escape and changed the locks. I dont know if I can marry you after all, I have to take things one day at a time. I mean, what kind of thing is that for a guy to say?????

Katydid:

Um, the kind of thing an ex-pothead who is about to land a million-dollar recording contract would say to the girl he has dated since high school. I mean, come on, Jen. Dale can get anyone now. Why would he stay with his girlfriend from high school?

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Oh my God, I swear if it werent for the T.O.D. watching me like a hawk for any excuse to can my ass, Id come over there and slap you. You are the best thing that ever happened to Dale, recording contract or no recording contract, and if he doesnt know it, he isnt worth it. Do you understand me, Katie? HE ISNT WORTH IT.

Katydid:

Yes, but then what does that say about ME? Im the one who went out with him for ten years, after all. TEN YEARS. With a guy who isnt sure now that he wants to marry me after all. I mean, what does that tell you about my ability to read people? Seriously, Jen, I probably shouldnt even be allowed to work here. How can I presume to tell my employers who they should and should not hire when I am obviously such a heinous judge of character?

Sleaterkinneyfan:

Katie, you are not a heinous judge of character. Your problem is that you

AmyJenkinsDir:

logged on

AmyJenkinsDir:

Pardon me for interrupting, ladies, but is there or is there not a departmental ban on Instant Messaging during office hours? Ms. Sadler, please get me the blue form on the new hire in Arts. Miss Mackenzie, I need to see you in my office right away.

Sleaterkinneyfan:

logged off