Their lips were getting closer and closer. Just as they were about to touch, Grandma Lorelei's voice rang out from outside the courtyard, "Sara, Jamie, take a break! Time to eat!"
Grandma Lorelei walked into the courtyard, looking around. She spotted Sara squatting on the ground, rummaging through the dirt, and asked curiously, "Sara, what are you doing?"
Sara buried her head even lower, stumbling over her words, "Oh, I... I was just checking what this soil is made of. Ha, haha..."
She let out a dry laugh, then abruptly stood up, slapping her thigh. "Is it time to eat? Grandma Lorelei, wait for me a moment, I'll go wash my hands!"
She rushed into the house, almost tripping several times. Jamie called after her to slow down, but she only ran faster.
Once she locked herself in the bathroom, she turned on the faucet and pressed her hands to her cheeks, wailing silently. Was she crazy? She had just wanted to kiss Jamie! If Grandma Lorelei hadn't come, she would have actually kissed him!
The consequences would have been unimaginable. This wasn't like having a dream where the worst outcome was waking up with wet underwear. Kissing him for real would have been outright harassment. How would Jamie look at her after that?
He came over to help her with the weeding out of the kindness of their hearts, and now he probably thinks she's got ulterior motives. He might even think she took those childhood jokes seriously and that she's got a screw loose!
Thinking about it, she couldn't contain her shame and buried her face in the sink filled with water.
Half a minute later, she blew some bubbles.
After another half minute, she lifted her head, but her mind was still stuck on the image of almost kissing Jamie. It was driving her crazier than yesterday's dream.
She paced the bathroom, considering the possibility of teleporting herself back to Beijing.
The answer was obviously zero, but she suddenly stopped, looking outside suspiciously.
Why didn't Jamie dodge just now?
Could it be...
He was scared? Oh no! He must think she's a perverted lunatic!
She resumed her futile teleportation research.
*
After Sara rushed into the house, Grandma Warner looked curiously at her grandson, who was slowly emerging from the garden. After scrutinizing him for a moment, she lowered her voice and asked, "What did you do? Did you confess to her?" Otherwise, why would she be too embarrassed to speak and unable to walk straight?
"Nothing," Jamie replied, but seeing Grandma Lorelei's skeptical expression. He paused for a moment and then casually added, "She was about to kiss me, but you walked in."
His tone held equal parts pride and resentment. Grandma Warner, however, only focused on the first part, her eyes widening as her voice involuntarily rose. "You mean she—"
Jamie made a timely shushing gesture. She quickly caught on, glanced nervously at the main house, then turned back and lowered her voice even more, her wrinkles deepening with effort. "She was gonna kiss you?!"
Jamie nodded very calmly, "Yeah."
Even though he looked serious, Grandma Lorelei knew her reserved grandson all too well. She could see the smug pride behind that straight face. She almost wanted to say, "You've been holding this in for twelve years, and now you've finally lost it?"
"But then she remembered he was her grandson, and she couldn't say something too harsh."
"You've lost your mind," she said with a sigh, poking him in exasperation. "I bet you scared her into it. I'm warning you, that's not how you woo a girl!"
