I made a face at my brother as I settled into my seat. The one thing that turned my brother from a middle-aged man back into a ten-year-old was any public display of affection. But Cary and Grady had gotten along right from the beginning—Cary dropped a few of his fun facts and my brother was won over. “You won’t always think it’s gross,” my dad assured him from his other side. He glanced at his watch pointedly. “Cutting it close.”
“But I made it,” I said, and my mother leaned over from my dad’s other side and caught my eye. I knew she was silently asking if I was okay. I nodded and she gave me a small smile.
“While we were waiting for you, I was able to lock down some more research dates with Cary,” my dad said. I gave Cary a look, and he just shrugged happily.
After he sold the painting to the Pearce, my dad had done a follow-up story, and then an entire profile. It had turned into a huge news moment. Everyone loved the hook—the unrecognized painting, the millions just hanging on a wall, the chance by which it was discovered. He was now considering a book, about unexpected discoveries of all different kinds, and as a result was spending a lot of time with my boyfriend. But they got along great, which I loved, even as I pretended to be annoyed.
My mom had taken him under her wing and introduced him to financial people, who set up trusts and funds and all kinds of things to protect him and his sudden windfall and keep most of it tied up in investments. But college—and any grad school—would be more than covered. And his aunt and uncle had retired and moved upstate to a house Cary bought for them. We’d gone to visit last week; his uncle still took credit for setting this all in motion when his car broke down in Pennsylvania, but Cary had just looked at me and smiled. Both of us knew that if anyone deserved credit… it was Brad.
Cary reached over and took my hand. We were just having fun—seeing where it went, neither of us making any long-term plans. Teri and her boyfriend, Dustin Alberta, were also apparently still going strong, though we had yet to meet him.
I looked down the row, liking what I saw. Stevie’s dad had come in early from the city and had claimed the seats for us as soon as the doors had opened. Which had been a good call, since we took up the whole row—Stevie’s dad, Joy, Stevie’s mom, Margaux, Margaux’s now-wife Allison (they’d eloped last month), Matty, my mom, my dad, Grady, and Cary.
It was a motley group, but it was one I was happy to be among.
“You okay?” Cary whispered to me. I looked over at him and smiled.
“Yeah,” I said as I squeezed his hand. “I’m great.” The lights dimmed, and Cary squeezed my hand back. I heard Matty’s laugh and then a hush fell, and I settled back into my seat.
MORGAN MATSON was born in New York City and grew up on the Upper West Side. She is the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Save the Date and Since You’ve Been Gone. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit her at morganmatson.com.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS and related marks are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Interior design by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Matson, Morgan, author.
Title: Take me home tonight / Morgan Matson.
Description: First edition. | New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2021] | Audience: Ages 12 up. | Audience: Grades 7–9. | Summary: Stevie and Kat, two high school seniors heavily involved in theater, leave Connecticut for a night of fun in New York City, but soon they find themselves without their phones or each other.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020045033 (print) | LCCN 2020045034 (ebook) | ISBN 9781481498982 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781481499002 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Best friends—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. | Theater—Fiction. | High schools—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | New York (N.Y.)—Fiction.