I came across this picture the other day when looking for pics of guys grinning for my little “Show Me Your Grin” contest. 😉 It immediately made me think of Simon and Michelle from my books. They have such a close friendship — best friends forever. And I love them and their instant connection.
I adore the actors pictured here (from the movie “Love, Rosie”). Sam Claflin is one of my favorites, though I think he’s a little shorter than what I imagine Simon to be. And Lily Collins is beautiful, but she is super short to be Michelle (like 5’5″ when Michelle is 5’10”). But I love this picture, and it makes me happy when I think of Michelle and Simon as real people, not just characters in my books.
So, I thought I would share the first words Michelle and Simon ever said to each other with you today. A little setup for the scene: It’s move-in day at college, and Michelle has gone to the gym to check things out. There is a group of guys there playing 3-on-3. She stops just inside the door to watch. And …
One of the guys immediately turned her head. He was tall and handsome, with nut brown hair and an athletic physique. But he was a terrible shot, hitting the backboard way too high at least half a dozen times. He suddenly lobbed the ball at the basket and completely missed, sending it bouncing in Michelle’s direction.
She retrieved the ball and dribbled it in place, glancing his way.
He jogged over to her, and she tossed him the ball.
“Thanks,” he said with a grin. “Do you play?”
Michelle flipped her long, dark ponytail over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow in reply. “The real question is … do you?”
Hehehe. So cute, right?
If you’ve already read Goodbye, Magnolia, then you know how things turn out with them, and you’ll get to see it all unfold in Until Then, which comes out on May 24th.