Boy Meets Nerd (6 page)

hesitantly. “Is that crab rangoon?”

“Yup. You like that?”

She nodded.

“Here.” He handed her the box. “All yours, baby.”

The pet name had been an impulse and he wanted to kick himself for not being more careful.

Encouraging

even

a

close

friendship between them seemed like a bad idea. In his experience, girls didn’t like their boyfriends being friends with other girls. The last thing he needed to salvage the relationship with Hope was to appear disloyal. Spying on her would be hard enough to forgive.

“I’ll give you some money before you go,” Em said, oblivious to the slip up.

“Nah. Don’t worry about it.

You’ve been helping me out so… I owe you.”

She froze with a forkful of rangoon near her mouth then put it down and gave him a somber look.

“This doesn’t count as payment for services. You still owe me real money.”

He laughed. “I know that, silly.”

“Silly?” She arched a brow.

“Nobody’s ever called me silly before.”

Nodding,

he

finished

chewing a mouthful of rice. “Yes, I know. You’re very austere. Do you ever take a break to have fun?” Her nose scrunched in an adorable look of offense. “All the time.”

“Oh yeah? What do you do for fun?”

She placed her fork on the table and twisted her mouth as she thought. “Well, sometimes I take a break from finding prime numbers and mine bitcoin instead.”

He stared at her blankly.

After a drawn out sigh that managed to sound condescending, she explained, “Solving equations to create an online currency market.”

“Wow. Equations. That’s so

adventurous of you.” He shook his head slowly, exaggerating an awed expression.

“Downright

dangerous.”

“Shut

up.”

With

a

challenging look, she lifted her chin. “I’m also going on a road trip in two weeks.”

“A road trip? Where to?”

“A hacker convention in

Chicago.”

“You’re driving there by

yourself?”

She nodded.

For

some

reason,

that

bothered him. “That’s kind of far to drive on your own. You couldn’t take Jess with you or something?”

“She works weekends.”

“Do you have a reliable

car?”

She laughed. “You sound

like my grandmother.”

He scowled then dropped

the subject. It wasn’t his problem.

Why did he care anyway? She was barely a friend. An acquaintance.

His heart was already taken.

Not that he viewed Emerson

in that way – a threat to his heart.

She hardly seemed to like him. He gave his head a shake. Damn. He was so mixed up.

Maybe if he acknowledged

how he felt about her, it would go away. She was cute to look at.

There. He’d said it. Now he could move on. Her prickly personality did nothing for him. He wanted his sunny kindergarten teacher. The girl he pictured singing happy songs to small children, a bright smile and warm expression.

Emerson was the opposite

of that image. Dark and anti-social.

She rarely smiled. Children were probably scared of her. She had a certain charm, but the kind that appealed to other people. Not him.

“How long until you have an

address?” he asked, getting back to the point.

She shrugged. “Not long.

I’ve hacked the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles plenty of times. But I

wanna

cross

check

that

information with the district schools and find out exactly where and what she teaches. It should only take me a few days.”

More waiting. More time

stalling with Hope about why he was acting so distant. Maybe he’d tell her a relative died. Lying wasn’t natural for him but she’d brought him to this. She’d lied first.

With a sigh, he finished his box of lo mein then started cleaning up the mess. Emerson joined in.

“Thanks for buying,” she

said, holding the garbage top open while he deposited the used plasticware inside. “I owe you next time.”

“Next time?”

“When you come back in a few days, I’ll get us pizza.” They walked back to the

living room. “Do you live on take-out or do you actually cook sometimes?”

“Take-out or microwavable

food. Cooking is a waste of time.

So’s eating but whenever I try to give it up, there’s some nasty side effects.”

“You don’t say.” After

packing up the leftover food, he stuck it in her fridge. “For tomorrow,” he said then put up a hand when she started to protest.

“Please. I’ll feel better knowing you’re nourished while doing work for me.”

For some reason, he felt a surge of pride in seeing her fed and provided for. Truly, she needed a boyfriend. Not him. But someone who understood her level of focus.

Someone who would make sure she ate three meals a day. Who’d make sure she flashed that dimple once in a while. And for a crazy moment, he wished someone would fuck the tension out of her.

What the hell was wrong

with him? He needed to get out of there fast. Fresh air would clear his mind. Maybe another night of drinking. He made a bee-line for the door.

“I gotta go,” he said over his shoulder as he turned the handle.

“Thanks for everything, Em.”
I’m
such a bastard.
“Email me if you need anything.”

He didn’t even listen for a goodbye before he closed the door behind him. She probably went back to work on some prime number thing without a second thought.

He needed to get his head on straight, to remember his priorities, to remember what was at stake. He needed to talk to Hope.

When her eyes started to burn and tear up from the glare of the computer screen, Emerson knew it was time for a break. She squeezed them shut and drew in a deep breath. It’d only been six hours. Usually she could go longer than that. It was a miracle she didn’t have a permanent chair-shaped dent in her ass.

Her stomach rumbled and

the leftover Chinese food called to her from the fridge. The memory of Levi teasing her about the contents of her refrigerator brought a smile.

Though completely unnecessary, it was sweet that he’d cared enough that she’d eaten.

Just as she was about to push away from her desk, her email alert dinged. Her eyes were begging for a break but she couldn’t resist checking it. Secretly, she hoped it was Levi. Between their meetings, he’d sent emails asking about her progress. Any other client doing that would’ve annoyed her but with Levi…it was different. She found herself looking forward to the check-ins. Most of the time, the emails seemed more like an excuse to chat than seeking answers to sincere questions. For someone who claimed to be in a relationship, he sounded pretty lonely.

To her disappointment, the email wasn’t from Levi. It was Jonah. What the hell did her ex want? He’d left for Washington without much more than a goodbye peck

on

the

lips.

Curiosity

compelled her to open the email.

Em,

Turns out NASA wasn’t for
me. I’m back at the University,
working as an adjunct and doing
some research. I’d love to get
together for coffee some time. I
think I still remember your order

;)

I miss you. I hope you’re
doing okay.

Jonah

She snorted. Hoped she was

doing okay? If he really cared, he’d have checked on her before now.

Like, maybe some time in the last five months he’d been gone?

Her first impulse was to reply with some excuse not to go, but a picture of Jess and Dani popped into her mind. Their faces pressed

close

together.

The

intimacy. It wasn’t just that they loved each other – she’d never loved Jonah – but Jess always had someone to make plans with.

Someone to be happy when she accomplished something, to support her when she failed. Someone to cry and laugh with. If Emerson missed anything about being in a relationship, it was that. As it stood, when she made gains in her research, the only person she had to tell was her grandmother. Though proud, she didn’t really get it.

Instead of blowing Jonah

off, she decided to give it some thought. Maybe he deserved a second chance. He was a nice guy.

The quick move hadn’t seemed like him at the time. Maybe he’d just been excited for the job offer. Or maybe she was just desperate.

Probably so, but coffee wouldn’t hurt. She could double-check the connection was truly gone then move on fully.

After closing the email

screen, she went to the fridge and grabbed

the

leftover

sesame

chicken. She heated it then sat back at the computer with the container and a fork. Her eyes started to burn again so she traded the computer for one of Jess’s magazines sitting out on the coffee table.

Coquette
was spelled out in big pink letters at the top and an obviously photoshopped woman gave a come-hither look on the cover. She’d seen the magazine in the hair studio during the rare times she went in for a trim. Supposedly,
Coque t t e
was the number one source for up-to-date information every trendy woman needed to know. And in their opinion, every woman ought to be trendy.

She scanned the featured

articles.

Why your Thighs Touching
is a Real Health Concern
.

She rolled her eyes.

What Your Astrological
Sign Means for your Sex Life.

Maybe that’d be interesting, if she had a sex life.

The Twelve Sexiest Animals
on the Planet.

“Whaaaa?” Jess actually

bought this drivel? She popped a piece of chicken in her mouth and read the title of the last article.

Ten Ways to Make the Most
of Your Breasts During Sex.

She snorted. “What if you don’t have any?”

Out of curiosity, she flipped to the corresponding page.

Tip #1: Shove them in his face and shake them as much as possible. Men are hunters so they’re drawn to the movement.

She choked on a piece of chicken and coughed for several minutes. When she recovered, she scanned it again to double-check she’d read it right the first time.

Holy mother. Was this a prank? A spoof

of

society’s

ludicrous

obsession with sex? After another bite of chicken, she read on.

Tip #2: Attach rhinestones to your breasts to give them extra pizzazz. The more sparkly the better!

Yeah then shake them in his
face and give him a seizure.
Good advice. Then for a real bonding experience, he could bandage the wounds left from the glue.

Tip #3: Appeal to your

caveman by putting duct tape across each nipple in an X shape. X marks the spot!

She snorted. Then use the rhinestone glue to reattach your nipples after you take the tape off.

Tip #4: Touch the tip of your nipple to the tip of his penis like a sexy hello!

That made her laugh out

loud. Some people greeted each other with a handshake, but okay.

Tip #5: The use of pasties helps fulfill his fantasy of sleeping with a stripper. Do a little strip tease to complete the illusion!

At that, she slammed the magazine shut. Ridiculous. She couldn’t believe this shit was selling.

Didn’t

women

have

aspirations higher than pleasing their men in bed? She looked down at her chest. The tips were stupid but it did make her wonder if her assets

were

disappointing.

Masochism wasn’t her thing so she had no intentions of decorating them, and she liked her nipples intact thank you.

Coquette
needed a follow-up article for flat-chested women.
If
you Can’t Use your Breasts in the
Bedroom, Try Tempting Him with
your Personality Instead.

Without the magazine to

entertain her, she stared at the wall and contemplated what a real dating article for people with half a brain would look like while finishing her meal.. The door to the apartment opened then shut. She turned to face the entryway.

Jess walked in. “Hey.” She looked at the empty Chinese food container and frowned. “You got Chinese without me?”

“No. Levi ordered it last night then put the leftovers in the fridge.” She chuckled. “I think he was worried I’d die overnight from starvation.” Silly man. Still, she couldn’t stop a smile.

Her roommate was quiet

behind her. Em rose to throw the empty container away. As she passed Jess, still standing in the entryway, she caught an expression that

worried

her. Amusement

sparkled in her eyes then a slow grin appeared.

“Oh. My. God.”

“What?” She didn’t like this already.

“He likes you!”

“No.”

Immediately,

she

pushed the idea away. They were friends, barely. He had a girlfriend he was completely over the moon for. “I’m doing a job for him and he wants me to finish, that’s all.” Jess inhaled a deep breath, her smile growing manic.

“Don’t

squee,

Jessica

Brown.” She started backing away.

“Do not squee.”

Somehow she managed to

hold it in. “But he likes you! It’s soooo obvious. He’s taking care of you. That is so sweet! And it’s about time someone did.” She hung her purse on the hook next to the door and walked to the living room.

“I already told you. He’s in love with someone else.”

She plopped onto the couch and

grabbed

the
Coquette

magazine. “We can take care of that little problem.”

Emerson followed her into the living room. “Why do I feel like you’re about to lay out a plan that includes a roofie and rope?” She laughed. “That’s one

way to do it. But I meant you could woo him.”

“Woo him? Does anybody

even say that anymore?”

She rolled her eyes. “What are you, the style police?”

Em pointed to the magazine in her hands. “It’s an effect of reading that stupid thing.”

With an exaggerated gasp, Jess clutched the magazine to her chest. “Don’t diss what you don’t understand, Emerson.”

“What do you even get from

it? Most of the articles are about giving blowjobs and what the size of your man’s kneecaps means.” She shrugged then flipped through it. “It’s funny. And I didn’t buy it. Dani got it for me as a joke.” Losing interest in only a moment, she threw it back on the table. “I want Chinese food. Call your boyfriend over. Maybe he’ll buy again.”

“You’re

impossible.”

Emerson grabbed her phone from the desk then headed toward her room. “Buy your own food, you leech,”

she

called

over

her

shoulder, just before shutting the door.

***

Pop music blasted from the speakers, drowning out what had been the peaceful hum of the Prius on the highway. Emerson had turned the music on after listening to Jess whine for ten minutes straight about why she wouldn’t tell her what she was investigating for Levi. It wasn’t really a matter of confidentiality.

Emerson just liked to bug her –

though it was backfiring presently.

Plus her theories were entertaining.

After

pulling

off

the

highway, she turned onto the street toward her grandma’s house. Jess had begged to come with her for dinner. She’d finally guilted Em into it because she’d paid her half of the rent last month so with her reasoning, she’d been forced to starve.

Jess had been to dinner at her grandma’s before and it’d always ended in discussion about Em’s lack of a love life. She was already preparing for Jess to tell her grandma about Levi, even though she’d made her promise not to.

When she parked in the

driveway and reached for the door handle, Jess grabbed onto her arm, stopping her from leaving the car.

Leaning in close, she stared into her eyes. “I’m sorry, but you’ve brought me to this, Em. Tell me what Levi hired you for or I’ll tell Bea about his secret forbidden love for you.”

“Seriously?”

Jess pointed to her face.

“Do I look serious?”

“No. You look psychotic.” When Jess went full on puppy dog face, she broke down. “Fine.

Anything to make you shut up about it.”

Grinning, Jess released her then sat back in her seat.

“He’s

in

an

online

relationship. He’s never actually met this girl he loves. He hired me to find out if he’s being catfished.” Jess seemed to ponder that for a moment then she clapped her hands. “Oh my god! You know what this means? You stand a chance with him!” Turning to her, she demanded, “What have you found so far? Is this girl real or what?”

“Parts of her are. But she’s lying about some things too. He’s really broken up about it.”

“Excellent!”

“Jess!”

“Well, it’s sad too. But I think you’re better for him than her.”

“You don’t even know

him!” Emerson didn’t either. Not really. “Or her.”

“You have chemistry. Trust me. I know these things.”

“He’s not my type.”
Liar,
liar.
“And I doubt I’m his type. I mean, look at him. Then look at me.

Guys like him…” She sighed, feeling a tiny bit of sadness creep in. “They don’t go for girls like me.”

Jess rolled her eyes. “Are we in a high school movie?

Seriously, Em, it’s not like that anymore. Not past college. People aren’t

divided

up

like

that.

Cheerleaders and band geeks and thespians, and stuff. People like you and me, are just people.”

“Like you and me?” She

snorted. “You were a popular girl.” Jess flinched back, her

brow furrowed. “No, I wasn’t.” Emerson arched a brow,

skeptical. Pretty face, trendy style, sunny disposition. She had popular girl written all over her.

“I wasn’t popular, Em. I went to an uppity private school for girls. The students there were creeped out by lesbians.” She fiddled with her hands in her lap. “I managed to hide it for a while, but sometimes I couldn’t help but stare.

Rumors started. Then I met this girl.

Hannah. I thought she liked me.” Jess’s gaze dropped to her hands.

“She flirted with me. It was the first time I let myself like someone. But when girls started talking about both of us…” She shrugged. “I guess she couldn’t handle it. She sold me down the river and we never spoke again.” Her voice cracked, but after a deep breath, she went on. “After that, I was bullied almost constantly. I dropped out at seventeen. My parents still hate me for it. I was about to graduate with high honors.”

“Really?”

She

couldn’t

mask the surprise in her voice.

Jess gave her a side-long glance. “Are you shocked that I’m smart?”

“No,” she lied, feeling like an asshole. “I just didn’t realize…”

“I chose a career in art over money because I wanted to. Not because I wasn’t good at anything else. It’s my passion. Kinda like numbers are for you.”

Emerson nodded. She could

relate to that. This shed a whole new light on her roommate. How did she not know all of this? God, she sucked as a friend. Jess radiated confidence and happiness.

She never would’ve guessed she’d been bullied.

They

sat

in

awkward

silence for a moment then Jess broke the ice. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell your grandma.” With that, she opened the door and climbed out of the car.

Emerson followed and they waited for her grandma to let them in. The harsh weather had died down and spring was finally showing much-welcomed signs of starting. She was thankful for the sun and mild temperature that day.