The Party Boy's Guide to Dating a Geek (Clumsy Cupids) by Xara X. Piper;Xanakas Vaughn
Authors: Xara X. Piper;Xanakas Vaughn
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tried. Why
would he do that if there wasn't any interest at all?
And he did build me that sweet ass computer."
"That's what he does for a living," Carley said.
"It's called being nice."
Jae, who had been listening to their
conversation in silence while he sipped his coffee,
set his cup down with a thoughtful look. "Both of
you might be right. There's only one way for you to
find out for sure, Ash. Back off. Maybe email him,
or text, say you had a good time, whatever. Then
leave him alone and see what happens. If he's
interested, he'll make the next move."
Carley nodded. "I agree."
Ash frowned down at his mug. Give up the
chase right when it seemed like Fee might finally
be starting to bend a little? He hated the idea. But
what if Carley was right? What if all Fee wanted
was friendship, if he wanted anything at all, and
Ash was just being a pushy bastard? He hated the
idea of that even more. "Yeah," he said finally,
leaning back when Marge appeared to deliver their
food. "Guess we'll see what happens."
6.2
The next morning he felt miserable. Taking Jae's
advice, Ash sent Fee an email thanking him for
coming out and saying he hoped Fee had a good
time. He kept it short and simple, only a couple of
lines, nothing suggestive, no invitations, no
pressure for anything more. Then he got dressed
and left for work and tried not to watch his phone
like a hawk the whole day through.
It didn't work. Anytime his phone buzzed, he
jumped, hoping for a response from Fee and
feeling disappointed time after time. It went on that
same way the following day and the one after that.
By the morning of day four, Ash had resigned
himself to the fact that Carley and Jae were right.
He didn't like it, but what could he do? Fee's
silence spoke volumes, and Ash had no choice but
to gracefully concede defeat. Thick-headed as Ash
might often be, he actually could take a hint.
And he was okay with it. After all, what did it
matter if they were over when they'd never even
gotten started in the first place? It didn't. End of
story.
Except Ash couldn't stop thinking about it. He
managed to push Fee and the entire situation out of
his head long enough to concentrate on designing
and inking a shoulder tat under Tank's watchful
eye, but after that … well, he went right back to
thinking about it. God, he was such a putz. Capital
P.
He was trudging the last couple of blocks home
after helping Ty close up the shop when his phone
buzzed. He ignored it at first, not rushing to check
it as he had been over the last few days—until it
happened again, and he realized he was getting an
actual call. Startled, Ash started digging around in
his pocket for his cell. Most of his friends were
texters, so he didn't get calls very often. When he
did, it was usually his parents or his brother, but
no one in his family would have been calling him
after 1AM.
Finally, Ash managed to drag the phone from his
pocket—damn those tight-ass skinny jeans anyway
—and then he almost dropped the thing in surprise
when he saw the name on the screen: Fee.
Ash hurriedly slid his thumb across the bottom
of the screen to answer the call and lifted the
phone to his ear. "Hello?" he said, sounding a little
breathless from the sudden surge in his heart rate.
"Ash?" Fee's voice was soft, tentative. "Sorry, I
… I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No. No, I was just on my way home from the
shop, actually."
"I apologize for calling so late," Fee murmured.
"I would have waited until morning, but I thought
that might not be enough notice."
"It's okay," Ash said, his brows drawing
together in confusion. "Don't worry about it."
"There's a museum exhibit in town that I've been
wanting to see. I haven't had time before now, but
this is the last week before it moves on to Boston. I
know it's last minute, but I was wondering …
would you like to go see it with me?"
Ash would've liked to have said he hesitated,
that he took even
would he do that if there wasn't any interest at all?
And he did build me that sweet ass computer."
"That's what he does for a living," Carley said.
"It's called being nice."
Jae, who had been listening to their
conversation in silence while he sipped his coffee,
set his cup down with a thoughtful look. "Both of
you might be right. There's only one way for you to
find out for sure, Ash. Back off. Maybe email him,
or text, say you had a good time, whatever. Then
leave him alone and see what happens. If he's
interested, he'll make the next move."
Carley nodded. "I agree."
Ash frowned down at his mug. Give up the
chase right when it seemed like Fee might finally
be starting to bend a little? He hated the idea. But
what if Carley was right? What if all Fee wanted
was friendship, if he wanted anything at all, and
Ash was just being a pushy bastard? He hated the
idea of that even more. "Yeah," he said finally,
leaning back when Marge appeared to deliver their
food. "Guess we'll see what happens."
6.2
The next morning he felt miserable. Taking Jae's
advice, Ash sent Fee an email thanking him for
coming out and saying he hoped Fee had a good
time. He kept it short and simple, only a couple of
lines, nothing suggestive, no invitations, no
pressure for anything more. Then he got dressed
and left for work and tried not to watch his phone
like a hawk the whole day through.
It didn't work. Anytime his phone buzzed, he
jumped, hoping for a response from Fee and
feeling disappointed time after time. It went on that
same way the following day and the one after that.
By the morning of day four, Ash had resigned
himself to the fact that Carley and Jae were right.
He didn't like it, but what could he do? Fee's
silence spoke volumes, and Ash had no choice but
to gracefully concede defeat. Thick-headed as Ash
might often be, he actually could take a hint.
And he was okay with it. After all, what did it
matter if they were over when they'd never even
gotten started in the first place? It didn't. End of
story.
Except Ash couldn't stop thinking about it. He
managed to push Fee and the entire situation out of
his head long enough to concentrate on designing
and inking a shoulder tat under Tank's watchful
eye, but after that … well, he went right back to
thinking about it. God, he was such a putz. Capital
P.
He was trudging the last couple of blocks home
after helping Ty close up the shop when his phone
buzzed. He ignored it at first, not rushing to check
it as he had been over the last few days—until it
happened again, and he realized he was getting an
actual call. Startled, Ash started digging around in
his pocket for his cell. Most of his friends were
texters, so he didn't get calls very often. When he
did, it was usually his parents or his brother, but
no one in his family would have been calling him
after 1AM.
Finally, Ash managed to drag the phone from his
pocket—damn those tight-ass skinny jeans anyway
—and then he almost dropped the thing in surprise
when he saw the name on the screen: Fee.
Ash hurriedly slid his thumb across the bottom
of the screen to answer the call and lifted the
phone to his ear. "Hello?" he said, sounding a little
breathless from the sudden surge in his heart rate.
"Ash?" Fee's voice was soft, tentative. "Sorry, I
… I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No. No, I was just on my way home from the
shop, actually."
"I apologize for calling so late," Fee murmured.
"I would have waited until morning, but I thought
that might not be enough notice."
"It's okay," Ash said, his brows drawing
together in confusion. "Don't worry about it."
"There's a museum exhibit in town that I've been
wanting to see. I haven't had time before now, but
this is the last week before it moves on to Boston. I
know it's last minute, but I was wondering …
would you like to go see it with me?"
Ash would've liked to have said he hesitated,
that he took even
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