Rascal-and-me. It was what I'd been wanting more than anything.
But then I got real. Any relationship that started in bed—or on the couch—would be pretty lame. Mom didn't even need to have a saying or a plaque for me to know the wisdom on that one.
And the bottom line? I had a sneaking suspicion Rascal didn't want
me
(my heart, my soul, my undying devotion) as much as the physical me. (Though that realization almost made me feel good, in a twisted way.)
Still, I had to know for sure.
“Rascal, what if I said I wouldn't be ready for anything like that for a while? That I just wanted to be your girlfriend and take things slowly?”
He shrugged. “If that's what you want. But I promise, if you give me a chance, it won't take you long to pick up speed.”
“Why's that?” I asked, biting back a smile.
“Well, you're used to a guy like McCreary. Who probably has no moves. You just don't realize right now what you're missing.”
Use the beautiful pink material as a shroud after you die from complete and utter humiliation .
“ M cCreary?” I squeaked, slowly standing up. “Does this have to do with Jared?”
He dismissed my words with a wave of his hand. “No, I'm just into you, okay? You're cute, even if you're more ‘a’ than ‘t.’”
I inhaled deeply, but the dizziness in my head had nothing to do with excess O 2 . I couldn't believe he was so shallow that he'd take this so-called feud with Jared
this
far. “I think it's time for you to leave.”
He frowned so deeply that a ridge rose between his eyebrows. “Come on, Nicolette. Don't be like that. We were just starting to have fun.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Forget it, Rascal. Go!”
“Come on,” he repeated.
“What makes you think I'm kidding?”
He stood and shuffled toward the door, saying something about being ready whenever I was.
Short of putting my hands in my ears and humming, I blocked him from my senses. “Just go.”
And finally, he did.
I slammed the door behind him and fell against it. Then slumped down into a limp mess on the floor.
Who'da thunk it? I'd had an incredible few hours with Jared. Totally made out with Rascal.
And it had been the worst day of my life.
The phone rang a few minutes later. I would have let the answering machine handle it, but I saw Alison's caller ID. She was one of the few people in the universe I felt like talking to.
I picked up and, instead of saying hello, just moaned, “Kill me now.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.” I lay down on the couch.
“Your mother got fired?”
I bristled, in no mood for a guessing game. “Rascal was here.” I recapped his anger about the mall thing, and how he and Kylie had pretty much broken up. “One thing led to another and we started kissing—”
“Seriously?”
I heard a click, which I assumed was an earring as she brought the receiver closer for this Breaking News Alert.
“And suddenly he was tackling me like we were on the five-yard line and I had the ball.” I grunted. “Then he gives me this whole line about how this would be a good way to get to know each other better. Like I was a complete and total idiot.”
“And …”
“And nothing. I threw him out.”
A deep voice cut in. “Good.”
The world tilted off its axis, leaving me dangling in confusion. Huh? Jared? When had he picked up the phone? How much had he heard?
“Jared!” Alison cried. “What are you doing? Hang up!”
“Not yet,” he said. “I need to talk to Nic.”
“Mom!” she whined loudly into the background. “Jared picked up the extension on my call!” After a pause, she screamed, “Mom!” again.
“I never should have left you two alone,” he grumbled.
At almost the same moment, Alison told me to hold on, followed by the thump of her phone.
“So, Jared,” I said, in this case figuring a strong offense was better than a defense, “not only are you a bully, but you're an eavesdropper, too!”
“Look, I'm sorry. But I had to hear what
But then I got real. Any relationship that started in bed—or on the couch—would be pretty lame. Mom didn't even need to have a saying or a plaque for me to know the wisdom on that one.
And the bottom line? I had a sneaking suspicion Rascal didn't want
me
(my heart, my soul, my undying devotion) as much as the physical me. (Though that realization almost made me feel good, in a twisted way.)
Still, I had to know for sure.
“Rascal, what if I said I wouldn't be ready for anything like that for a while? That I just wanted to be your girlfriend and take things slowly?”
He shrugged. “If that's what you want. But I promise, if you give me a chance, it won't take you long to pick up speed.”
“Why's that?” I asked, biting back a smile.
“Well, you're used to a guy like McCreary. Who probably has no moves. You just don't realize right now what you're missing.”
Use the beautiful pink material as a shroud after you die from complete and utter humiliation .
“ M cCreary?” I squeaked, slowly standing up. “Does this have to do with Jared?”
He dismissed my words with a wave of his hand. “No, I'm just into you, okay? You're cute, even if you're more ‘a’ than ‘t.’”
I inhaled deeply, but the dizziness in my head had nothing to do with excess O 2 . I couldn't believe he was so shallow that he'd take this so-called feud with Jared
this
far. “I think it's time for you to leave.”
He frowned so deeply that a ridge rose between his eyebrows. “Come on, Nicolette. Don't be like that. We were just starting to have fun.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Forget it, Rascal. Go!”
“Come on,” he repeated.
“What makes you think I'm kidding?”
He stood and shuffled toward the door, saying something about being ready whenever I was.
Short of putting my hands in my ears and humming, I blocked him from my senses. “Just go.”
And finally, he did.
I slammed the door behind him and fell against it. Then slumped down into a limp mess on the floor.
Who'da thunk it? I'd had an incredible few hours with Jared. Totally made out with Rascal.
And it had been the worst day of my life.
The phone rang a few minutes later. I would have let the answering machine handle it, but I saw Alison's caller ID. She was one of the few people in the universe I felt like talking to.
I picked up and, instead of saying hello, just moaned, “Kill me now.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.” I lay down on the couch.
“Your mother got fired?”
I bristled, in no mood for a guessing game. “Rascal was here.” I recapped his anger about the mall thing, and how he and Kylie had pretty much broken up. “One thing led to another and we started kissing—”
“Seriously?”
I heard a click, which I assumed was an earring as she brought the receiver closer for this Breaking News Alert.
“And suddenly he was tackling me like we were on the five-yard line and I had the ball.” I grunted. “Then he gives me this whole line about how this would be a good way to get to know each other better. Like I was a complete and total idiot.”
“And …”
“And nothing. I threw him out.”
A deep voice cut in. “Good.”
The world tilted off its axis, leaving me dangling in confusion. Huh? Jared? When had he picked up the phone? How much had he heard?
“Jared!” Alison cried. “What are you doing? Hang up!”
“Not yet,” he said. “I need to talk to Nic.”
“Mom!” she whined loudly into the background. “Jared picked up the extension on my call!” After a pause, she screamed, “Mom!” again.
“I never should have left you two alone,” he grumbled.
At almost the same moment, Alison told me to hold on, followed by the thump of her phone.
“So, Jared,” I said, in this case figuring a strong offense was better than a defense, “not only are you a bully, but you're an eavesdropper, too!”
“Look, I'm sorry. But I had to hear what
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