The Romeo Club Read online

  But I had to admit, it was awesome seeing how excited the Nerd Herd was with their progress. They’d come a long way in a short time. So why did that bother me so much? Maybe because your own relationship isn’t as strong as you thought.

  A knock sounded on my door and Drake slipped into my room. “Hey, I haven’t gotten to talk with you much lately. But I wanted to tell you that you’re doing a good thing for those guys.”

  I set my pen down and smiled. “Thanks. It’s nice to see them so happy. I mean, even C.C. has been super excited about this—or rather Liza.”

  He leaned against the wall, his eyes intent on me. “Then why don’t you seem happy?”

  That was easy. Rex. I mean Rex was nice and hot, but it didn’t go beyond that. We didn’t have real conversations, as Trey pointed out. Our coupledom was epic amongst our fellow juniors and seniors because we’d lasted so long. And we were both so into sports and popular that it seemed like we made sense. But deep down, I wasn’t so sure. However, I didn’t want to get into this with Drake, especially since he wasn’t Rex’s biggest fan to start with.

  “I’m fine. Just have loads of homework.”

  Drake frowned and I knew he didn’t believe me, but he let it go. “That’s what you get for taking a bunch of AP classes.”

  And helping a group of nerds de-nerdify.

  Chapter 16

  Rex threw the football to Bart, who rushed across the lush green grass of the Tallac’s estate. Flag football, my boyfriend’s idea of a date. Basically, he and his buddies played and all the girlfriends watched.

  I shifted in my lounge chair and stared at the large, white pillars and the huge wraparound decks of the house. Floor to ceiling windows spread out across the whole upper level, which gave a great view of the inground pool and its four waterfalls. Not to mention the football field his dad had built for him. Rex’s family was definitely loaded.

  “Go, Mikah,” Kenadi cheered from beside me.

  Thank God, her boyfriend was friends with mine so I didn’t have to sit here totally bored out of my mind.

  “This wasn’t what I had in mind when Rex said he thought we should spend time together this weekend.” I scratched a bug bite on my ankle and sat up, adjusting my sunglasses.

  Kenadi giggled. “Yeah, tell me about it. At least Mikah’s taking me out for pizza and bowling after this.” She rolled on her side to face me. “So what are your plans for tonight?”

  “I’ve gotta meet up with the Nerd Herd for a movie outing.” I shielded my face from the sun. Beads of perspiration slid down my forehead and I wiped them back. So much for my make-up.

  “Oh? Please tell me you’re not teaching them the art of a movie theatre make-out.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Hell, no.”

  “Hey, honey. Did you see that touchdown?” Rex bounded over, sweat glistened on his bare chest as he took his T-shirt off and scrubbed his face.

  “Yes. You’re fabulous,” I said, then smiled up at him.

  He bent down, perching on the edge of my chair, nearly sending me out of it. But he caught me in his arms, his mouth moved against mine. His lips held the faint trace of lemonade on them. Breathless, he pulled back. “I wish you weren’t busy later,” he said. “We opened the pool last night, and I’d love to have you over to swim.”

  But his eyes said he probably wanted to do something more than just that.

  Over his shoulder, I caught sight of Portia waving from next door. She was one of Rex’s neighbors. “Hey, I didn’t know everyone was coming over today,” she said.

  I glanced at Kenadi and rolled my eyes. But Rex stood to greet her.

  “Hi Portia, you can come on over if you want. We’re about ready to start the second half of our game.”

  “Be there in a second.” She disappeared and moments later joined me and Kenadi as the boys resumed playing. “Do you two care if I sit with you?”

  “No, go ahead.” I gestured to the empty chair on the other side of me.

  She tugged her long, dark hair into a ponytail. Her flawless skin looked even more perfect up close. When she got situated, she turned to me. “I’ve been hanging out with Trey a lot lately, and he said you two are friends.”

  “Yeah, we’ve known each other since we were, like, two.”

  “Oh, kind of like me and Rex.” She smiled. “But anyway, Trey is really nice. He took me out to the movies this week and I had so much fun with him. Sometimes he gets kind of shy around me, which I think is adorable.”

  A twinge of jealousy gripped hold of me. “Yeah, he is.”

  Portia blathered on about how she and Trey had so much in common. I bit my tongue to keep from telling her the truth. That Trey hated Celebrity Dance Off, loved steak, and had a hard time finding things to talk about with her. This just made it more apparent that they totally didn’t mesh. At. All.

  “You know, maybe we’ll have to double date some time,” Portia said. “We’d have a lot of fun.”

  Kill me now. A full night of talking about nothing but sports and dancing? Definitely not my idea of fun.

  “Yeah, that sounds great.” And I’m the world’s biggest liar.

  ***

  My gaze flicked to the clock on the wall. It was almost eight already. “Where the hell is everyone?”

  Trey shrugged. “I have no idea. You told us to be here by seven.”

  My mage ran across the screen, fighting a swarm of dark dwarves in the Iconian Mines. I pushed the ‘x’ button on my game controller, letting an inferno of flames engulf my enemies. Trey’s elfin warrior stood beside my character and shot poisoned arrows into the crowd of armored dwarves.

  “Watch the one with the battle axe in the corner, his weapon is infused with frost,” I said.

  Trey maneuvered his elf further back to do a ranged attack. “Dude, this guy’s life isn’t going down at all. Do you have a disarming potion or something?”

  I pushed the trigger button to bring up my inventory. “No, I used the last one when we faced that dragon at the mouth of the cave. Damn, I knew I should’ve bought more.”

  “So, does Rex know you’re really a nerd like me?”

  “No. I told you before, I keep this part of my life a secret. There are certain things Rex doesn’t need to know, this being one of them.”

  “And your friendship with the Nerd Herd the other?” He glanced at me.

  “I don’t keep our friendship a secret. If you don’t believe me, ask Portia, who I was forced to converse with during Rex’s flag football game today. In fact, you’re pretty much all we talked about.”

  “Really?” He paused our game. “Did she mention our dates at all?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “And she said she had fun with you. She also called you adorable and suggested we go on a double date some time.”

  He let out a long breath, which hissed through his lips. “I’m glad to hear that. Because we never kissed, and I chickened out in the movie theatre and never tried to hold her hand or anything. I swear, I get so nervous around her.”

  “Just be yourself—er or better said, the new improved you.”

  He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “Easier said than done.”

  I saved our game then turned off the console. “Okay, c’mon.” I stood, dragging him to his feet.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The movies.”

  “What about the guys?”

  My eyes drifted to the clock again. “Well, it’s after eight, so I’m assuming we’ve been stood up. We’ll use tonight as an extra lesson for you. I’ll teach you how to be suave and do the hand holding thing.” Oh god, what the hell did I just offer to do? Relax. He’s your friend. It’s not like a real date or anything.

  “You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course. That’s what friends are for. But first, I need to change real quick.”

  When I got to my room, I rummaged
through my closet. Not that I should care what I looked like, I mean this was Trey. He’d seen me at my worst. My teeth grazed my bottom lip as I tugged a cute, white ruffled skirt from a hanger, then paired it with a light blue shirt and sandals. I grabbed a cardigan to go over my shirt, in case I got cold in the theatre.

  A few minutes later, I met Trey in the living room. His eyes swept over me. “You look nice. Should I go change?” He gestured to his jeans and polo shirt.

  “No. You’re outfit’s fine.”

  “Delyla,” Mom called from the kitchen.

  “Yeah?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the movies. I told you that earlier.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Well, have fun and don’t be out too late,” she said.

  The theatre was packed when we arrived, so we parked in the back lot. The warm spring breeze licked at my bare legs, and made my skirt snap against my thighs. I held my hands against my sides to make sure it didn’t blow up.

  “So, what movie do you want to see?” Trey held the door open for me.

  We went to the line to purchase our tickets. I glanced at the movies and times. “Oh, my gosh, Lords of Space is out. We’ve got to see it. It’s the one with the space pirates and that guy who hides away in their cargo to try to stop them from starting the intergalactic war.”

  “I should’ve known.” He smirked then pulled out his wallet. “Two for Lords of Space,” he told the cashier.

  “Trey, you didn’t have to pay for my ticket. I could’ve covered it.”

  He raised his hand. “Nope. My treat. Besides, what kind of guy would I be if I made a girl pay for a date—fake or not.”

  “Then will you at least let me buy the popcorn?” I fished in my purse.

  “Absolutely not. C’mon Del, let me treat you. You’ve done so much for us. Not to mention, you’re still saving for your prom dress.”

  “Fine, but next time I’m gonna pay,” I said.

  He quirked an eyebrow. “We’re gonna have a next time?”

  My cheeks warmed. “Um—well, we are friends and hang out, right?”

  He smiled. “Yeah.”

  We stopped at the concession stand and bought two colas and a tub of popcorn then headed toward our theatre. From the corner of my eye, I swore I saw Rex come in with Bart. But when I looked again, I didn’t see him.

  Geez, try not to get so paranoid. Rex was supposed to hang out with the guys tonight. According to Bart, they hadn’t had any “bro” time lately. Which meant, they’d probably be at Rex’s house, playing golf or something.

  Trey and I found seats about half-way up and moved to the center of the row. The projector clicked on and showed a stream of previews. When they finished, the lights dimmed and the theatre grew quiet, except for a few idiots up front.

  A spaceship appeared on the screen, followed by smaller ones trying to get away from its laser beams. The scene cut to a man, being held prisoner in a pair of laser shackles, with an alien standing over him.

  Trey bent his head close to me and whispered. “Okay, so what do I need to do to hold a girl’s hand?”

  “First step is to see if she has her hand on the arm rest. If so, it’s a good indicator that she wants to hold hands. If her hands are folded in her lap, then she’s not ready for you to do that.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  I nodded. “Okay, now you try it with me.”

  My gaze went back to the movie screen while I placed my hand on my arm rest, palm up. My heart pounded against my ribs like a prisoner banging on bars. I swallowed the lump in my throat. What’s gotten into you?

  He linked his fingers with mine. His skin was soft and warm. “How’s this?”

  I sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to slow my pulse. “Perfect. Once you have her hand, you can rub your thumb across the back of it. It’s kind of intimate, but lets them know you’re into them,” I whispered.

  Rivulets of electricity shot through my body as his thumb stroked my skin. It was so gentle. So perfect. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe as my eyes met his.

  What the hell’s going on with me? Maybe I’m too good of a teacher.

  Trey cleared his throat. “What am I supposed to do next?”

  I licked my lips then said, “If it seems like your date takes well to the hand holding then you can lean in and kiss her.”

  He scooted closer then leaned in. “Like this?” His voice sounded deeper, almost hoarse.

  “Y-you should let go of her hand first, then kind of turn and bend in.” I maneuvered myself toward him.

  Oh God. What am I doing? Abort. Abort. Abort.

  But instead of stopping, we both moved in closer. Our faces were inches apart. I felt his warm breath on my cheek. My skin broke out in goose bumps. And not in a bad way.

  “You’ll need to cup the girl’s face, guide her toward you.”

  His palm caressed my cheek and tingles raced through me. Trey moved in. Over his shoulder, I saw Rex coming down the aisle.

  “Oh God,” I blurted.

  Trey pulled back abruptly. “What?”

  I ducked down, tucking my head against his chest, using him to shield me. “Rex is here.”

  From beneath Trey’s arm, we watched him walk past toward the front row.

  “It’s okay, he’s gone now,” Trey said.

  “Phew, that was close.” I attempted to sit up. “Oh crap.” My earring was caught on the bottom of his shirt. “My earring is stuck.”

  He attempted to lift my head, but it pulled on my earlobe. “Hold on, let me see if I can get it.” He shoved my head down, almost into his lap, then brought it back up again. “I can’t see to get it unhooked.”

  Just then a flashlight turned on and a movie theatre usher pushed down our row. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave. We can’t have inappropriate behavior going on in here.”

  “Wait, it’s not what it looks like,” I said. “I snagged my earring.”

  The attendant snorted. “Yeah right lady, I’ve heard that before. Now leave.”

  Trey stood, my earring still attached to his shirt. He helped me stand as well. He wrapped his arm around me to guide me out. Let me just say, walking down the aisle, attached to Trey was probably one of the most embarrassing things I’d ever do. People hooted and hollered. My face burned.

  When we got into the lobby, Trey led us into a corner, where he finally freed me from his shirt. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and ushering me outside.

  When we got into his truck, Trey burst out laughing.

  “Hey, it’s not funny. This had to have been my worst first date ever.” But even I erupted into a fit of giggles.

  “At least it was a memorable first date.” Trey offered me one of his sweatshirts that hung on the back of the seat. “S-so how did I do, I mean before the earring thing?”

  I raised my gaze until I met his. “You’re perfect.”

  And he was. If I didn’t watch myself, I might end up falling for him.

  Chapter 17

  Sunday morning, I woke up more confused than ever. And the Trey laced dreams hadn’t helped matters. With my cell in hand, I sat in the backyard, wondering what to do. It was after eleven, so Kenadi should be up by now.

  I picked up my phone and dialed her number. As soon as she answered I blurted, “Oh my God, I need help. Like right now.”

  “That doesn’t sound good. Want me to come over?” Kenadi said.

  “Please. And hurry.”

  “Be there soon.”

  I went back inside to change out of my pajamas. When I went through the dining room, I heard my mom lecturing Drake. “You came in after curfew last night, young man. Do you know what the teenage pregnancy rate is?”

  Whoa, Mr. Responsible was getting into trouble.

  “Chloe and I haven’t done it, geesh,” he said.

  Finally, I wasn’t the one getting all the s
ex talks. I smirked and rushed up to my room. When I finished putting on a pair of jogging pants and a sweatshirt, I went back downstairs, right as the doorbell rang.

  “Hey,” I said, ushering Kenadi into the backyard. We plopped on top of our picnic table. “So, something kind of happened last night.”

  She glanced at me, eyebrows raised. “As in … ”

  “As in Trey and I held hands. And we almost kissed.” I spilled the details of our ‘date’ and how we got kicked out.

  When I finished, Kenadi let out a low whistle. “You got it bad.”

  “But I can’t. I mean, I have a boyfriend. Not to mention Trey’s one of my best friends and he’s head over heels in love with Portia.”

  “Or is he?” She gave my ponytail a tug.

  “Trust me, if you heard the way he talks about her, you’d know.”

  “Yeah, but he spent the entire night hanging out with you.”

  “But that’s what we always do. Well minus the hand holding and stuff.”

  Just then, Jimbo burst into our yard, dragging a black lacy nightie. He headed for my mom’s stone fairy figurines and dropped the piece of clothing.

  “What’s that dog doing?” Kenadi leapt to her feet.

  We watched in disgust as he humped the stone figure.

  “Shoo—get out of here.” I chased after him. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he loped back into his own yard. Grossed out, I went over to retrieve the lingerie.

  “What are you doing with that?” Kenadi snickered.

  “Putting it in the garbage.” I grabbed the nightgown by its strap and carried it around to the front of the house, where our trash can was.

  “Hey, you. Put that down,” our neighbor from across the street yelled.

  I glanced over my shoulder, then turned back to face her, realizing she was talking to me. The red haired woman stalked over to our yard.

  “Why did you take my nightgown?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “Wait, it wasn’t me. The neighbor’s dog grabbed it.”