Beauty and the Book Boyfriend

by K. M. Galvin

  ;) you can sense me that well, huh?

  You missed 6 questions on your Social Sciences review. Hit the books, Pace.

  “Hopefully after this forgiveness run, you won’t be,” Logan says, drawing me out of my thoughts.

  “Natalie know you’re ambushing me?” I ask, pocketing my phone.

  Logan grunts. “Who do you think made me come get you? You cost me my morning blowie, I’ll have you know.”

  Groaning. “Do you hear yourself? Ever?”

  “Ten minutes and counting. I’m not going on this feels trip alone.”

  “You really can. Don’t wait on my account,” I call out as he walks away.

  “Ten minutes!”

  Ten minutes later I’m wearing a shirt I stole from Caleb, loose running shorts, and my battered sneakers. I’m staring at the tread, contemplating buying a new pair; surely it’s not a good idea to keep running in shoes that have no tread, when Mr. Repugnant himself elbows me in the side.

  I yelp, surprised. “I’ve never wished for a brother, you know. There’s no need to try to fulfill this role for me.”

  “I figure since I’m boning your girl and you will eventually bone my boy, we should be on friendlier terms,” he says unabashedly, like the words coming out of his mouth aren’t atrocious.

  I mimic gagging. “How about since we’re working together we should be on friendlier terms? I swear to god, Logan, you’re like an overgrown frat boy. Natalie is going to need a full STD panel when y’all are done.”

  He hugs me to him as we exit the hotel.

  “Logan, how serious were you about this run? You look like you’re about to run the Boston Marathon.” I eye him dubiously. His fancy running gear from head to toe is intimidating as hell. He’s even rocking one of those watches that monitor your heart rate and oxygen levels.

  “I plan on actually working out after we do your warm up of a jog,” he admits. I let the insult roll right off me because Usain Bolt over here looks like he’s training for the Olympics, while I on the other hand exercise in order to Netflix and eat copious amounts of Cheetos. “You know I talk a lot of shit, right?”

  We pause at the end of the sidewalk and stretch. “I always thought you were full of shit, Logan.”

  “For real,” He pulls my arm until I’m facing him. He’s the most earnest I’ve ever seen him. “I respect the hell out of you and I care so much for Natalie, but Caleb is my best friend in addition to being my charge. He needs this job.”

  The crosswalk signal turns and we both take off at a steady pace.

  “He doesn’t like modeling, Logan.”

  “Look, I’m all for him going to school. It’s something he’s wanted for a while, but Caleb has a self-destruct switch. I don’t want it to affect this tour if something were to happen,” he says, not sounding winded at all. The bastard.

  “I can be professional, Logan. I’m not going to jeopardize anything because he might act like an idiot,” I wheeze.

  “Cool,” he says simply and drops the subject. Guess we’re good now? Ha! So easy.

  “Can we go eat somewhere now? I’m starving,” I beg. We’ve been running forever.

  “Bellamy it’s been ten minutes.”

  “Logan, do not test me. It’s been a dramatic two days. All I want right now is an everything bagel, some coffee, and maybe a hot make out sesh with my booty call.”

  He slows to a stop and I hunch over next to him, hands on knees, gasping like the out of shape slob that I am.

  “You know what? I like how you start your mornings. Let’s turn these frowns upside down.”

  “No one is frowning.” I glance at him before massaging the stitch in my side.

  “A whole wheat bagel sounds great. Oh and an iced black coffee. Yes, plan.”

  “Definitely didn’t say whole wheat. Full fat white bread, please.” I lick my lips, already tasting the carbs.

  “All right, calm down, sheesh. Let’s feed you since you’re insisting.”

  “You literally just said what you’re ordering.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Come on!” he yells and runs towards the coffee shop I spotted in the distance before we evens started.

  “Logan! No more running!” I wail, but take off after him. There is a bagel at the end of this rainbow after all.

  THANKFULLY IT’S AGREED UPON THAT San Francisco is too far to drive and even a train ride would take too long. This is the last quick trip for a while. We’ve been on the road for almost two months and it’s been exhausting.

  Frankly, the idea of washing my clothes is the number one thing on my mind. Natalie and I snagged an Air B&B for the two weeks we’re spending in LA. It was something the boys bitched about, stating we could stay with them.

  To be fair, it is sweet of them to offer, but having travelled with the same people none stop, the absolute last thing I want is to spend my “vacation” with the same people. Natalie excluded.

  She has an aunt and uncle out in LA and already plans to do a ton with them, so I really would have some alone time. I’m sure she feels as suffocated as the rest of us.

  As for Caleb…

  “Thinking about me?” the object of my thoughts whispers from behind. I click out of my Word document and shut my computer down before spinning towards him.

  “Stop creeping up behind me,” I scold before offering my lips up for a kiss.

  He nips at my bottom lip playfully before giving me a quick kiss. “How’s it going?” He nods to the computer.

  I sink into my chair. I found a coffee shop steps away from out hotel and decided to get my ass back to work, which sounds insane considering our schedule, but I feel weird when I’ve been away from my outlet. The tapping on the keyboard is my white noise machine. Nothing calms me down like the sounds of my brain working, creating, and discovering new characters.

  Except when I sat down amongst my coffee shop co-workers, my eyes seemed to sink into the white blank page. So instead, I plugged in my headphones and wrote what’s happened over the two months on that white page.

  Maybe working through what’s bothering me now will allow me to create later.

  “Hi, hey, hello… we’re in the middle of a conversation.” Caleb bops me on the nose, bringing my attention back to him.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” I answer grumpily.

  “Oh,” he drawls, clearly mocking me. ”Are you one of those secretive, artistic types?”

  “Caleb,” I whine his name and take a sip of my coffee, sputtering it back into my cup when the icy cold touches my tongue.

  “God, is it any wonder I walk around hard as rock all day when I’m confronted with such grace and beauty?”

  I flick him off before finally confiding. “I can’t think of anything to write.”

  “You were typing like mad when I came in here,” he argues, notching his feet around the legs of my chair and yanking me towards him.

  “Caleb! You’re going to spill my coffee,” I protest, shoving his shoulder.

  “What were you writing?” he asks again, and I expel an aggrieved breath, side eyeing him. How did I forget what he was like when he wants to know something someone doesn’t want to share?

  “I was essentially journaling. Writing about us, Natalie and Logan.”

  “Did you get to the part where we still haven’t had a proper date yet because of our extra sets of limbs?” Caleb grouses, referring to our two friends.

  His biggest complaint and motivation to hurry through our San Fran visit is to finally get some alone time with me. Natalie and Logan are currently taking a time out, meaning they’ve attached themselves to us. We are the reluctant buffers we never wanted to be.

  I cast him a sympathetic look. “It’s just us right now. We could go grab some lunch?”

  “There you guys are!” Natalie says, making her way through the coffee shop to our table.

  “Way to Beetlejuice her into existence,” Caleb says quietly.

  I almost apol
ogize before I realize I don’t have that power. Rolling my eyes at his dramatics, I smile at my best friend. “Where’s Logan?”

  “Who cares?” Natalie says loudly, and sure enough Logan enters a second behind her.

  “Natalie, get over yourself,” Logan says in greeting and I wince. For all his charm, he could really be a bull in a china shop with feelings sometimes.

  “Fuck off,” she snarls.

  “Remember when they thought we were going to be the problem?” I murmur to my ally in this couple war.

  “You haven’t dicked her yet. Just wait,” Logan warns, dragging a chair up to the table to sit next to Natalie.

  She immediately scoots her chair so close to mine it jostles me.

  “You are such a pig,” Natalie says scornfully.

  “You weren’t complaining when I was porking you,” Logan retorts, purposefully crude.

  “Oh my God,” I cry and plead with Caleb to shut his friend up.

  “Dude, enough,” Caleb warns sternly. “Natalie, he only gets like this when he’s hurt and wants to lash out.”

  “Shut up, Freud,” Logan barks, but color leaps into his cheeks, confirming what Caleb just said.

  “Personally, I’ve had enough of you two. After the preaching about keeping it casual for weeks, it’s hypocritical for you two to act like this. And to bring Caleb and I into it. What the hell happened?” I demand.

  Natalie blinks rapidly and shifts in her seat. She’d rather be anywhere else right now, but it’s been non-stop fighting between the two of them for days. The close quarters has made it unbearable. We we’re done being nice.

  “I asked him to come meet my aunt and uncle,” she says quietly, her breath hitching slightly.

  My heart breaks a little, knowing how big that was for her. Natalie, despite being incredibly outgoing, is a very personally private person. The fact she extended this invitation means she cares for Logan a lot.

  “Aw, Natty.” I grab her hand in sympathy, looking towards Logan. “I’m assuming you said ‘no.’”

  “He said and I quote, ‘Babe, not necessary. I like you, but I don’t need to meet the fam,’” Natalie repeats so scathingly I’m surprised Logan’s eyebrows aren’t singed off.

  I suck in a breath at how callous his response was. “Logan.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Caleb echoes in a furious voice.

  Startled, I glance over. I’ve heard him annoyed, but usually Caleb is happy go lucky. I’ve never heard him so angry and the sight of it is just as intimidating.

  I shoot a look at Logan and the shame on his face has my brows furrowing in concern. There had to be something else going on here.

  “Let’s go,” Caleb says again, and I wonder whom he’s talking to. All of us?

  I move to start packing up my things, but Caleb hugs me and presses a soft kiss to my temple. “Not you, baby. I need to talk to Logan. Take care of your girl. I’ll see you later.”

  Natalie and I watch as Caleb shoves Logan out the door. I turn to her and raise a brow. “That was interesting.”

  She shrugs and stares at her hands.

  “Natalie, screw him. He-“ I begin my tirade, but she cuts me off.

  “I really like him. Shit,” she whispers furiously, and I watch helplessly as a tear falls onto her hands.

  “Nat-“

  “He’s such an incredible asshole. His mouth is disgusting, he’s blunt to the point of rudeness, but Bellamy… he looks at me like I am the only thing he sees. How could I not fall in love with someone who looks at me like that? What did he expect would happen?”

  I’m at a loss for words because it’s true. We’ve all seen them interact, these too unlikely people falling for one another. If anyone could have a sexual relationship and keep it causal, it’s these two. Maybe that’s why they fell; they tried so hard not to. I don’t care how much Logan protests, Natalie is right. It was clear every single time he looks at her that he cares more than he lets on.

  With Caleb, you can tell because he’ll tell you. He’s up front and honest, if he trusts you. With Logan, it’s clear that in order to understand him, you have to listen to what he says in his silences. It’s his gestures, the looks he gives, how he touches you.

  “Logan cares for you, Natalie. Deeply. He almost always means the opposite of what he says,” I assure her, but Natalie is beyond listening.

  Natalie takes a deep breath and looks at me, a hard edge in her eye. “This is why you don’t let people in.”

  I suck in a breath and grab my computer, shoving it into my bag. “Ok, hard ass. That’s enough of that. So your boyfriend or whatever he is decided to be a turd. Caleb’s kicking his ass for you. But what do girls do when boys act stupid?”

  She huffs and crosses her arms.

  “Natalie…” I coax, slinging my bag over my shoulders and standing up.

  “Girls have fun,” she answers grumpily.

  “Let’s go find some fun.” I tug her hair and she gives me a grudging smile, but I know I have her. After all, it’s the rule she made back in college. Boys act stupid; girls have fun.

  I Google “Fun things to do in San Fran this weekend” on my when it pops up on my search. I gasp audibly, stopping on the sidewalk. How were we unaware this is happening this weekend?

  “You are going to shit your actual pants,” I tell her as I slap her repeatedly on her arm. “Natalie!”

  “What?” she moans in aggravation, clearly not aboard the fun train.

  I grab her shoulders, uncaring of the people passing us on the street and shake her. “Comic Con is this weekend. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” I scream that last part and watch as her eyes widen.

  “But-but-“ she stutters, clearly as overwhelmed as I am.

  “NATALIE!” I’m out of control. This is destiny. This is- “Wait. Shit! Tickets? They’re probably all sold out.” I deflate faster then a popped balloon.

  “I have a connection.” She smiles almost maniacally. “I can’t believe we didn’t put this together. Are we totally stupid?”

  “The biggest of idiots,” I agree and speed-walk the short distance to our hotel.

  “What will we be?” she demands, switching into hyper Type-A Natalie in an instant.

  “Can’t we just go as ourselves?” I’m more then happy to go, but the idea of wearing a costume…

  “You do realize not going in costume will draw more attention to ourselves than wearing one will,” she points out, knowing exactly where my mind went.

  “Good point.”

  “What are you thinking?” she persists, as if she already knows exactly whom I want to- “I know you have someone in mind already.”

  Dammit. “Ok, so maybe I already I have an idea.”

  “Spill it,” she demands knowingly, opening our door.

  “Buffy.”

  “Mother-effing-duh. Of course, you want to go as the Vampire Slayer. Your hero.”

  “I already know what I want to wear,” I laugh, slightly embarrassed.

  “Obviously your leather jacket.”

  “Obviously. And if it’s cool, your long, white sundress? It looks like the outfit she wore to prom slash went to kill the master.”

  “I love it! Yes, you have to wear that.” She flings open the closet and whips out the dress in question and grabs my jacket from Makyla’s outfits. “Perfect.”

  “What will you wear?”

  “Duh. Liv from iZombie.” She grabs her big bag of make-up from her suitcase. “I’ll zombie myself up and I’ll find a costume store on the way to grab a lab coat. Boom Liv Moore.” Natalie is currently obsessed with the show. Should have seen that one coming.

  “Fives.” I hold my hand up and she slaps hers in mine. “Get your contact on the line. We’ve got to get our shit together.”

  “I have to be honest… my contact is just some guy I used to hook up with. He works security at these things so he gets in for free, but we’re cool. I know he’ll give me passes. That’s not going to be weird, right?
”

  I pause, undressing. “Not for me, but what’s Logan going to say when he finds out you met up with an ex?”

  “Nothing because he doesn’t give a shit, remember? Got that message loud and clear. Also, he’s not technically my ex. We hooked up a couple times when he came to do Dragon Con at home. Do you or do you not want to go to this?”

  I shrug and slip her dress over my head. “All very valid points, but I want it on the record that I voiced concern about this plan.”

  “Duly noted. Besides, what’s going to happen? Logan and Caleb are not the type of guys to even know this shit exists. They’re pretty boys who work in a pretty world. Vapid, shallow, and narcissistic,” she spits, slamming her make up brushes a little too forcefully on the bathroom vanity.

  “Uh…” I watch her warily, shrugging my jacket on.

  “What did we expect was going to happen? The hot popular guys would fall for the nerdy, bookish girls?” She snorts and I bite my lip to stop from asking that she not lump me into this.

  “Maybe-“ I begin, grabbing the curling iron from her bag, but she cuts me off.

  “Whatever. Two more stops and then we get a break before travelling abroad, which is an optional clause in their contract, you know?”

  “Wait, what?” I turn from the curling iron and focus on what she’s saying. “They don’t have to come to Europe?”

  “The contract is only for the US dates with the option for renewal depending on how the first leg of the tour goes,” Natalie states matter-of-fact.

  “So we could basically be saying goodbye in Vegas,” I clarify, my throat tightening painfully.

  She shrugs. “I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s going so well, the fans are really responding to Caleb. Unless something drastic happens I’m sure they will join us, but sure. It could happen.”

  I stare at her blankly and fight the urge to go find Caleb right now and demand he tell me his plans. Did he know? This entire time?

  No. I can’t believe it.

  “Focus, Buffy. We don’t have all day to get ready.”

  “Let’s get out, nerd on.” I hold out my knuckles for her to tap and decide to focus on cheering my friend up.