T is for...he's a TOTAL jerk (Grover Beach Team #3)

by Piper Shelly

  I lifted the sweater to my face and took a deep breath. The scent of the detergent reminded me of how she’d smelled when I’d carried her to my bed. Closing my eyes, I clasped the fabric tighter, burying my face in it.

  I missed her.

  Liz was there for me, always. She was Hunter’s girlfriend now, but whenever I needed someone, she was the first to come and listen to my shit. We still hung out a lot, the three of us—went to movies, got caught up in video game battles, went to the beach, or met at her place every Wednesday night to watch Game of Thrones together. I saw her at school, and sometimes even at soccer training. I loved having her near me. But when she wasn’t here, I didn’t think about her. There simply was no need to. I knew I would see her again the next day, or the next.

  With Sam, it was totally different. I inhaled every minute with her, and when she wasn’t around, my longing for her grew even stronger. There was nothing that could stop me from thinking about her.

  Why couldn’t I have told her this yesterday when she’d called me out on my lie to Liz? She would have liked to hear it. Maybe it would have made more sense to her than it made to me right now. Because frankly, it confused me like hell. I knew it was possible to love two women at the same time. But I wondered if this really applied to me. It didn’t feel like I was in love with both. Only with one girl.

  I glanced at my wristwatch. Shit. I was running late. Quickly, I pulled on the sweater, reveling in the familiar scent for another second, then I rushed to put on my sneakers and tucked my cell phone and keys into the pockets of my hoodie. Something in there felt strange. I stopped dead, looking down at myself, as I pulled my stuff out again, tossed it on the bed, and slipped my hands into the pockets once more.

  What the fuck? There were countless paper shavings inside.

  What had Sam put in there? I took out a handful, studying the shreds, trying to understand what this was. Pencil lines were on some of them, others were totally blank.

  I fished out the rest of the shavings and heaped them on my desk, pushing them around, turning some of them over. After a few moments, I caught one with my initial on it—my brand for my drawings.

  My heart gave a twinge as I finally realized what Sam had given me back with the sweater.

  CHAPTER 18

  Susan picked me up later today, and we drove to the café in town where I had met Tony for the first time. My knees shook a little, but I told myself I could do this. I could spend an afternoon with my friends and not feel down because of the boy who currently waited there.

  Relieved when we entered and he wasn’t there, I followed Susan to the back of the café, where Simone and Liza were already sitting at a table close to the window wall and laughing about something we’d missed.

  We sat down with them, and Susan propped her elbows on the table. “Where’s Tony?”

  “No idea,” Liza replied. “I already texted him, but he didn’t reply.”

  At that moment, her cell buzzed on the table. “On the way,” she read out loud then looked at us with a puzzled grimace.

  “It’s not like him to be late for anything,” Simone pointed out.

  Liza shrugged.

  And I tried not to listen. Talking about Tony was the last thing I wanted to do right now. Could we not just pass our order to Charlie and get our ice cream already? Fortunately, the middle-aged man came over a half-minute later and wrote down our selection on a small tablet.

  He was gone and half-done with preparing our orders when the door opened and Tony came in. My heart lurched to my throat and my fingers clamped around the sugar stick I was playing with. He was wearing the black sweater I had given him back today. I hadn’t reckoned he would, but it made my mouth water in a strange way.

  With the sleeves shoved up to his elbows and the hood crunched on his shoulders, he looked incredibly hot. The dark color made his suntanned skin stand out even more enticingly and it clashed with his tousled, blond hair.

  Since only a few patrons sat in the café with us, his gaze fell on our table first. There was a little of both hurt and anger in his eyes as he saw me—maybe because of the paper shreds he must have found in the pockets. I didn’t know how to react, other than look away as fast as I could—which was about five full seconds after he’d locked gazes with me.

  “Tony, lad, you’re late.” Charlie’s deep, rumbling voice drifted to us.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Tony said. “I got caught up in…something.”

  “Ah, no worries. The place isn’t busy today. Here’s the order for table nine. You can carry it over to your friends.”

  Shit. Tony would come to our table in just a few seconds, bringing our sundaes, and I wasn’t ready to face him. What if he said something to me? What if he stayed, chatting with us?

  What if he just left and said nothing at all?

  Oh boy, me and my big mouth. Why did I have to suggest ice cream anyway?

  I sneaked a glance over to where Tony stood at the bar with his back to us. And once again, it was his hoodie that caught my attention. Maybe because I had worn it only a few days ago and knew how soft it felt—and how good it had smelled, oh my God.

  My gaze traveled up to his neck with his hair cropped at the back. With only a little imagination, I could still see the water drops from yesterday sliding down the sides. Way hot. I licked my lips. Oh no, I must stop thinking about it, or I was so screwed.

  Forcing my mind to go in another direction, I concentrated on my friends again, listening to Simone, who was telling us about how freaking jealous Alex had been recently.

  “Ladies,” Tony said in a cheerful voice a moment later, and I looked up. He placed Susan and Liza’s chocolate sundaes in front of them, but his eyes hung on my face. And they didn’t at all match his smiling tone.

  Charade? Not to get anyone suspicious? I hadn’t told the girls that we’d kissed again. Since none of them had tried to squeeze information out of me, I assumed he hadn’t talked to anyone either. Sure, he wouldn’t. All it would do was destroy his chances with Liza if she ever broke up with Ryan…which I thoroughly doubted she’d ever do. But that was just me. Tony probably prayed every night for it to happen.

  Must be the highlight of his day to find her here without her boyfriend for a change. Meant he could stare blatantly at her without getting killed for it afterward.

  His eyes still bored into mine.

  “Hey, Tony.” I barely registered Liza’s voice when she spoke. “Ryan can’t come over tonight. So it’ll be only the two of us.”

  Simultaneously, Tony and I turned toward her. Come again, please? I didn’t know they had a date tonight—even if a threesome. And damn, I shouldn’t even care. But to hear that Tony was going to spend the evening alone with Liza made my guts churn.

  Argh, I didn’t want this feeling. Go away! I screamed inwardly, but the jealous sting remained.

  “What’s Hunter doing?” Tony asked; confused, surprised, happy as hell—I couldn’t tell which.

  “He’s helping Rachel and Phil move. They bought a house at San Luis.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Liza quirked her brows at him. “You don’t wanna come tonight?”

  I looked at Tony, wondering why his “Oh” had sounded uncertain, indeed.

  Tony didn’t turn to me, but he glanced at me before he answered, “I can’t. Sorry. I have tons of homework.”

  “AVE again?” Liza moaned.

  “Yeah. Tough project to finish.”

  “Can’t you do it tomorrow? I don’t want to watch Game of Thrones alone.”

  “Not a chance. It’s due tomorrow.”

  “That’s a shame,” she whined. “Your aunt shouldn’t burden you with so much homework.”

  It was more than a shame. It was totally odd, because Caroline Jackson hadn’t given us homework. Not the entire week.

  “Maybe ask one of the girls,” Tony suggested and shrugged. “I’m sure Simone would love to come and watch those hunky guys with
you…if Alex lets her.” He winked at Simone, who giggled at that.

  Leaving us alone for a second, he walked back to the bar to get Simone’s strawberry milkshake and my cherry-vanilla sundae.

  Liza turned a frustrated face at us. “Guys. How can they prefer homework to an evening with popcorn and hunky warriors?”

  “They can because they’re guys. Promise them an evening with Lara Croft and you’ll have them at your total disposal,” Susan pointed out, and made us all laugh with it.

  When Tony came back and placed the cups in front of Simone and me, Liza gave it one last shot. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

  Tony hesitated for an odd moment, then he answered, “I am.” It was strange how he didn’t look at her when he said it, but at me.

  And even stranger was the funny quirk in my stomach at that moment. So he’d passed on an invitation from the one he loved? To an evening alone with her? For the sake of fake homework? I didn’t get it.

  Subtly, so only Tony would notice, I lifted my brows.

  His answer was a slight tilt of his head and pressing his lips together. Then he turned around and walked back behind the counter to carry out more orders from patrons.

  “Sam?...Hey, Sam!”

  “Hmm?” I snapped my head around to find the girls eying me.

  “What are you gaping at?” Simone asked me, then chuckled. “No, don’t tell me. I already know.”

  Unpleasant warmth flooded my face. I tried to cool off with a spoonful of ice cream.

  “It’s a shame he doesn’t want to come to my place tomorrow,” Liza whispered to me, leaning closer. “I planned to invite you, too, and play matchmaker.” She let a conspiratorial smirk slip around the spoon in her mouth. “I guess that will have to wait until Saturday then.”

  I stopped the next heap of ice cream in front of my mouth. “Saturday?”

  “Yeah. At the party. Tony will be there…and you will be, too. It’s the perfect night to get a little romantic with him. You had such a great time at the sleepover, and then he kissed you once, didn’t he?”

  “I— Yes, he did.” I grimaced, licking the ice cream off my spoon. “But I don’t know…It’s not like that between us.”

  “Ah, don’t play the shy bunny. You like him,” Simone seconded Liza. “It’s so obvious it hurts. And the jerk likes you, too.”

  “Maybe.” I sighed. “But not the way you think.” Or the way I wished he would.

  Susan leaned forward, closing our totally obvious we’re-talking-boys circle, and said in what was for her an unusually serious tone, “I know why you’re reluctant, Sam.”

  We all looked at her.

  “You think he’s still in love with Liza, because we told you all that shit from last summer. But know what? I think he changed his mind. You changed it.”

  “Yeah, she’s right.” Liza pointed her long-stemmed spoon at Susan but looked at me. “Just think about how stupidly he dismissed me. Arts homework—” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I beg you. As if that’s ever kept him from coming to my place. I swear if I’d asked him last week, he’d have been on my doormat ten minutes early.” Then she touched my forearm and grinned. “By the way, what did you two do in his room yesterday? I could tell you were not working on another drawing project.”

  “Damn, what is it about you girls?” I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest, and narrowed my eyes at all of them. “I swear not even the CIA would suck information like you guys do.”

  They grinned back, and Susan pointed out, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “That’s what you call friends, Samantha. We know you better than you know yourself.” She put her index finger in her mouth and flicked it like the singers did in the song “Lollipop.” “Get used to it.”

  Get used to a bunch of crazy girls who could make me laugh even when only ten minutes ago I’d thought I wanted to bawl?

  You so had to love them.

  “The really important question right now is do you want our help in this or not?” Simone demanded, sucking her strawberry milkshake through the straw.

  “Can I think about it for a while?” I whined, punching my spoon into my sundae. I didn’t really want anybody to interfere, but neither did I want to hurt their feelings.

  “Sure, you can. I’ll give you two minutes.”

  “What?” My eyes grew wide at Simone.

  She smiled bitter-sweetly. “One minute and fifty…”

  “If I say no, will you help me anyway?” There was a certain resignation in my voice.

  “Absolutely,” all three said at once.

  Simone added, “I’ll take that as a yes. So let me just make a call to my guy.”

  “Call Alex? Why?”

  “He’s at Frederickson’s place right now, and I think the man might come in handy today.” She shoved her milkshake away from her, got her iPhone out, and swiped her thumb across the screen twice. Then she pressed the phone to her ear. “Baby, this is an emergency call. Can you and Frederickson come to Charlie’s, like right now?” She looked to the ceiling as she listened to his answer. “No, nothing of that sort. Just get your sweet butt over here.” A grin flashed across her face. “Sam wants to see Nick. I’ll text you with the details.”

  It felt like my face fell off. I wanted to see Nick? Was she nuts? What would Nick think right now? And worse, I had no idea why I wanted to see him at all.

  “Get a grip, Sam,” Simone said in a low voice as she rang off and then wildly punched in a message. “Today we’ll teach you how to get a guy’s undivided attention.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to learn from her, but when the others seemed enthusiastic about it, I caved in. “Fine. So what’s your brilliant plan?”

  “Simple. You’ll have a little fun today.” She grabbed her glass and sucked at the straw again, batting her lashes at me almost innocently. “With another guy.”

  “Pardon?”

  “You’re going to flirt with Frederickson. He won’t mind. I know he likes you. And you’ll see how that will make Tony get all fussed up and wondering. He’ll be like your puppy at the end of the day.”

  Oh no, I wanted to whine. Leave me out of this. But at that moment, Tony went by to get the order of a few guys two tables from ours. I sank lower in my chair, trying not to follow him with my gaze as my heart tapped a frantic rhythm with its foot in my chest.

  The girls immediately knew what was up with me, and they all gave me their best See? look.

  Not long after Simone’s call, Alex and Nick entered the café, laughing hard as they scanned the place for us. They saw Tony first and went over to say hi and give him a ghetto handshake. We couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Simone grunted under her breath, “They’d better not dare tell him about our plan.”

  Next, Tony laughed out loud, too. It was an amazingly beautiful sound. One that made me want him to return my look. But he didn’t. He wiped the counter, then went through a swing door to a connected room, and the other two came over to us.

  “Hey, girls, what’s going?” Alex asked as he lifted one leg over the backrest of Simone’s chair and took a seat right behind her, moving her forward to the edge but wrapping one arm securely around her middle.

  Nick pulled a chair from a close table and turned it around so he straddled it backward, next to me. “Hey, Finn Girl. What’s so urgent that you had to see me straight away?”

  Yeah, what was that again, Simone?

  I shrugged. “Umm…nothing important, really. So…you guys been playing video games?”

  Simone banged her head on the table. “Ugh, Sam. It doesn’t work like that.”

  “What?” I snapped at her, lifting my shoulders. “I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “What’s not a good idea?” Nick wanted to know then—of course.

  Simone lifted her head, shoving her hair out of her face, and fixed Nick with a determined expression. “All right, since Sam doesn’t want to do it, could
you please flirt a little with her?”

  Nick stared back at her for a couple of seconds, then he tilted his head at me like he was deliberating the idea, but in the end he looked back at Simone and said, “What?”

  Simone growled, frustrated. “We want to show Tony that he should take Sam a little more seriously or she’ll be off with someone else. And we need your help for this.”

  “Nuh-uh, baby,” Alex said behind her. “You can’t expect us to betray our pal.”

  “I can and I do.” She shifted between his legs so she could look at him over her shoulder. “Last night, you said yourself that Mitchell needed a kick in his butt to work up the guts to ask Sam out. Or didn’t you?”

  “Well, yeah. But I didn’t mean we should trick him. I mean, he’s our friend after all.”

  “Yes.” Nick sent me a quirky look. “No offense, Sam, but I don’t think he’d like it if I fooled around with you.”

  “But that’s the whole point of it,” Liza explained. “If he doesn’t like it, he’ll realize that he likes her more than just as a friend. Get it?”

  The boys looked at each other for a moment. Eventually, Nick shrugged. Alex reasoned, “Weird girl logic.”

  “Guys! Do I get a say in this, too?” I grumbled, because I didn’t want anyone to help me make Tony jealous. I didn’t want Tony jealous at all. Heck, I was done with him. Couldn’t they understand that?

  “No!” all three girls replied at once.

  Fantastic. I was so screwed.

  Nick scooted a little closer to me. “So basically you want me to do what? Sit with you like Simpkins and Winter?”

  I scrunched up my face. “In fact, I’d feel very uncomfortable if you did that.”

  He leaned in to my ear and said in a very low and almost whiny voice, “I think I would, too.” Sounding far too sweet for his six-foot something, he made me giggle.

  At that moment, I caught a glimpse of Tony looking over at us. He’d come back from the other room and wiped the boards now. A muscle in his jaw ticked.