Keeley yawned while she stood in front of Nicky's front door, waiting for her best friend to answer. Her overnight bag slipped off her shoulder, and dropped to the ground, but Keeley was too tired to care. She had stayed up till one in the morning talking to Talon, and then Zach had called her at three am to pick him up from the bonfire. She would have slept the day away except Tucker had been exceptionally energetic and kept barking for her to play with him. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed, and spent most of the morning and afternoon playing Frisbee with him at a nearby park.
The front door opened and Nicky raised an eyebrow. "Was there a hobo convention in town that I wasn't aware of?" Her eyes lingered on Keeley's messy hair bun, baggy sweatpants and stained sweatshirt.
Keeley yawned again and thrust a white box into Nicky's hands. "Didn't you hear the homeless look is all the rage this year?"
"Uh-huh," Nicky muttered, not looking convinced. She stepped aside and let Keeley enter the house. "Is smelling like a dog also part of this new fashion trend?" she asked wryly.
"Yup. It's my new perfume," Keeley replied over her shoulder as she headed toward the family room. "Toilette de la Tucker."
"How generous of you to let me experience that wonderful scent," Nicky said dryly as she trailed behind, the box still in hand.
Keeley flopped into an oversized chair in the corner of the room, her feet dangling over the armrest. "It's the least I could do for my best friend," she answered cheerfully, while grabbing the remote control off the coffee table.
Nicky huffed and dropped into the leather sofa on the opposite end of the room. "The least you could have done was shower before coming over," she muttered under her breath.
Keeley turned on the television and started flipping through the channels. "What was that? I couldn't hear over your loud grumbling," Keeley teased.
"Nothing," Nicky answered innocently as she opened the box in her hands. Her eyes widened when she saw the contents. "I take that back." She pulled out a large red velvet cupcake topped with a mountain of cream cheese frosting. "You smell perfectly fine."
Keeley shot her a triumphant look before turning her attention back to the television. She rested her head against the back of the chair and suppressed the urge to yawn. Maybe she should have bought an iced coffee along with the cupcakes. She really needed a jolt of caffeine.
Nicky tore off the paper lining from the cupcake and took a huge bite. "Best. Friend. Ever," she managed to say through a mouth full of cake and frosting. She swallowed and took another large bite.
"Jesus," Keeley muttered as she watched Nicky devour the cupcake. "Slow down there, Scooby-Doo."
Nicky sent her a glare before pulling out a peanut butter and chocolate cupcake from the box. "You try living with a mother obsessed with healthy eating."
Keeley snickered. It was well known that Nicky's mother was a health food nut. She was constantly prattling on about organic and all natural food.
"She's now on this gluten-free diet," Nicky added, her voice laced with exasperation. "Do you know how gross gluten-free bread tastes?" She shuddered at the memory. "I managed to eat a quarter of it before I pretended I had to go to the bathroom and threw it away."
Keeley grimaced. "Sounds nasty. You know you're always welcome to eat at my house," she reminded her. Her parents adored Nicky and viewed her as a second daughter.
Nicky shrugged and shot her a brief smile. "I know," she said, her tone wistful and little sad. "But I feel bad when my mom has to eat alone." Her eyes turned bleak as she licked the peanut butter frosting. Nicky's father had died from a brain tumor when she was twelve. The tumor had grown too large to operate by the time it was discovered, and he died shortly thereafter. His death devastated Nicky and her mother. It took them over a year to finally regain some normalcy in their lives.
Nicky shook her head as if to cast off her depressing thoughts and took another lick of the frosting. "So, why are you so tired today?" she asked brightly, her tone sounding forced.
Keeley took Nicky's hint and changed topics. She obviously didn't want to discuss her father or mother right now. "Boys," she casually answered while drawing her legs underneath her.
Nicky's expression turned curious. "Boys?" she inquired. "As in plural?"
Keeley nodded and held up a finger. "Talon," she held up another finger, "Zach," a third finger went up, "Cory," another finger, "and Andy."
"Wow," Nicky said in astonishment. "It's like one of those reality hoarding shows except of useless junk, your hoarding boys."
Keeley chuckled at the analogy. "Trust me, I don't want to hoard any of them. Especially after last night."
"So, what happened?" Nicky prompted as she polished off the chocolate cupcake. "I'm assuming you had to pick up Zach from another one of his parties."
"Yah," Keeley sighed, remembering the events from last night. "It wouldn't have been that bad except Cory cornered me about Van again. I swear the guy is in love. He kept pestering me about getting Van to give him surf lessons. It took me over half an hour to get away!" she exclaimed.
Nicky looked amused at Keeley's distress. "What was the deal with Andy?"
Keeley rolled her eyes. "He needed a ride home so I offered to drop him off. The only problem was that he kept getting nauseas, so every five minutes I had to pull over to the side of the road so he could puke."
Nicky cringed. "Nasty. Why would they get so drunk? Don't they have football practice today?"
Keeley shook her head. "Coach gave them the weekend off. They start back up on Monday after school," she explained.
"I still don't get why you bail your brother out so much," Nicky commented as she watched Keeley yawn.
"Not you too," Keeley groaned and slumped down in the chair. "You sound exactly like Talon."
"Well, it's a valid question," Nicky argued. "You always ride to his rescue. It's like you're his personal taxi cab driver."
Keeley snorted. "What is it with people comparing me to drivers? Talon said I was Zach's chauffer."
Nicky chuckled. "This Talon guy sounds pretty intelligent if you ask me."
Keeley's eyes narrowed and she shot Nicky a glare. "He's not. He's a pain in my ass."
That morning, Talon had sent her a couple of text messages suggesting certain sexual favors for his tutoring lesson. Chauvinistic pig! And to think she had felt bad about hurting his feelings! Good riddance. She couldn't wait until tomorrow when they exchanged phones and he was out of her life.
"Speaking of Talon, did you ever find out what he and Brent talked about?" Nicky inquired.
Keeley scowled, remembering his stipulation before agreeing to the truce. There was no way in hell he was coming with her to visit Brent. Keeley quickly recounted the conversation to Nicky.
"Interesting," Nicky drawled, her eyes turning thoughtful. "So, he basically is demanding that you spend more time with him?"
Keeley shrugged. "I guess. But it's not like he can enforce it once we exchange phones tomorrow."
"Do you know what this guy looks like?" Nicky asked.
"Nope," Keeley sighed and crossed her arms. "The only thing I know is that he's obsessed with race cars and bikini models." The guy had over twenty pictures of surgically enhanced models lying provocatively on cars. No pictures of himself, his friends, or his family. Not that she could really complain. The only pictures she had on her phone was of Tucker.
Nicky stretched out on the couch and propped a couple pillows behind her head. "So how are you going to know who he is when you meet?"
Keeley frowned. "Good question. We haven't even set up a time or place to meet yet." Keeley got up and plucked his phone out of her purse. She settled back in the armchair before typing him a text.
Undie boy. When and where do you want to meet tomorrow? –Keeley
"He probably won't respond for awhile. He has football practice till five," Keeley added. She looked through his past text messages, trying to pick up on any clues as to what he looked like.
Nicky's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You know his schedule?"
Keeley's head shot up and her eyes widened at her own admission. "H-He told me last night when we talked," she stuttered. Why did she remember that? And why had she felt the need to say that to Nicky?
Nicky shot her an incredulous look. "Exactly how often do you guys converse?"
Keeley flushed with embarrassment. They had talked for over four hours last night. "Everyday but we have to!" Keeley exclaimed defensively.
"Really?" Nicky asked skeptically.
"Yes!" Keeley huffed. "We pass on messages and missed calls to each other."
"And that requires you to know his schedule?" Nicky questioned, her tone indicating she thought Keeley's excuse was crap.
Keeley threw her hands up in the air. "It's not like I wanted to know. The guy told me! What was I suppose to say? 'Talon, don't tell me your schedule!'"
"Uh-huh," Nicky murmured with a slight smirk on her face. "So, have you talked to Brent recently?"
Keeley let out a sigh of relief at the change of topics. She really didn't want to discuss Talon anymore. "No. I was contemplating emailing him about the college visit but I didn't want to seem too eager. What do you think?"
"You should definitely email him," Nicky responded. "Wait here, I'll go get my laptop." She raced to her bedroom and returned in record time. As Keeley logged onto her account Nicky said, "Quick question though. Didn't you tell Brent that you only applied to east coast colleges? Why does he think you applied to his alma mater?"
Keeley's shoulders drooped as she bit back a pang of disappointment. "Yah, I did tell him," she said quietly. She wasn't going to lie. It hurt that Brent didn't remember. The day she had sent off her last college application, she had sent him a quick email listing all the school she applied to. He had responded to her email saying they were great schools and he was positive she would get accepted into all of them.
Nicky bit her lip. "Oh." There were a few moments of silence between the two, before Nicky spoke again. "Well, maybe this is his way of asking to see you. You know, trying to be coy about it."
Keeley sent her best friend a grin that didn't quite meet her eyes. "Maybe." She turned back to the laptop and stared blankly at the screen.
Nicky nudged her shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "Don't give up. You never know, this trip might make him see you in a different light."
Keeley slowly nodded. That was true. Brent had only interacted with her while tutoring. She needed to make him see her as a woman, not a girl. Once he realized she was more than a silly high student, he might start to like her. Gathering up her courage, she began typing.
Hey Brent!
How's college life? Are you taking any difficult classes this semester? I heard that you wanted me to come visit you next weekend. I'd love that! I could arrive early Saturday morning and leave Sunday. Does that work with your schedule? Let me know. Looking forward to seeing you!
Always,
Keeley
"How does that sound?" Keeley asked Nicky who was reading the email over her shoulder.
"Perfect. We should go shopping before you visit him. You definitely need new outfits," Nicky teased as she glanced at Keeley's clothes with disdain.
"Hey! It's not that bad," Keeley pouted as she hit the send button.
Nicky rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you walked into the bakery looking like that."
"I was exhausted!" Keeley looked down at her clothes and grimaced when saw a big stain at the bottom of her sweatshirt. Okay, so maybe she did look that bad.
Nicky extended her a hand. "Come on, let's change into our PJs and give ourselves a facial. You want to look bright eyed and bushy tailed for your meet with mystery man tomorrow."
Keeley took her hand and let Nicky pull her up. "I don't care what Talon thinks," she stated defiantly, while she glanced over at the chair.
"Uh-huh. Then explain why you are staring at his phone right now..." Nicky trailed off.
Keeley averted her eyes. Damn it. She was. It had become an automatic reflex to see if he had sent her a text. "I'm just anxious to switch our phones back," she lied.
Nicky chuckled in amusement and headed toward her room. "Whatever you say, Keeley," she tossed over her shoulder.
By the time Talon texted back, it was well into the night and the girls were sprawled on the floor, watching a movie.
I'm bored. Make me laugh. –Undie Boy
Keeley chuckled at his signature, making Nicky give her a curious glance. "It's Talon," Keeley told her. She ignored Nicky's knowing look and typed a response.
Undie boy, I'm not here for your personal entertainment. –Keeley
Don't be ridiculous, baby doll. Of course you are. –T
*Sighs* Apparently there is no vaccine against stupidity. –Keeley
Ouch *holding hand over heart* Your words cut deep, Keeley. –T
Keeley rolled her eyes. She highly doubted that.
Stop pouting you big baby. I'm busy. Go away. –Keeley
Busy doing what? If I pout long enough will you come over here and kiss it all better? –T
Hell no. I'm watching a movie. Get one of your floozies to play Florence Nightingale. –Keeley
Now there's an idea. How about you show up tomorrow in a cute little nurses outfit? I'd be happy to strip down so you can perform a complete examination ;) –T
Keeley snorted. Nurses outfit? He was clearly delusional.
No need. I already know what my diagnosis would be. –Keeley
And what would that be, baby doll? –T
You suffer from Enhanced Genetic Obtuseness. Otherwise known as EGO. The symptoms include delusions of grandeur, lack of intelligence and an overabundance of confidence. -Keeley
Oh really? And what do you prescribe to cure this horrible disease, Nurse Keeley?–T
Acute cases like yours need to be treated immediately. I think a good dose of reality and a shot of humility should do the trick. –Keeley
Hahaha. I promise to be a good boy and take my medication but only if you'll be there and hold my hand. (Don't tell anyone but I'm deathly afraid of needles. Last time my blood was drawn, I fainted.) –T
Keeley grinned as she read his words. The great and mighty Talon was afraid of needles? Well, who would have guessed?
"You know for someone who claims to hate Talon so much, you sure seem to enjoy talking to him," Nicky suddenly remarked.
Keeley wiped the smile off her face. "No, I don't," she quickly countered and set the phone aside.
Nicky snorted. "Keep telling yourself that." She turned back to the television screen, ignoring Keeley's glare.
Keeley attempted to watch the movie but her mind kept wandering back to the subject of Talon. She rubbed the back of her neck and let out a frustrated sigh. She hated to admit it, but Nicky was right. She did enjoy talking to Talon. Their witty banter and insults had been fun and highly amusing.
The phone lit up and Keeley cast a sideways glance to Nicky. She was thoroughly enthralled in the movie so Keeley slowly crept her hand toward the phone. She angled her body away from Nicky and read the message.
Nurse Keeley! Code Blue! Patient is experiencing some strange symptoms. Has an extremely monotonous and dull look on his face. Needs to schedule an appointment stat! –T
Keeley silently chuckled. Was this his way of setting up a time and place to meet tomorrow? Clever.
Java Hut around 1? –Keeley
Java Hut was a popular coffee shop near the beach. Keeley figured it would be the perfect place to meet him. Even though they had talked every day, Talon was still a stranger and Keeley wanted to be in a crowded place when they met. Better safe than sorry was her motto.
Sweet. I'll text you when I get there. Don't forget to wear your nurses uniform, baby doll. ;) –T
Don't forget to wear clean underwear, undie boy. –Keeley
Count on it ;) Sweet dreams, Keeley. –T
Keeley's first thought the next morning was her meeting with Talon. She didn't have much time to dwell on the matter, because Nicky's mom dragged them out of bed and into the kitchen. She had found a new recipe for gluten-free pancakes and needed the girls for a taste test. Halfway through the second pancake, Keeley choked out that she had to help her mother, and hurried out of the house with an apologetic glance to Nicky.
For the rest of the morning, Keeley played ball with Tucker till he collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. At around noon, Keeley jumped in the shower and leisurely got ready for her meeting with Talon. She put on her nicest pair of denim jeans and a white tank top. She let her hair dry naturally and added a touch of mascara and lip gloss.
As Keeley drove to the Java Hut, she started to feel slightly anxious and nervous. Her stomach turned at the thought of Talon. She was a few minutes away from meeting the guy she had been talking to for the past week. Her palms started to sweat and she could feel a bead of perspiration start to form on her forehead. She grabbed a couple of tissues from her purse and dabbed her face. God, she was wreck. Maybe she was having an allergic reaction to those gluten-free pancakes. That had to be it.
Keeley parked the car in the busy parking lot of Java Hut and dabbed her forehead again. Maybe she should just drop off the phone at the front counter. She could have an employee give the phone to Talon and keep hers until she picked it up another day.
No.
She couldn't do that. That would be cowardly and pathetic. Gathering all her courage, Keeley took a deep breath and got out of the car.
As she strolled through the entrance of Java Hut, she discreetly glanced at the other patrons, but didn't see anyone who remotely resembled a high school football player. Besides, he said he was going to text her once he arrived, and so far, his phone had been silent. Deciding she needed something to do, she headed toward the front counter.
"A small iced coffee please," Keeley politely ordered once it was her turn. She silently handed the employee her card and waited while he rung her up.
"They'll call your name once it's ready," the gangly employee told her.
Keeley headed to the back of the cafe and grabbed an open seat. She checked his phone but he still hadn't texted her. Not knowing what to do, Keeley started playing a car racing game on his phone to pass the time. After a couple minutes, a text message from him popped up on the screen.
I'm here. –T
Keeley's heart started pounding and in the distance she heard Java's front door open. She slowly lifted her head and watched as a tall, blonde hair boy sauntered through the threshold. Even from a distance, Keeley could tell he was a football player. His black shirt did nothing to hide his well-toned arms and torso. She could practically see his abs through the shirt as he twisted to close the door behind him.
When he turned back around, Keeley studied his face. She noticed that he had high cheekbones, a strong jaw line and full lips. His face would have been almost perfect, had it not been for the slight bent in his nose, as if it had been broken one too many times. Keeley watched as his steps slowed and he casually looked around the store, searching for her.
"Keeley! Your order is up!" a voice cried out from behind the counter. The gangly employee plopped down her drink and turned to help another customer.
As soon as he heard her name, Talon's head snapped around. He patiently stood there and waited for Keeley to reveal herself. Slowly, she rose from her chair and walked toward her drink. She could feel Talon's eyes narrow in on her as she grabbed the cup and a straw. Feeling self-conscious, she lingered there, taking an inordinate amount of time to push the straw into the cup.
"Hello, baby doll," a husky voice said from behind her.
Without having to look, Keeley knew who it was. She could recognize that voice anywhere. "Hello, Talon," she greeted as she turned around to face him. Their gazes locked and Keeley felt the air leave her lungs. His eyes were absolutely stunning. They were a vivid, electric blue that seemed to shimmer in the light.
His face broke out in a grin as he reached over and grabbed the coffee out of Keeley's hands. "Thanks for being so considerate. I was really thirsty." He took a long sip before strolling toward the table she just left.
Keeley's jaw dropped. Did he really just take her drink like that? Who did he think he was? The freaking President?
His blue eyes twinkled as he sat down across the room and took another long sip.
The mocking in his blue eyes jolted Keeley out of her stupor. She marched toward him, her mouth set in a grim line. "Look here Talon," she began angrily, her hands on her hips. "You can't ju-"
Talon grabbed the wrist closest to him and gently tugged till she toppled into the seat next to him. "That's better," he stated. He positioned his body so their knees were barely touching. "Now what was it you wanted to yell at me about? And by the way," he paused and made a show of looking at her from top to bottom, "that's not the outfit we agreed upon."
Keeley jerked her knee away. "You are the most infuriating boy I have ever met," she hissed.
He appeared unruffled by her anger and instead gave her a lazy grin. "I'm no boy, baby doll." He leaned into her and lifted the cup of iced coffee till the straw was lightly touching her bottom lip. "You want a sip? You look a look flushed."
Keeley's eyes narrowed as she pushed the cup away. "You mean do I want a sip of my own drink?" she asked, incensed by his actions.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were the one who was the only child. Clearly, you have a problem with sharing," he said offhandedly, looking more amused with every passing second.
Keeley growled and muttered a few obscenities under her breath. She held out her hand. "Where's my phone?" she demanded.
"Oh calm down," Talon said in a soothing tone. "I'll go buy you another one."
"Don't bother," Keeley retorted but he was already walking toward the cash register. She observed him casually joke around with the gangly employee while he ordered her drink. He turned around and flashed Keeley a smile before paying. Despite her anger, Keeley couldn't help but notice how gorgeous he was. Damn him. She almost wished he was a pimply, scrawny guy so she wouldn't feel so attracted. Keeley turned her back to him and pretended to be engrossed with the napkin lying before her.
A few moments later, a large iced coffee appeared before her. "You're welcome, baby doll," he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
Keeley had the strongest urge to turn her head and look into his blue eyes but she resisted. Barely. Instead, Keeley said lightly, "Now you just have to buy me eight more and we'll be even for the condoms."
Talon straightened up and burst out laughing. "It's a date." He grabbed her right arm and pulled her up. "Come on. The sun is out. Let's go walk on the beach," he said enthusiastically.
"I don't know how I feel about you manhandling me like this," Keeley complained, even though she was already starting to gather her things.
He chuckled. "Most girls would love to be manhandled by me," he replied arrogantly.
Keeley shot him a pointed look and said tartly, "I'm not most girls."
His face lost some of its playfulness and his eyes burned brightly. "I know," Talon stated, his voice sounding deeper than normal.
They stood staring at each other until Keeley looked away, breaking their gaze. She cleared her throat and tried to think of something to say. "So, how was football camp?" she asked. She winced at her feeble attempt.
Talon chuckled and ushered her toward the door. "It was awesome. We got a new kid who's a great punter." He paused. "Do you know what a punter is?"
Keeley nodded. "My brother has played football since he was little. In fact, I asked him if he's ever heard of you but he hasn't. Do you play JV or something?"
Talon looked amused by her question. He opened the door for her and waited till he was by her side again before he answered. "No, I definitely don't play JV."
Keeley frowned. "Oh. That's weird," she remarked, sounding puzzled. "Because Zach knows practically every varsity player in the league."
Talon grabbed Keeley's arm and stopped abruptly. "Zach?" he questioned.
Keeley raised an eyebrow and glanced at his grip on her. He really needed to get his manhandling skills in check.
Talon ignored her indignant look. "Zach?" he repeated, his fingers slightly digging into her arm.
Keeley sighed. Along with arrogant and chauvinistic, he was also obstinate. "Yes, my brother Zach." She took a sip of her drink. "Zach Brewer. Do you know him?"
Talon's face grew taunt as he let go of Keeley's arm. "Shit," he muttered underneath his breath. He quickly glanced at Keeley before looking away and running a hand through his blonde hair. "Damn it," he hissed with vehemence.
Keeley stared at him with apprehension. What the hell was going on? He looked distraught and slightly angry. "Are you okay?" she asked cautiously, the concern in her voice apparent.
Talon glanced back at Keeley before letting out a loud sigh, most of the anger dissipating from his face. He jammed his hand in the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out her phone. Unceremoniously, he grabbed his phone from her hand and replaced it with hers. "I gotta go," he mumbled.
Keeley stared at him dubiously. "Seriously?"
Talon nodded and sighed, not quite meeting her eyes. "It was nice meeting you Keeley," he said softly before turning to walk away from her.
Keeley was dumbfounded. She looked down at the phone in her hand and then at Talon who was walking toward a black truck. What the hell just happened?