Page 32 of Bookish Boys Don't Date Social Girls
“What?” Ava sits up, sending a small wave across the hot tub. “What did Joel say?”
I glance at her and flash a tight smile. “He gallantly defended my honor. But the fact that some guy who graduated our freshman year has heard that about me, bothers me.”
“That’s just one guy, Sam.” Bek shakes her head. “One guy with a brother in our grade.”
I sigh. “I don’t know that it’s just one guy. I always thought that if I kept things rated PG, it would keep me safe, but now I’m beginning to wonder.”
“Has anyone ever treated you like they expected something from you?” Ava asks.
Seeing her hands curled into fists lets me release some of my own tension. Once again, she’s ready to fight for me. I wish I knew what direction to point her. But how do you fight rumors and embellished stories? “No. But I haven’t dated anyone from school for a while. That’s where rumors would circulate. Right?”
“I haven’t heard anything,” Bek says. “I could ask Sarah Wu.”
My eyes grow wide. “I don’t think I’m brave enough to know what the school gossip has heard about me!”
Ava chuckles. “There’s no way I’d ever want to know either.”
“But thanks, Bek.” I smile at her. “I think I’ll just dissuade any further gossip by changing my ways. My one-two punch, as Ava refers to it, wasn’t working for me anyway.”
“Will you at least find out why Brent said no?” she asks.
“I don’t think I will.”
Ava opens her mouth, but then closes it when she sees the look in my eye.
“I think I’ll just make myself so available he’ll have to get to know me better.”
A slow grin spreads across Bek’s face and she nods in agreement.
Ava sits back against the jets again with a satisfied smirk. “To know you is to love you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Over the courseof the week, I become a regular fixture at the bookstore. I go in at different times of the day depending on what else, if anything, I’m doing, but I spend a couple hours each day sipping coffee, eating a danish, and reading. I’ve spent a lot of time browsing the periodicals since I was reading the second book in the series I started. The couple in this book bear a striking resemblance to me and Brent. I am very encouraged by their happily ever after.
During my visits, I’ve made certain to spend time away from Brent when he’s there. At first, he seemed very uncomfortable with me being there. But after the second day of me hanging out without talking to him beyond placing my order or buying a book, he started to relax.
Today, I carried my coffee and croissant upstairs to the romance section. The third book in the series I’m reading isn’t released yet, so I liked the author on Amazon to get a notification when her next book comes out. When I saw the book was available for pre-order, I couldn’t place my order fast enough. But that means I need a new book, so I intend to browse. I’m frustrated to discover they don’t have asection of books labeled romantic comedy. I’m having a hard time finding books that don’t have lots of skin on the cover. But I’m discovering that even the books without a bare male chest can still be hard to tell if the couple is going to end up in bed.
“Another present?”
I jump and whirl around. The book, whose back cover I was reading, tumbles to the floor. Brent is squatted in front of the equally large fantasy section, perpendicular to the romance books. A box sits on the floor next to him. He has two of the same title in his hand and he’s looking over his shoulder at me.
“Um, no. This is for me.” I scoop up the book I dropped and turn back to the massive selection of romance novels. After scanning a few more blurbs, I grumble, “I wish books had a rating system like movies.”
Brent stands and strides over to stand next to me. “What are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”
“I love romantic comedies, but I prefer for them to be clean. Or at least not too steamy, you know?” I blush as I say it, of course, because who can talk to a cute boy about sex without blushing?
He cocks his head. “Clean, huh? Like wholesome?”
I arch a brow. “I mean, I guess. I never thought of using that word to describe it. Usually there are enough antics in a rom-com that wholesome seems too tame, but at least it won’t make me blush?”
I form it like a question because I’m not sure I’m explaining myself well. I don’t really know what I’m asking for and his surprised expression is making me doubt myself.
He nods. “I see your quandary. Romance does have a lot of heat levels. There are some that are very obvious.” He points to one of the many bare-chested man covers. On this one, the man is clutching a woman whose dress is falling off her shoulder. I screw up my face to show my discomfort. “And there are sweet romances that promise no on-page steam, little to no swearing, etc.”
I frown at the books under the SWEET label. They don’t look anything like what I want. “It looks like that should be labeled syrup-y instead of sweet.”
