Page 31 of Betting on You

CHAPTER THIRTEENBailey

“Well, if you’re not going to kill him, you could make the guy’s life so miserable that he never wants to return to your apartment.”

“How so?” I looked at Charlie, then at Nekesa and Theo. We were on our first break, sitting at a cafeteria table in Planet Funnn’s Supermassive Fun Hole, and since Nekesa had no filter, the boys were now totally up to speed on the embarrassing thing I’d done at my first booze party, how much I was hated by the popular girls at our school, and the crushing reality that my nemesis could potentially move in with me in the not-so-distant future.

“The possibilities are endless.” Charlie’s voice was quiet and kind of gruff, like he was bored. Or surly. He took a long drink of his Rockstar and said, “You can sit between him and your mom on the couch every single time he comes over. You can find out what he hates and dothatlike all the time. Conversely, you can find out what he loves and ruin it.”

“Example, please,” I said, intrigued by this notion of subterfuge.

Nekesa grinned and said, “Oh my God—he’s right! If you know he loves football, and he’s coming over on a Monday night, you make sure you’re already watching a documentary on, like, Hurricane Katrina when he gets there. Bonus points if you get your mom super into it so when he shows up, there’s nothing else for him to do but watch the depressing documentary.”

“Ooh,” I said, thinking that didn’t sound too difficult.

Charlie added, “Or if you find out he’s allergic to dogs, borrow mine for an hour and we’ll let him run all over your house. The Undertaker sheds like a son of a bitch, so we’ll roll him all over the sofa so that the next time the boyfriend lies down to watch TV, he’ll have a massive asthma attack.”

“I’m not sure what’s more unbelievable here. The underlying darkness of you guys’ childishParent Trapideas,” I said around a smile, “or the fact thathisdog is named the Undertaker.”

Charlie’s mouth turned up. “What? My little sister loves wrestling.”

I wondered what Charlie was like with his sister. Was he sweet and protective, or kind of an asshole? Honestly, I could see both.

“My uncle got the Undertaker’s autograph last summer,” Theo added proudly.

That made Nekesa giggle and flick a straw wrapper at him. “Aw, does widdle Theo wike westling?”

“That’s it.” Theo tugged on her hair and said, “One too manywiddles today.”

They were all smiles and breathless laughter, which made me glance at Charlie.

Who gave me a knowing smirk and a slow nod.

I narrowed my eyes into a squint and shook my head as if to sayNo way, even though Nekesa and Theo reallywereflirting all over each other, but the squint was rendered meaningless when Theo tickled Nekesa. He tickled her, she squealed, and Charlie ditched subtlety as he stood and mouthed the wordsTOLD YOUwhile wearing a cocky, all-knowing grin.

Gahhhh.It was infuriating, the way he always thought he was right.

The four of us spent the entire day learning how to work the front desk. The majority of our responsibilities would be checking the guests in and out, and answering the switchboard. It didn’t seem difficult, but it didn’t necessarily seem exciting, either.

Toward the end of the day, we had to take turns role-playing. I was killing it, totally slaying as a desk clerk and impressing my trainer with my skills. I knew it didn’t matter, but Ilikeddoing a good job.

Only, every time Charlie played a guest and I was the desk clerk, he used ridiculous accents and terrible voices to try to make me laugh. I was able to hold it together and be professional, but when he attempted to channel a Frenchwoman with a very high-pitched voice, a tiny laugh escaped.

“Miss Mitchell,” the trainer said, not looking amused in the slightest by Charlie’s shenanigans, “the reality is that therewillbe guests at our establishment who are unusual. Are you going to crack up every time they ask you for a room?”

I glanced at Charlie; wasIactually the one getting in trouble? Icouldn’t believe it; it was day two, and he’d already gotten me on the naughty list. I pressed my lips together and took a deep breath before recovering with, “Of course not. I’ll, um, I’ll get it together.”

The trainer gave me a nod but still looked annoyed.

I turned to Charlie to glare, but he gave me a wink that made glaring impossible. Because uh-oh… something about the intimate wink didthingsto my stomach. I cleared my throat and looked away.

What the hell was that?

I cleared my throat again and decided it wasn’t anything more than hunger, making my stomach growly.

When we finally got off work and the four of us were walking to our cars, my mom texted.

Scott and I are hungry for Godfather’s. Does pizza work for you for dinner?

“Dammit,” I whined, putting my phone into my pocket as instant dread filled me at the thought of more forced proximity. “He’s already over at my house.”

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