So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(26)

“I thought you and Kira were having dinner tonight.” I glanced back to see that Chloe was still at the register, talking to Jenn Duarte. Huh. Didn’t know she worked here. After a quick chat, Chloe headed off to the Self-help section.

“We are,” Joel said as I looked back at him. “But she was running late, so I’m just going to meet her at the restaurant.” He tilted his chin toward the registers. “Check out?”

I wondered if Kira and Izzie were with Leona as I crossed the patterned carpet. When we got to the register, Joel set the books down with a thud. Jenn smiled her hello, her short brown hair tucked behind her ears. Then she began unstacking the books to ring them up.

“So what are you doing here?” Joel asked me. “I saw your ex-boyfriend at school today. Thought maybe he was in town to see you. You two back together?”

My lips parted, but no response came to me. Even though I’d just spent the last few hours making out with Aiden, I knew we were no closer to being back together. What was happening to my self-worth? Oprah would be ashamed! My eyes began to water.

“Oh, shit. Did I say something wrong?” Joel reached over to touch my wrist. I batted my eyes, trying to contain my tears. It seemed like I’d been crying more often than not these days.

“No,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m fine.” But I wasn’t. I felt…sort of trashy.

“Here,” Joel said, leading me by the elbow over to the café. Books temporarily forgotten, I let him lead me forward over the cups and croissants embroidered in the carpet.

We stopped at a bar-height table, and Joel pulled the stool out for me, its legs screeching on the wood floor.

“Stay here,” he said, looking worried.

I glanced out into the store but didn’t see Chloe in between the stacks of books. She’d probably left, which meant I’d failed my mission. My spying capabilities had obviously gotten a little rusty. I sighed heavily and took a napkin from the table. I shredded it quickly, only to put it back together as a mini-pom-pom. I sniffled. I missed cheering!

I tried to control the new flood of tears that had begun to wash over me, but before I knew it, something frosty nudged my forearm. I looked up to find a Frappuccino in front of me and a smiling Joel sitting in the other chair with a large bag full of books.

“For me?” I asked, holding up the drink.

“Yep. You looked like a Frap girl. Vanilla, right?”

I took a sip, smiling down at the calorie-laden drink. “Caramel,” I said between sips. “But this is pretty darn close.”

Joel sipped from his coffee cup and glanced around the room before looking back at me. “Do you want to talk about why you just dissolved into a blubbery mess at the register?” he asked.

“No, thank you.”

“Then we won’t. Do you want to talk about the meeting you had with the principal?”

“Ick. Not really.” I took a long sip from my drink, taking comfort in the yummy goodness of the whipped cream. I sat up straighter and met Joel’s kind stare.

Joel nodded as if truly considering something. “Fine,” he said. “Then we’ll talk about…” He paused and rubbed at his chin. “Fishing.”

I smiled. “Fishing?”

“Yeah,” he said, as if I was crazy to question the topic. “Fishing.”

“With worms and hooks?”

“So you know of it?”

I opened my mouth, trying to figure out if he was serious or teasing me. He looked completely serious—not even a smirk. “Yes, Joel. I’ve heard of fishing. Even went a few times with my dad when I was little.”

His mouth softened. “Really? Ever catch anything?”

“Not a thing.”

“Wow.” He shook his head. “You must have really sucked.”

“Be quiet!”

“It’s okay.” He laughed, reaching out to pat my hand. “I’m sure it was the fishes’ fault.”

I leaned into the hard backrest, feeling decidedly less depressed, but I crossed my arms over my chest in mock anger and narrowed my eyes. “And how about you, know-it-all? How many fish have you caught?”

Joel’s hazel eyes were amused. “Never been.”

I gasped, and he sipped at his drink like he hadn’t completely led me to believe he was a fish-catching expert. “Wow,” I mocked, running my fingertip down the condensation on my cup. “You must have been really lame as a kid.”

“Totally was,” he said without missing a beat. “Read mystery novels and taught myself to play guitar while everyone else was impaling worms on hooks. Weird, huh?”

I started laughing just as a figure came into view behind Joel’s shoulder. I gasped.

“Hey, Tess.” Aiden walked up, his hands shifted in the pockets of his khakis. “Saw you sitting over here. Wanted to say hi.”

My heart leapt from my chest as I ran my eyes over my favorite guy. “Hi,” I answered. I’d thought Aiden left for campus a while ago. Maybe he stayed for me. Maybe he missed me!

Joel extended his hand to Aiden. “Hey, man,” he said. Aiden nodded in greeting. “I should probably head out.” Joel exhaled, motioning at his seat for Aiden as he stood up. Then he faced me, his expression soft. “Thanks for the talk, Tessa,” he said. “And good luck hooking that fish.”