All I've Never Wanted(33)
Adriana stomped over to him and gave him a big, healthy whack on the head.
“Jesus! What the hell?” Roman yelled, rubbing the back of his head. “What was that for?”
“You know what it’s for,” she snapped, about to give him another well-deserved slap, although he managed to evade it just in time. “God, Rome, what the hell were you thinking? Kidnapping Maya and then bringing her here and basically implying she’s a slut? You’re a total idiot!”
Roman’s face shut down as he turned back to his video game. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t bullshit me. Parker told me what happened.”
“Oh, right, Parker,” Roman said sarcastically. “Everyone believes Parker, because he’s so perfect.”
Adriana crossed her arms over her chest. “So what are you saying? That he was lying?”
Roman didn’t respond.
“That’s what I thought. And you seriously need to stop being jealous of Parker and get over yourself Rome, or you’re going to end up with no friends. Not to mention, you need to apologize to Maya.”
Roman snorted. “I’m not jealous of Parker,” he snapped. “Why would I be jealous of him?”
“Because Maya is dating him and not you.”
“So? It’s not like I would want to date someone like her anyway. I don’t even like her! Remember the party incident?”
Adriana rolled her eyes. Sometimes, she wondered why she even bothered. “Well, you’re the one who brought her to your house and basically asked her to be your girlfriend.”
Roman threw the joystick down. “I didn’t ask her to be my girlfriend, I was just giving her a way out,” he declared.
“Please. Just admit it. She intrigues you, and that’s the reason why you want her to be your girlfriend,” Adriana said knowingly. “And judging from the look of things, it seems like you lost the bet.”
Roman let out an annoyed sigh. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The bet. I said I could find a girl in Valesca who doesn’t care you’re a Fiori. That girl is Maya.”
A muscle ticked in Roman’s jaw. “That’s not true.”
“And de Nile is not just a river in Egypt,” Adriana countered. “Seriously Rome, you like her, or at least, you’re starting to like her, and we both know it. If you keep on acting like such an ass, though, you’ll never have a chance with her.”
A shadow crossed Roman’s face. “She’s dating Parker, remember?”
Adriana tensed. “Well, it’s Parker,” she said nonchalantly. “You know how he is.”
“Personally, I don’t see the attraction,” Roman muttered. “He’s a huge player. I’m richer than him. I’m better-looking than him. What does he have that I don’t?” He sounded like a petulant child.
Adriana snickered. “You’re beginning to sound like a girl.” She tossed her golden hair over her shoulder. “Besides, like you said, Parker’s a player. He and Maya probably aren’t that serious, which means you still have a chance.”
Roman eyed her suspiciously. “Why do you want us to get together so badly anyway?”
She sighed. “You really are dumb sometimes. Because you are completely insufferable right now, and you need a girl in your life to make you a little less insufferable. So far, Maya’s the best, not to mention the only, candidate for the job. That is, if you can somehow clean up this horrible mess you've made.”
“Whatever.” Roman picked up the control for his video game again. “Just so you know, I’m only intrigued by her. That doesn’t mean I like her.”’
Adriana patted him on the shoulder. “Sure. Whatever makes you sleep better at night."
* * *
“Which of these adjectives best describes her?” Roman’s assistant, Richard, read aloud from the magazine in his hand. “A. Dainty and feminine—“
“Yeah, right,” Roman snorted, toweling off his hair, which was still damp from the pool. “No.”
“—B. quiet and shy. C. friendly and outgoing, or D. stubborn and willful?”
Roman pursed his lips. “D. Definitely D.”
Richard marked off the answer. “This is the last question, Mr. Fiori.”
“I know, I know, just ask it already,” Roman said impatiently.
Richard cleared his throat. “What qualities do you admire most in a girl? A. Intelligence. B. Beauty, C. Compassion—“
“What kind of dumb quiz is this anyway?” Roman demanded. “Who would like a dumb, ugly, mean girl?”
“Well, you were the one who gave me this quiz,” Richard murmured.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing,” the assistant replied innocently. He resumed reading out loud. “Like I was saying, C. Compassion or D. Talent.”
Roman tapped his fingers on the table. “Compassion,” he finally answered. “Well? What are the results?”
“I’m looking.” Richard flipped to the back of the magazine.
“Look faster!”
Richard sighed. He’d been a loyal member of the Fioris’ staff for years, and the gig paid well, but it was times like these that he wished he actually completed business school. “I found it.” He skimmed the results, his face paling.