Wrong About the Guy by Claire LaZebnik Read Free Book Online Page A

said.
    â€œHey. Were you waiting until my grandmother left to come talk to me?”
    â€œShe’s a lovely woman. I respect her enormously.”
    â€œTry waking up with her in your room.”
    â€œWords cannot express to what extent I’d rather not.”
    â€œYou get drunk enough, anything could happen.”
    â€œI’m fairly certain not that.”
    â€œThat’s the same suit jacket you were wearing last night,” I pointed out, looking him up and down. “It looks better with the matching pants. And a shirt that doesn’t clash.” The funny thing was, he looked younger in the suit than he did in his usual jeans and oxford shirts, like a teenager borrowing his dad’s clothes for a prom. I forgot sometimes that he was only a coupleof years older than I was; he felt a lot older because he was done with college already, and because he was so Georgeish.
    â€œThere’s sand in the pockets from last night,” he said. “I can’t figure out how it got there.”
    â€œLax immigration laws? You haven’t said anything about how I look.” I spun around so the ballerina skirt on my dusty-pink dress rose up slightly and then settled back down into place. “Nice, right?”
    â€œYou know what your problem is?” he said. “Low self-esteem.”
    â€œA compliment wouldn’t kill you.”
    â€œI could never flatter you as well as you flatter yourself.”
    I folded my arms over my chest with a humph. “I take back all the nice things I said about your suit.”
    â€œWhat nice things? All you said was it didn’t look as bad today as it did last night. Not that I remember asking for your opinion.”
    â€œDoes anyone help you pick out your clothing? Do you have a girlfriend?”
    â€œNot at the moment. I’m sure that shocks you. What about you?”
    â€œI have lots of girlfriends.”
    â€œThat’s not what I meant.”
    â€œOh, you mean like a girlfriend with a penis?” It’spossible the champagne was getting to me. “Nope. Never had one.”
    â€œSeriously?” His surprise seemed genuine. “I would have assumed you went through a dozen a year. Aren’t you Miss Popularity?”
    I wrinkled my nose. “I would never date in high school. It would be way too embarrassing to look back on.”
    â€œDon’t you think that depends on who you went out with?”
    â€œThere isn’t a guy in my grade who I haven’t seen asleep in class with his mouth open and drooling. Ugh.”
    â€œI hate to break it to you, but guys fall asleep in college, too. A lot.”
    â€œI’ll skip all my morning classes so I won’t have to see them.”
    Before he could respond, Jonathan and Izzy appeared at my elbow. Jonathan said, “Georgie, the manager thought I was you and wanted to know when they should serve dinner. Can you go talk to her?”
    â€œGeorgie?” I repeated with delight.
    George moaned. “I can’t believe you just gave her more ammunition to use against me.”
    â€œI would never!” I said. “I’m not like that. Georgiekins.”
    â€œI’m going to go talk to the manager,” he said,stepping back. “And then I’m throwing myself in the ocean. Tell Mom and Dad I loved them, Jonny.”
    â€œ Jonny’s not embarrassing,” I called after him as he walked away. “Not like Georgie .”
    â€œPoor Georgie,” Izzy said seriously. “He’s so sensitive.”

eight
    I spent the next two days digging my toes in the sand while I read and dozed in the sun. They went by way too quickly; I blinked and we were packing.
    I was hoping the mellow vacation vibe would stick around, but it was business as usual with George when he showed up for tutoring on Wednesday. “You’re going to take an entire practice SAT today,” he announced briskly as soon as he walked in the door.