Page 30 of Driftwood Daffodil

Okay, that lie might’ve been a little out there.

“What’s your name?”

Ugh, what was with the twenty questions? “I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a name?”

“Nope.”

“Uh huh,” he muttered. “So what do your parents call you?”

“I don’t have parents either.” That one wasn’t a lie.

“See,” he threw his hands up in the air. “That’s your problem right there. You can’t buy a brush if you don’t have a name.”

What? “That doesn’t make any sense.”

His brow arched, “neither does not having a name.”

Touché Mr. Greek God, touché.

“I bet you have a name now,” he said with a coy tip of his head.

Alright, that was enough.

“Let me save you some time,” I turned in my desk to look at him. “This, whatever you’re trying to do, isn’t going to happen. I don’t have daddy issues…” I totally did. “I’m not into football players or whatever you are. I’m not interested. And you smell too good.”

He really did. I’d been secretly breathing in his scent since I sat down.

“I smell too good?”

I nodded. “That’s right.”

“You’re not interested because I smell good?”

“Correct.”

“Okay,” he sat back and eyed me for a second. “What should I smell like?”

“Cheap cologne and regret.” Like all teenagers.

The smile on his face widened. “I like you.”

I practically groaned out loud. Clearly my goal was to deter him. Not egg him on. And to make matters worse the giggle from across the room was grating on my nerves like sandpaper. I had to grit my teeth against it. Evil demon Barbie even sounded like Cindy.

I didn’t realize my fists were balled until Atlee dipped his eyes down. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” I hissed while unfurling my hands. “Some people just have annoying voices.”

“Oh, I get it.” He tipped his head to glance over my shoulder. “What’d she do, fuck your boyfriend?”

“No,” I sneered. “Someone who looks like her did.”Why did I tell him that?“And she didn’t fuck him,”and why was I clarifying?“she just sucked him off.”

Seriously, god could bring on that smite anytime.

“Okay,” Atlee nodded as if he had some sudden sense of understanding. “I’ll make you a deal.”

Couldn’t wait to hear this.

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