Page 55 of Nerdy or Nice
"So whereareyou?"
"Hiding in his bathroom."
I swallowed. "Did you say hiding?" At visions of my mom hunkered down like a woman under siege, I felt my grip tighten on the phone. "So you're in trouble?"
"Iwillbe if you don't get here."
I gave Drake a nervous glance. Already, he'd sat up in bed and was eyeing me with concern. I mouthed, "My mom."
On the phone, my mom said, "I'm at this hotel on Greenbrier."
"Wait, I thought you said you were in his bathroom."
"Yeah, in the hotel. He got this room on the fourth floor, and I swear to God, I'll jump if I have to."
I practically leapt out of the bed, not caring that I was naked and disheveled. On the bed's other side, Drake was doing the same thing – except he wasn't leaping. Rather, he was moving with steady purpose around the bed and toward his briefs. As I watched, he pulled them on and moved toward his pants.
ButIcouldn’t do anything until I got off the phone. I listened as my mom told me the name of the hotel and her best guess of the room number.
I disconnected with a promise to hurry and then looked to Drake. "Can I borrow your car?" I glanced in the general direction of the parking lot. "I mean, your SUV?"
His face registered concern. "What happened?"
"It's my mom. She's in trouble, and I need to pick her up, like right now."
He frowned. "You meanweneed to pick her up." He paused. "Right?"
His unhappiness was obvious, and I spoke quickly to reassure him. "No, I mean just me. You don't have to do anything, except – if you don't mind – just hand me your keys."
Like an idiot, I was still holding my cell phone. With a sound of impatience, I tossed it onto the bed and made a beeline for my panties.
I was just yanking them on when Drake said, "Yeah, Idomind."
I stopped to stare at him. "Seriously?"
Okay, so the SUV was no beater, but in my wildest dreams, I never imagined that Drake would refuse to loan it to me in an emergency.
He replied, "Dead serious."
"But why?" I demanded.
He eyed me like the answer should've been obvious. "Because I'm going with you."
I blinked. "Sorry, what?"
"If you think I'm gonna let you go alone, you're nuts."
My shoulders sagged with relief and just a little mortification. Not only had I just assumed the worst of him, I was sorely tempted to refuse his offer. This wasmyproblem, not his. And this wasn't the worst of it.
If he came with me, what would he see?Cripes, what was he seeingnow?
Probably, I looked like a crazy person with uncombed hair and only my panties to shield myself from what was rapidly devolving into utter humiliation.
Desperately, I scanned the floor for my bra. I spotted it several feet away and rushed toward it. As I scooped it off the floor, I said, "Thanks but I can do it on my own." I stopped moving to give him a serious look. "Honestly, I don't mind."
"Yeah? WellIdo."
"Is it because of your vehicle? I mean, I know it's nice, but–"
