Investigating the Hottie (10 page)

I just shook my head.

Nic’s appearance at the game had increased my popularity exponentially. I hadn’t even made it to my locker before I was swamped with questions about Nic. Then, two girls in homeroom sat down beside me. The day before, they hadn’t even known I existed.

“So, is he a model?” the blonde asked.

“Are they engaged?” her brunette friend jumped in.

The blonde didn’t even wait for an answer. “Have they been dating long?”

The brunette tossed her hair. “Do you think he likes younger women?”

I was trying so hard to be nice. “I think they’re pretty serious.”

“But not engaged,” the blonde said. “He’s so yummy.”

Good thing she hadn’t seen him in a tux. She probably would have fainted. Of course, it wasn’t such a good look once he’d dropped biscuit crumbs all over his lap.

“He’s a bartender,” I said. “I don’t think your parents would let you date a bartender.”

“Who says they have to know?” Again with the hair tossing.

 “Well, if you’re so interested. He works at O’Reilley’s. You know that Irish bar? Since your parents don’t have to know, I’m sure you can just hang out at the bar and flirt with him.” I beamed at her.

That shut her up.

She didn’t seem happy.

But it got me thinking. I mean, if Nic or Christie dated anyone, a whole lot of top-level government guys would know. Spies didn’t have a lot of privacy in their personal lives. No wonder they were so grumpy. They kind of lived under a microscope.

Instead of taking notes in American Government, I had a whole conversation texting Lexi. Well, pretending anyway. It was pretty therapeutic. Oh my God, I was starting to sound like my mother.

Amanda:
There is something totally going on with Nic and Christie.
 

Lexi:
What about you and Will?
 

Amanda:
I don’t know. He seemed peeved with me yesterday.
 

Lexi:
Why?
 

Amanda:
I don’t know. I don’t think he wants to do this project with me. I don’t get it. He seems to like me okay.
 

Lexi:
Just okay?
 

Amanda:
I thought he at least liked me as a friend.
 

Lexi:
Just a friend?
 

Amanda:
Probably. No. I don’t know. **sigh**
 

Lexi:
But you like him?
 

Amanda:
Duh.
 

Lexi:
So reel in the hottie.
 

Amanda:
Oh sure. No problem. I have such a long history of success with hot guys.
 

Lexi:
Who cares about the past? This one’s different. You talked to him, remember? You’ve been hanging with him. It’s a whole different thing.
 

Amanda:
As if you know what you’re talking about.
 

Lexi:
Okay. Don’t take my advice if you want to graduate from high school with your only real kiss being from a third grader.
 

Amanda:
You make it sound so wrong! I was in third grade.
 

Lexi:
Whatever. And Spin the Bottle doesn’t count.
 

Amanda:
It does too.
 

Lexi:  
**loser**  No, it doesn’t. Plus, that was middle school.
 

Amanda:
**phbbbbt**  This conversation is so over.
 

Amanda:
Lexi?
 

Only I could have someone hang up on me in my own pretend conversation.

When Will and I got to the Art room, Mrs. Roberson took us to the computer lab and set us up with a program tutorial. She seemed relieved when it actually came up on the screen.

“Good. Well, there you go.” She backed away from the computer looking happier the farther she got. “It’s forty-five minutes long. I’ll check back with you later.”

“Thank you,” I called, trying not to smile. She really had offered this project as a way of bailing us out despite her technophobe tendencies.

She left us alone in a room with thirty computers. The lesson started and Will clearly didn’t want to talk. He was concentrating on the monitor, tapping his pen against the desk.

After a minute, I whispered, “This doesn’t look so bad.”

Will just grunted. He didn’t even look at me. Either he found spending time with me to be unbearable, or he suspected I was up to something. I didn’t like either option.

“Can we work on this tonight?” I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

Tap. Tap. Tap. “No. I’ve got practice, and then guitar lessons. Can’t.”

Well, I wouldn’t want him to waste any words. Did guys get PMS?

The others seemed to notice something at lunch. Will wasn’t his usual, friendly self. Jenny and Meg looked at me funny, as if trying to figure out what I’d done wrong. I pretended not to notice and spent a lot of time examining my sandwich and my Baked Lays.

Luckily, Mark’s girlfriend, Camille, had dumped him, and the other guys were giving him a hard time. He didn’t appear to care much. Camille didn’t have first lunch, but I’d seen them together a few times in the halls.

“The way you go through the ladies, you won’t have anyone left to ask to prom,” Colin joked.

“So Mark, is Camille up for grabs now?” Kyle’s blonde curls bounced when he moved. He and Mark were both hot, but nothing compared to Will, of course. I wasn’t feeling so sorry for Camille.

“Yeah, moron. Why don’t you send her some flowers.”  Mark didn’t sound so hot on the idea.

Jenny laughed. “Flowers work on Will, don’t they?”

“That’s right,” Colin said. “Your kindergarten girlfriend sends you flowers every day.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Every other day, and she doesn’t send them, she draws them.”

Meg took a moment from her salad to explain. “His neighbor’s dog dug up Will’s grandmother’s flowers, so the little girl draws them some with chalk on their sidewalk.”

“It’s cute,” Jenny said. “We’ve seen her out there before, concentrating really hard on it.”

“You’re kidding,” I said. “How long’s she been doing it?”

“Months,” Mark said, popping a ketchup-loaded fry into his mouth. I liked his hair. It was almost like short dread locks but not so messy.

“Since spring,” Will admitted. He looked embarrassed.

“Does she know she can stop now?” Jenny teased.

“We told her she didn’t need to keep doing it, but my grandmother thinks she’ll be hurt if we tell her she can’t.” Will shrugged.

“Drawing flowers with chalk is much cheaper,” Kyle said. “Maybe Camille will go for that.” He jumped up just before Mark could clobber him.

My bra started vibrating as I walked out of the school, and I ducked into a bathroom to answer my cell phone. It was Nic telling me I had an hour to kill because he was running late. Great. I hated waiting around.

So, now I had an hour to sit and think about how I’d made zero headway on this case.

I wandered outside and glanced around grateful for my jacket. Will and some of his teammates were practicing soccer on the field nearby. They weren’t allowed to have a coach there and couldn’t be officially sanctioned in the off-season, but that didn’t seem to stop them.

I’d have watched them play, but people might start to think I was in love with Will. Having him think I was stalking him would send him running from me. That would not help the investigation.

I was in luck because I saw people heading over to the football field and remembered that the junior girls were playing the senior girls in a powder puff football game. A crowd of people filed into the school fundraiser.

I walked over to the field and rummaged around in my purse for three ones to pay admission. Once again, I resolved to start putting my money in my wallet instead of cramming it into my purse. My disorganization irritated Mom.

Hoping Jenny and Meg had gone home, I found a seat in the stands on the cool concrete. The football players coached the girls from the sidelines. Some of the powder puff players had some talent. Both quarterbacks could really throw, and each team had some fast runners. The linebackers appeared formidable with all their padding and they smacked into each other pretty hard.

The crowd was really into it, but I couldn’t really concentrate. I kept thinking about how I needed to get into Will’s room soon and check out his computer setup. Nic and Christie needed that information yesterday, and now it was delayed until tomorrow. Also, I had some serious studying to do on the program manual Ms. Roberson gave me so that I could figure out what Will learned from the book and what he already knew.

The seniors scored and the crowd went wild.  

For a moment, I didn’t hear my jacket pocket ringing. Then, I made out the sound. I looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to me before pulling out the tiny silver device that was too small to be even the most hi tech phone on the market. Other than Will and his friends, and Alana, most of the students here didn’t know I existed. Apparently my popularity via Nic had worn off already. Who knew that being so completely average looking would pay off?

I flipped open the phone and said, “Hi.”

“Hey, Amanda. I’m sorry about the delay. Meet me in the parking lot by the soccer field.” Nic sounded hurried.

“I’m all the way over at the football—”

“Great, bye.” He hung up.

Well, I guess I’ll walk all the way back to the soccer fields.
I tucked my phone back in my purse, grabbed my backpack, and climbed down from the stands. I was starting to see why Nic got on Christie’s nerves. 

I trudged around the school and through the parking lot wasting more of my afternoon.

When I got close, I saw that Nic had parked and was out of his jeep talking on his cell. Great. More delays. I really wanted to crash on Christie’s couch and watch TV for a while before starting on my homework. I didn’t know if I had the endurance for all this spy stuff. I hadn’t goofed off or vegged out all week.
The things I do for my country.
I smiled. It was so cool to be able to say that and mean it. 

My brain needed some time to coast. A mindless sitcom would be just the thing. Maybe a classic
Friends
rerun. 

I walked over to the jeep and tossed in my backpack. Nic gestured for me to give him a minute.

He was a trained spy. Couldn’t he talk and drive at the same time?

Watching Nic and fighting the urge to stick my tongue out at him, I climbed up into the jeep.

Some shouts and sounds of laughter came from the direction of the soccer field, and I figured they’d finished practicing.

Too bad Nic parked facing away from the field. I flipped the sun visor down and used the mirror to watch the guys behind me.

Colin and Mark flanked Will. Mark jumped all around motioning with his hands like he was describing something. Will actually smiled. Something I hadn’t seen since the previous morning.

I looked over at Nic still talking. Some of the guys got into their cars and drove away. Maybe Nic did have a girlfriend. He’d been talking forever.

When I glanced back, I saw that they’d all left but Will. He was sitting behind the wheel of his blue Echo. I watched him pound on the steering wheel.

He climbed out with a grim expression on his face and walked to the front of the car to open the hood.

I watched him poke around for a minute but I doubted he even knew what to search for.

I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and looked over to see that Nic had finished his call. He started toward Will.

Not one to be left behind, I jumped out and went with him.

“Looks like our friend’s having some car trouble,” Nic said in a low voice.

Then, it hit me that this probably wasn’t a coincidence. I speared Nic with my probing gaze, but he avoided me and called out to Will.

“Hey, man.” Nic walked over to Will with me trailing behind. “You having some trouble?”

Will turned and gave Nic a wary look. “Yeah. Looks like it.”

“What’s it doing?” Nic leaned on the car to see under the hood.

Will shook his head. “It won’t even turn over.”

“Sounds like the battery. Or the alternator.” Nic peered at the engine. “I’m not good with cars.”

Will stared dejectedly down at the engine.

“We can give you a ride home,” Nic offered smoothly. “Then, your dad could bring you back later.”

“My mom. My dad’s not around.” He paused for a moment. “I guess so. Thanks. Let me call my mom real quick.” Will pulled out a cell phone that looked like a dinosaur compared to ours.

“Sure. We’ll be in the jeep,” Nic said and motioned for me to follow him.

A moment later, I saw Will grab his backpack out of the Echo. Nic slipped out and popped up the seat to let Will in.

Once in the back, Will said, “She didn’t answer. So I guess it’s a good thing you guys are here.”

“Maybe she’s not home yet,” I said.

“Oh, she’s home,” Will said in a knowing voice. “She just can’t hear the phone. Thanks for the ride.”

Chapter Nine

Will glanced at me and then at Nic. “I have way too much homework to do to be stuck here.”

Why couldn’t his mother hear the phone? “No kidding,” I said. I felt guilty that we’d messed with his car. I hoped Nic hadn’t done anything permanent.

“Where to?” Nic asked behind the wheel again.

“Maple Hills.” Will put his backpack and soccer bag on the seat next to him and buckled his seatbelt. His face and arms glistened from the workout and made him even hotter than usual.

I fought a sigh.

“Okay. Good practice?” Nic asked. He faced front and started the engine. I turned too wishing I could find a reason to keep ogling Will.

“Huh, yeah.” Will must have decided that he needed more of an answer. “We’ve been second in the region the last two seasons so we’re trying to get a jump start for spring.”

“You practice every day?” Nic backed out and started driving at the reasonable pace I’d been thankful for all week.

“Three days a week. Plus that demo game last night. Then, some of us go out to the intramural fields at night, like Amanda.”