The Boyfriend Project Read online

  “So . . .” Avery said as she dipped an onion ring into ketchup. “You know Dot, the owner of the Shrimp Hut?”

  The Shrimp Hut was the restaurant on the beach where Avery worked on the weekends. “Yeah,” I said.

  “Her mom is having some surgery so she’s going to be out of town for a few days next week and she asked me to house-sit, take care of her cat and dogs. The cool thing is, her house is on the beach. It has three bedrooms, and she said I could have company. Interested in joining us?”

  Us? I looked at her, shifted my gaze to Fletcher, back to her. “The two of you?”

  Grinning, she nodded.

  “Your parents are okay with this?” I asked, stunned. Her dad was a cop who kept a pretty tight rein on things.

  “I’m leaving for college in six weeks. They know they need to trust me. I’m officially curfew-less. They want me to let them know when I’ll be home, but they know there is nothing I’m going to do right now that I won’t do at college.” She shrugged. “They’re letting me grow up.”

  My mom hadn’t given me a curfew in a while but I didn’t know if she’d approve if she knew Jeremy was going to be there. I suppose I didn’t have to tell her that he’d be there, although I’d felt so guilty about lying to her before that I’d confessed about our botched romantic night. Mom had just laughed and said, “Karma’s a bitch.” Now Karma was giving us a second chance with a bedroom on the beach. I couldn’t hide my excitement about that as I looked at Jeremy. “What do you think?”

  “Up to you.”

  He was always such a gentleman. Clearly he didn’t want to push me into anything and would let it be my decision. Although I did wish I heard a little more enthusiasm in his voice. “Could be loads of fun. I just don’t know if I can swing it with my mom.”

  “There’s nothing you could do there that you can’t do just as easily out by the lake,” Fletcher pointed out.

  I grimaced. “I don’t exactly tell her we go to the lake. But you’re right. I’ll talk to her.”

  “Great!” Avery said. “We’ll have a blast. It’ll probably be two or three nights. Dot’s still working out the details. I’ll let you know when I have them.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Beneath the table, I squeezed Jeremy’s hand. We were getting an all-night-alone-in-a-bedroom-together do-over. This time I was determined we would round second base and head to third. I could hardly wait.

  Chapter 2

  JEREMY

  As I walked through the door, I dropped my keys into a small bowl on a nearby narrow table that hugged the wall. I headed for the kitchen, not surprised when I heard, “You’re a little late.”

  Stopping, I turned and faced my dad. No question whatsoever that we came from the same gene pool. Same blond hair, same boring brown eyes, same unimpressive height. “After the movie, we went to B.S. for a burger.”

  “Wish you kids wouldn’t call it that.”

  My dad wished for a lot of things, mostly that he hadn’t gotten my mom pregnant when they were eighteen. I’d heard numerous times about all the challenges they’d faced working, going to college part-time, taking care of me. Opportunities lost, dreams delayed.

  “Sure that’s all you did?” he asked in his best lawyerly cross-examination voice.

  “Movie and burger.” What happened in between was none of his business even though I knew he thought it was. I’d had the responsibility lecture so many times that it was practically part of my DNA now. I pointed toward the kitchen. “I’m going to grab a water.”

  I tried to ignore the fact that my father was trailing behind me like a bloodhound on the scent of an escaped convict.

  “This girl you’re spending all your time with . . .”

  Gritting my teeth, I grabbed a bottle of spring-fed water from the fridge, slammed the door closed, leaned against it, and unscrewed the cap. “Her name—again—is Kendall, and I’m not just spending time with her. She’s my girlfriend.”

  “You’re too young to be this serious about someone. You need to be exploring possibilities.”

  Strange advice coming from someone who had insisted I work at his law firm this summer, who had decided which universities I should apply to. “What possibilities? I love her. I’m happy with her. What more is there for me to look for?”

  My dad glared. “I know you think I’m riding your ass for no good reason, but you’re going to change. What you have now may not be what you want in a few years or even a few months.”

  “Talking from experience?” I didn’t know why my parents were still together. They did nothing except pick at each other. I shoved myself away from the refrigerator and headed for the doorway.

  “Don’t take that attitude with me,” he snapped.

  I stopped only long enough to toss back at him, “Just because you’re unhappy doesn’t mean I am or will be. Kendall and I are perfect together. Get used to it.”

  I’d taken three steps when my dad barked, “Get a haircut.”

  I swung around to stare at him. “Seriously? That’s how we’re going to end this?”

  “You’re starting to look unkempt. Appearance is everything.”

  Appearance of a happy home, marriage, career. “Whatever.”

  Striding out, I suddenly wished that I owned that motorcycle Kendall had mentioned so I could go roaring away from here. But then again, that feeling was nothing new. I’d wanted to get out of here ever since I’d overheard my parents refer to me as the biggest mistake of their lives.

  Chapter 3

  KENDALL

  Lunch?

  Jeremy’s text came in as I was leaning against a tree waiting for Drifter to finish sniffing around in search of the perfect spot to do his business. The German shepherd was so fussy. His owner, Sandy Miller, was out of town for a few days so I walked and fed him while she was away. He was fine being by himself at night. And it gave me a little spending money.

  I texted back:

  Jo-Jo’s?

  Jeremy:

  C U there.

  Smiling, I slipped my phone back into my shorts pocket. Drifter had come over and was looking up at me, his tail wagging fiercely. He was always so pleased with his accomplishments. Removing a plastic bag from the other pocket of my shorts, I proceeded to clean up his mess, tossed it in a nearby trash can, and carried on along the neighborhood trail.

  Once I returned Drifter to his home, I headed off to meet Jeremy in my bright red Smart car.

  He was already in a booth at Jo-Jo’s Diner when I got there. Grinning, he slid off the bench and waited for me to join him. It was the manners thing his dad had drilled into him. When I got near, he kissed me on the cheek. Then we both settled into the booth.

  We’d eaten at the family diner often enough that we didn’t have to look at the menu. He ordered meat loaf and I went with fried chicken. While we were waiting, I reached across the table and held his hands. He was wearing a long-sleeved, buttoned, light-blue shirt and a dark blue tie. He’d loosened the tie. Made him look sexy, rebellious.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  He shrugged, smiled. “Missed you.”

  Warmth swirled through me. Even after all these months, sometimes it was difficult to believe that he loved me. His family had way more money than mine, lived in a larger house. His dad was a lawyer for Pete’s sake, which just sounded fancy. They’d taken us to a high-end restaurant for Jeremy’s birthday. He’d had to wear a sport coat. He’d looked great, but the evening was so formal and uncomfortable. I’d worried that I would use the wrong utensil or make a mistake in etiquette that would have everyone raising eyebrows at me. My mom and I liked to hang out at Cheez It Up, a pizza place with a rodent for a mascot and a carnival atmosphere. “How’s work?”

  “Same-o. Researching stuff.”

  “TV shows make it look so exciting to be a lawyer,” I said. “What if you’re bored because you really have no interest in the law?”

  He looked out the window. “My dad would be d