The Boyfriend Project Read online

  “Works for me,” Avery said.

  We waited until the sun had set and the beach was completely vacated. I walked Pooh Bear while Avery led Duchess. The guys had stayed behind with the excuse of cleaning up after supper. Not that there was anything really to clean up. I figured they just knew that Avery and I wanted some time together.

  Wearing flip-flops, we walked along the water’s edge. The dogs trotted along beside us, stopping every now and then to sniff at something.

  “Guess you figured out that I invited you because you have way more patience with dogs than I do,” Avery said.

  “Hey, whatever gets me to the beach.”

  “Sorry about the two beds,” Avery said.

  “Not a problem. I’m pretty sure nothing was going to happen, anyway.” Especially since Jeremy didn’t seem to hesitate to take the twin beds.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just—” Pooh Bear pulled on the leash. I let her lead us over to the dunes. We stood there while the dogs explored.

  “You just?” Avery prodded.

  “I want something a little different from what I have.” There. I’d spilled it, had actually said it out loud and it kind of scared me that the words were now being carried on the breeze. I looked back to make sure that Jeremy wasn’t behind me, that he hadn’t heard me.

  “Are you thinking of breaking up with Jeremy?” Avery asked. “You seem so perfect together.”

  “No, not thinking of breaking up. I adore him. But he’s so cautious. We’re so cautious. You and Fletcher can’t seem to keep your hands off each other. Jeremy and I never embrace the passion. It’s like we’re afraid, worried about consequences.”

  “That’s good, though. You don’t want to make rash decisions.”

  How could I explain what was missing? “I want more romance. Running instead of walking into each other’s arms. Doing something spur-of-the-moment before I’ve had time to analyze it, to put it on a schedule.”

  She touched my arm. “I hurt your feelings about the schedule.”

  “No. Maybe a little. But that has nothing to do with Jeremy and me. I’m more upset that he was totally okay with two beds. I thought this weekend would be a chance for us to go a little further than we have.”

  “We’ll take the two beds.”

  “No, it’s not even that anymore. It’s just what it signified. He’s too nice.”

  She gave me an indulgent smile. “Kendall, that’s not really something to complain about.”

  “I know. It’s totally messed up. I’m hoping that being part of the gun show will cause him to break out of this shell of politeness, will unleash this tough competitiveness that will make him strut his stuff more.”

  “His stuff?”

  “There’s a new guy at the shelter. Chase. Jade was all over him. And she said that Jeremy wasn’t hot. It bothers me that she doesn’t realize what a catch Jeremy is.”

  “I don’t think you should worry about what Jade thinks.”

  “I know, but it’s more than that. It’s like at the B. S. when he and Fletcher were standing in line to place our order—girls talked to Fletcher. They don’t talk to Jeremy.”

  She groaned. “Fletcher knows so many girls. He’s hung out with so many girls.”

  “Jeremy just hung out with us,” I said, even though I didn’t think it mattered how many girls either of them hung out with. Hands down, Fletcher was a chick magnet.

  “Which is good, right? It’s nice that he isn’t a player.”

  “It is, but I guess I wouldn’t mind if people thought he was a player.”

  “You want people to be jealous of what you have?” she asked.

  “Sorta. Is that wrong of me? I just think we could be a little more exciting.”

  “I think you need to be careful what you wish for.”

  “That sounds like something my mom would say.”

  “Probably because it’s true.”

  Chapter 12

  JEREMY

  Standing on the balcony, resting my forearms on the railing, I watched as Kendall walked along the shoreline with Avery. She’d pulled her red hair back so it wouldn’t get tangled in the breeze. The thing was that I loved it loose, loved the way it flowed around her. I’d even be willing to comb out the tangles.

  “They’re not going to get here any faster if you watch them,” Fletcher said.

  I glanced back at him. He was sitting on a chair, sipping a root beer. The guy seemed to be addicted to the beverage. Not a bad addiction to have, I guess.

  “Maybe we should go down and meet them,” I suggested.

  “Sure.” He set the bottle aside and stood. “Let’s go.”

  We stomped down the wooden stairs. It was so peaceful here. Just the roar of the ocean. The breeze keeping the mosquitoes away. The scent of salt and brine.

  “You didn’t have any trouble getting time off from the auto shop?” I asked.

  “Nah. I didn’t really have any time off accumulated so I’ll put in extra hours the next couple of weeks. You?”

  “I had to quit my job.”

  He stopped walking and stared at me. “For a day off?”

  “Partly. There were other factors. Mostly my dad being a jerk.” I shoved my hands into my shorts pockets. “But don’t say anything to Kendall. She’s been looking forward to this weekend so much that I didn’t want to ruin it for her.” Although I may have done that, anyway, when I suggested we take the room with the two beds. She had a lousy poker face.

  “Had to be hard working for your old man,” Fletcher said.

  “His expectations weren’t mine. I got tired of it.” I wasn’t going to tell him that my dad wouldn’t even call my girlfriend by her name. “Don’t suppose they’re hiring at Smiley’s.” It was the auto shop in town where Fletcher worked.

  “You know anything about cars?”

  It made me feel unmanly to admit it, but I couldn’t lie. “I know where the gas goes.”

  Fletcher laughed.

  “I’m serious. My dad is not one to get his hands greasy. We’ve never had bonding moments of looking under the hood of a car. Tire goes flat, we call Triple-A.”

  “That’ll make it a little tough to convince Smiley to take you on.”

  “Appreciate the honest assessment. I just want to find something fast so my dad can’t hold it over me that I’m not working.”

  “Can you hammer a nail? I heard Tommy Simms’s dad is hiring.”

  “Oh, yeah? I know Tommy. Maybe I’ll talk to him.”

  “Couldn’t hurt,” Fletcher said, and he started walking again.

  I was liking the idea. Working construction could be a good thing on a couple of levels. Hauling lumber around would help beef me up.

  I fell into step beside Fletcher. “So what do you really think about this gun show thing?”

  “As long as Avery doesn’t mind, I’m okay showing off some muscle. And it’s for a great cause. Although, since I like you, I’ll go ahead and tell you that there is no way you’re going to win,” Fletcher said.

  I knew the guy was doing his usual overconfident, swaggering, I-am-totally-cool thing, but still it stung that he didn’t see me as any competition at all. With Kendall’s comments lately, now I was wondering if there was more to this contest than raising money for the shelter. Was she dissatisfied with me?

  I shook off the thought. I wasn’t going to start reading things into this contest. But my pride had me saying, “You might be surprised.”

  “Smiley’s is going to sponsor me.”

  “Sponsor you?”

  “Yeah. Smiley overheard me telling one of the other mechanics—Eric—about it. Eric’s a buff guy. I thought he might be interested. Smiley said he’ll sponsor us. Two hundred and fifty bucks each, so that’s what I’m starting with.”

  “Maybe I’ll get a sponsor, too.” Although I wasn’t sure who I’d ask. My dad wasn’t going to support something that had his son flexing muscles. My mom, maybe. She was always maki