The Party Boy's Guide to Dating a Geek (Clumsy Cupids) by Xara X. Piper;Xanakas Vaughn Page A

in close to him. "What a great name."
    "Thanks." Fee took a long drink from one of the
    beers.
    "So, you work with Ash's brother?"
    "Uh, no, not really." Fee took another sip and
    Carley started on one of the others.
    "Fee works Mari's department," Ash supplied.
    "Yes, I work with Marisol," Fee said.
    "Who's department?" Carley asked, leaning into
    Fee.
    "Marisol's?" Fee repeated. Ash saw Carley
    shiver when Fee rolled the 'r' in her name. Ash
    flicked his leg out to kick Carley under the table,
    but Fee jumped instead.
    "Sorry. My foot slipped." Ash glared at Carley.
    Fee picked at the label on his beer bottle before
    taking another sip. "So, do you guys hang out here
    often?" he asked nervously.
    "All the time," Carley answered. "Just never this
    early."
    "You get here later?"
    "Well, the shop is open until one on Fridays,
    and cleanup takes at least an hour, so it's usually
    pretty late when I make it here. Carley pretty much
    hangs out here all night, though."
    "But you managed to get off tonight?"
    "He hopes to," Carley said.
    Ash nearly sputtered on the sip of beer he had
    taken. He shot Carley a look, but Carley just
    shrugged.
    "I don't work until tomorrow," Ash said. Carley
    shook his head and rolled his eyes. Ash looked
    around the room to avoid meeting their looks and
    saw Demian waving at them from behind the bar.
    "I think Demian needs you again."
    Fee looked that way and then turned back to
    Ash. "Please excuse me for a moment?"
    "Sure. We'll be right here," Ash said. Fee
    nodded and left, and Carley snorted. "What?" Ash
    asked.
    "You're off until tomorrow?"
    "Well, technically I am."
    "Ash."
    "Midnight does start a new day. But who cares
    about that. What do you think?" He held his breath
    while he waited for Carley's verdict.
    "He's scorching hot."
    "But?"
    "But he's different from us."
    "That's what's so intriguing about him."
    "Just be careful."
    "Careful of what?" He didn't think Fee would
    hurt him, at least not purposefully. "You see how
    nice he is."
    "Yeah, he's a sweet, innocent little puppy."
    "Maybe I need some sweet and innocent in my
    life." Ash shuddered, remembering the last few
    jerks he'd let in. Users and losers who saw what
    the world had and were pissed it wasn't theirs. Joff
    had been an angry drunk, and Theo was just an all-
    around jerk with a mean streak. Carley put a hand
    over Ash's on top of the table, as if he knew where
    Ash's thoughts were going. Ash smiled and Carley
    looked back at Fee standing near the bar. He
    sighed as Fee bent over to pick a piece of paper up
    off the floor.
    "Damn."
    "Yeah," Ash said. They were laughing when Fee
    returned to the table.
    "He just had a question. I'm sorry to interrupt
    anything." Fee was blushing as he quickly glanced
    away.
    "What?" Ash asked. Fee nodded at their hands.
    "It's not what you think," Ash said, jerking his hand
    away.
    "Ugh, with him? Please." Carley leaned back in
    his chair. "I know way too much about him to go
    there."
    "What's wrong with me?" Ash asked.
    "You're a slob. And you snore."
    "I do not snore."
    "Yes, you do. That's why Jae moved to Archie's
    room after he moved out. He could hear you
    through the walls." Ash stared at Carley, his mouth
    hanging open. Fee laughed. Carley pulled on Fee's
    arm, urging him to sit back down. "That's not even
    the worst of it," he said in a conspiratorial
    whisper. "He farts in his sleep, too."
    "Carley!"
    "It's true." Carley held one hand up.
    "Sometimes, we have to Febreze the entire
    apartment. That's why Jae, he's our other
    roommate, why Jae is always feeding him. We
    hope if we change his diet he won't gas us out of
    the place so much."
    Fee laughed and leaned back in his chair. "I had
    a roommate in college who ate nothing but cheese
    pizza. His were the worst."
    "I don't fart." Ash pouted, horrified Carley
    would bring something like that up. Fee leaned
    forward and put a hand on his arm.
    "Hey, we all do it," he said, and Ash smiled at
    him. "Except me, of course."
    "Jerk." Ash