The Unofficial Zack Warren Fan Club by J.C. Isabella Page A

okay, Baker?”
    I nodded. “Yeah.”
    “You’ve been painting the same spot for five minutes.”
    My face went red and I moved on.
    We had half the room done with its first coat of paint, and it was late afternoon when the pizza arrived.
    I sat on the floor eating a slice; Zack sat next to me. Kirk was awake, rolling around, trying to be cute for a treat. Mom came up with a big smile plastered on her face. She had on her little overalls and a pink ball cap that said, P8ntrs R Sxy.
    “Hey, guys. Keeping cool enough?”
    Zack shrugged. “We’re surviving.”
    “The man is outside installing the new air conditioner as we speak.” She appraised the room, nodding in approval. “Nice job, you’ll be done soon.”
    We thanked her.
    She watched us, studying Zack carefully, then me. I knew the look. She was on to a scent, like Kirk when he smelled a chicken carcass in the garbage.
    “How are you doing?” she stepped further into the room.
    “Fine.” I smiled, hoping it was convincing.
    Zack nodded. “Great.”
    “Glenn and I have this strange feeling…”
    I held my breath.
    Zack tensed beside me.
    “Must have been our imaginations,” She murmured, leaving when Glenn called for her.
    “That was close.” I slouched against the bed.
    “Too close.” Zack grimaced. “We have to step it up.”
    “Great, just what we need, quality time together.” More torture, and yet, I was actually looking forward to it. This would provide the opportunity to get to know the real Zack Warren. Not the guy girls drooled over.
    “You and me, we’re going to be like this.” He held up his hand and crossed two fingers.
    I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to wrap my head around it. “I didn’t think they suspected our dislike for each other.”
    “Clearly we aren’t the only ones acting.” His cool blue gaze sent shivers down my spine. Why me? Why did my mom have to fall for his dad? Of all the single men in the produce department, she goes for Glenn Warren and his easily sunburned head. “They probably heard us calling each other by our last names. It doesn’t sound very friendly. From now on we go by first names, maybe even make up nicknames if that doesn’t work.”
    “You’ve really thought a lot about this.”
    “Steal a base or wait for a homer.”
    “You’ve always been a stealer.” I grabbed a roller and picked up where I left off. Zack didn’t move.
    And then I realized I’d said too much.
    “You watch me play?”
    “Sometimes,” I admitted, trying to sound indifferent. “Lana, my friend, is dating the second baseman.”
    “Kyle Johnston, he’s a nice guy, good choice on her part.” I heard him moving behind me and focused on the wall. “What’s this?”
    I didn’t look at him. He was less than a foot away. “Huh?”
    “You have one box unopened.”
    “Oh, that’s my computer.” I dipped the roller into the tray and dabbed off excess. “I’m not sure what to do with it.”
    He laughed. “You plug it in and turn it on, Chloe.”
    I froze at the sound of my name.
    A feeling of absolute terror rushed though me, because I liked it too much.
    “Chloe?” Zack snapped his fingers. “Hello?”
    I shook my head. “Sorry, I was thinking. Um, I don’t know how to do the whole Internet thing. I don’t have cable in here, or a phone, so I wasn’t sure. Should I ask Glenn?”
    “No.” he said firmly, looking pleased. “I’ll do it.”
    “You will?”
    “Yeah, I’ll have the house wired by tomorrow night.”
    “To blow?”
    “Funny.” He let out a deep chuckle, making my knees knock. “My dad isn’t hopeless with the technical stuff, but I prefer to take care of it. I’ve got a router. We’ll go wireless.”
    “Good, my mom is computer illiterate. If anything bad happens we’re in serious trouble.”
    Uh, and surprise much…since when was Zack into computers? The girls never raved about his smarts. Nothing intellectual ever came out of their mouths. It was nice ass, great