FIFTEEN
Annie
Nico isin a very good mood. Frankly, it’s extremely unbecoming to conduct oneself in such a manner at this hour.
“Get dressed, honey,” he said, after pounding on the front door at eight o’clock in the morning and all but knocking me over the second I opened it. “We’re havin’ some fuckin’ fun today.”
Now I’m sitting in the front seat of the car, all the windows rolled down, the cool, sweet Durham air blowing in, and some horrible classic rock blasting over the speakers. Nico periodically grins over at me.
It puts me on edge. I feel a little terrible. The fact he’sthisthrilled after someone stood up for him to some yogurt-faced nobody? ThatIused to be as shitty to him as that yogurt-faced nobody?
But he ruined my life. Sister Annie exists because of him, because of what he started twelve, thirteen years ago. But then,tone down the nastiness, Sister Annie says.Also,she continues, and I want to smack her,you cannot renounce your vows for your hot enemy who hugged you while you cried, even if he’d fill you right up with that monstrosity you rubbed on.I shakemy head. How many days is this bitch gonna be around? I count down. Four more days.
Four more days where you’ll just have to make do with oldNakedReactionsvideos.
I burrow deeper into his sweatshirt and pull the hood up.
“We’re having ice cream for breakfast,” he tells me as he parks the car in front of a modern-looking restaurant.
I look up at the sign. “Didn’t you go here last night?”
“Nope,” he says cheerfully. “Didn’t make it.”
He’s out of the car before I can ask him about it further, opening my door in the next second. He takes my hand and draws me out of the car. I am elated but refrain from telling him so.
“The restaurant doesn’t open until lunch,” he tells me, squeezing my fingers once. “Sister Annie is safe here.” He moves to the trunk and pulls out a medium-sized box. “Let’s go.”
I follow him in.
“Nico!” A beautiful, curvaceous Asian woman with a topknot walks towards us from the back. Goddamnit, the universe istemptingme today.
“Hey, baby!” Nico shouts at her. I ignore the pull in my stomach at the use of the nickname. I eye the two of them while he puts the box down and wraps her in his gorilla arms. Every gorgeous woman I see this Mathletes Captain embracing really has me reconsidering everything I know about the natural world and its laws.
“Honey, meet Michelle de la Cruz,” Nico says, and I realize with a start he’s referring to me.That’s right, I think.You might be his baby, but I’m his honey.“Michelle and I went to Duke together. Had some science classes together. She’s the owner of this fine establishment.”
“Hey,” I say with a smile instead. “I’m Annie.” I shake her hand. I wonder momentarily if her hand’s ever been on Nico’s dick.
Michelle rakes her eyes up and down the length of my body with interest. O-kay. Maybe she hasn’t touched Nico’s dick. I stand a little straighter. I wish I weren’t wearing this massive, shapeless hoodie.
“Uh, uh, uh,” Nico scolds Michelle. He wraps a thick arm around my neck. “Mine,” he tells her.
Some internal being starts jumping and squealing and clapping its hands.Who thehellare you?I scold it.Pipe down!
But I don’t move his arm.
She throws her head back and laughs. “Welcome in, you two. Have you eaten yet?”
Nico thrusts the box towards her. “Brought you the Pacojet. Figured we could try some sorbet and mousse for breakfast.”
“Awesome,” she says. “Let’s go have some breakfast.”
“Fuck,” I groan.
Nico and Michelle stare at my mouth.
“Definitely this one. Which one is it?” I look down at the ingredients piled on the counter. “Pandan and kaffir lime?”
“Whatever the fuck it was,” Michelle mutters to Nico, “it’s going on the menu tonight.”
