Life in the No-Dating Zone Read online

  There was a woman filling her drink ahead of me, so I had a chance to look back at the table. Amy had plopped down on my side of the booth and Nyssa leaned closer to Claire, who was, as usual, gesturing as she talked. She could take somebody’s head off with those moves.

  The woman in front of me left and I filled Claire’s half-empty cup with Sprite. I hoped her story was good. The last thing I needed was word to get around that Claire and I were dating or something.

  “Number two-sixteen, two-sixteen,” the counter guy said.

  And not so strangely, that reminded me of the time. I pulled out my phone. Almost one o’clock. I had to pick up my brothers from judo by one thirty and I had to take Claire home first. Time to end the girl gossip session.

  When I reached the table, Amy stood up. “We’d better get our food. Talk to y’all later.”

  Nyssa smiled at me as they turned to leave. “See ya.”

  “Bye,” I said, then almost laughed because that was the only word I’d said to either of them. I sat and handed Claire her drink. “So?”

  “You’ll be happy to know you still have a stalker.”

  “Really? Really? That’s supposed to make me happy?”

  Claire sipped her drink, the lips around her straw trying not to smile. “A stalker who thinks you have a secret crush.”

  She was driving me insane. “What the heck did you tell them?”

  “You and I are not dating.” She batted her eyelashes at me.

  “Cute. What else?”

  “That I didn’t know if you were interested in Nyssa, but I was pretty sure you had a secret crush.”

  “Oh. That’s not so bad I guess. She should back off now, right?”

  “Not if she thinks she’s the crush.”

  For a second, I didn’t get what she’d said. Then it sank in and my voice came out in almost a hiss. “You told her I had a crush on her?”

  “Not in so many words.”

  “Then why do you think—”

  “It was the way I said it. She’ll either think you have a crush on her or on someone else, but either way, she’s relieved. You and I aren’t dating, so she still has a chance.”

  “So if she can get me interested before I get my secret crush interested, it’s a win-win?”

  “Basically.”

  “Girls are mind-boggling.”

  Claire dropped her neatly folded trash into her food sack. “We try.”

  I wrapped up the rest of my food to take home. “Let’s go. We need to discuss your favorite method of dying because I’m going to kill you. Just so you know.”

  She grinned. “You’re welcome.”

  I had a sudden urge to pin her to the floor and hold her down for the count. Anything to quit feeling like Claire always had the upper hand.

  Twelve

  Claire

  This had better work. It was the first time I wouldn’t be there to help Gray if he failed while talking to Lindsey. But it had to happen sometime. He strode across the grocery store parking lot to where Lindsey was wheeling her cart. They both stopped. It looked like Lindsey was talking, but I couldn’t be sure.

  I picked up my binoculars. Gray didn’t know I’d brought them and I wasn’t about to tell him. It would’ve made him more nervous than he already was. As I suspected, Lindsey talked and Gray nodded. He shifted from one foot to the other and had his thumbs in his belt loops. Better than fainting, I guess.

  Come on, offer to help with the groceries. Nothing. Don’t just stand there! Say something! Wait. Was that a mouth movement? Was he actually talking? Good job, Gray, keep it up. Lindsey motioned to her cart. I couldn’t read lips, but I imagined the conversation went something like this:

  L: Gotta go. I need to get home before the ice cream melts.

  G: Oh, right. Want any help?

  L: With the groceries? Sure. C’mon, my car’s over this way.

  But if Gray’s hormones kicked in, it might sound something like:

  L: Gotta go. I need to get home before the ice cream melts.

  G: If it’s around you, it’s already melted.

  L: Oh, Gray, that’s so sweet.

  Or not. I laughed out loud in the confines of Gray’s Toyota Corolla. Oops. They’d moved on to Lindsey’s mom’s SUV. Pay attention, Claire. He was helping her put the bags in the back. All right. Everything was going perfectly. He closed the hatch. Said something and took hold of her grocery cart. Oh, nice touch. Offer to take the cart to the return for her. She smiled and squeezed his forearm. Good. When Lindsey flirted, it always included touching.

  They parted, with Lindsey going to the driver’s door and Gray pushing the cart away. I set the binoculars in my lap. Okay, another successful meeting. I had to figure out a way for them to spend more than just two minutes together at a time. And I only had about four more days before Adam came back.

  At least, that’s how long he was supposed to be gone. Lindsey said he might have to stay away longer. Logic said I couldn’t get Lindsey interested in Gray in such a short amount of time—especially with him being so shy around her. But I was determined to try. Maybe it would set the foundation for something to happen once school started.

  Gray sauntered toward the car like he was king of the world. Good. The more confidence he built up, the better. Hold on. I yanked up the binoculars. Amy and Nyssa had appeared almost out of nowhere and stopped him. As usual, he looked like a wild animal preparing to bolt.

  C’mon. Just tell them you have to get home to take care of your brothers. He shook his head, but Amy laughed and hooked her elbow through his. Nyssa took his other elbow, and then the three of them headed toward the grocery store. What the heck?

  What were they up to? Stupid question, Claire. They were trying to get Gray to spend time with Nyssa. Had they actually followed us here this morning? If so, it’d probably been Amy’s idea. And if they had, then they knew Gray had picked me up and they’d probably seen his entire interaction with Lindsey. Which meant they’d realize she was his secret crush. Which also meant Nyssa would be even more encouraged, because Lindsey already had Adam.

  But maybe they hadn’t followed us. Maybe it was all a coincidence. Right. How often did teenagers run into each other in the grocery store parking lot? Well, it didn’t matter now. They were here. I should probably go inside and rescue him. I wound the cord around the binoculars and dropped them in my purse. Maybe a text would be better. I yanked out my phone.

  How’s it going? I typed out. It seemed harmless enough that if the girls saw it—if he was stupid enough to let them see—they’d think I was just saying hi. With any luck, he’d use the text as an excuse to leave.

  A minute went by. Then another. I scratched the back of my neck. Shifted in my seat. How much time should I give him to respond? If he didn’t answer my text, did it mean he had it under control and didn’t need to? Or could it mean the girls still had control of his arms? Ha. Gray’s problem, besides being shy, was he was too nice. He probably didn’t want to be rude to Amy and Nyssa.

  I didn’t want to be rude either, but I also didn’t want them to walk all over him. I got out of the car. Claire to the rescue! I didn’t know what I was going to say. I’d just have to figure it out once I got there.

  Thirteen

  Gray

  Amy and Nyssa hung on to me as if they were afraid I might try to escape. Pretty smart of them. We stood in front of the doughnut display counter, a warm sugary-cinnamon smell battling with Nyssa’s perfume for dominance. Too bad the perfume was winning.

  “So,” Amy said, “what do you think?”

  “About what?” I didn’t look at her, just stared at the doughnuts. Chocolate iced, with and without sprinkles, glazed, powdered—amazing there were still so many doughnuts in the case at almost eleven in the morning.

  “What would you like?” Nyssa said. “My treat.”

  Oh great. Now she wanted to buy me something. “I don’t need anything. Really. But thanks.”

  “No, seriously,” sh
e said. “Amy and I came to get doughnuts. I’m happy to get you one too.”

  My phone buzzed in my shorts pocket. Probably Claire. But neither Amy nor Nyssa seemed to have heard. “Uh, hang on. Just got a text.”

  I started to wriggle my arm free, but Amy held on. “It can wait. Let’s get your order first.”

  This was getting irritating. “I—”

  “Anything you want,” Nyssa said and smiled. Her black curls moved with almost a life of their own. Was she standing in a draft? She really was a nice-looking girl. Too bad I wasn’t interested.

  Just make a decision and get it over with. “A cinnamon roll, I guess.”

  “Great!” Nyssa said.

  Amy released me and moved toward the counter to order, but Nyssa still held on. “This is fun, isn’t it? I’m so glad we ran into you.”

  Yeah, that seemed to be happening a lot lately. Was she turning into a real stalker? That would be seriously creepy. Amy swung back around. “How many glazed, Nyssa?”

  “Three.” She edged forward, taking me with her. I stared back across the grocery store. Could I create some kind of distraction? Anyone I knew I could talk to? I needed to get out of there. Mrs. Nealey was going to bust an artery if I didn’t pick up Travis and Marcus on time. And I only had about twenty-five minutes left. But I’d let myself be dragged into this situation and all I could do now was wait it out.

  Two gray-haired ladies in tennis dresses talked next to tables decked out with cookies, cupcakes, and loaves of bread from the bakery. Behind them, the produce section was busy with people selecting fruits and vegetables while employees scuttled through with carts of fresh stuff. I didn’t know anybody here.

  I was just turning back when a sudden movement caught my attention. At first I didn’t see anyone, but then I noticed a small hunched figure on the floor near the oranges stand. It was Claire, squatting down as though she were tying her shoe. Only she was wearing sandals. I coughed to hide my laugh. What was she doing? Trying to sneak up on us?

  She stood, then looked around slowly like she was waiting for a bus and was bored to death. When she saw me watching her, she raised her eyebrows and pointed at the girls behind me. I glanced at Amy and Nyssa, but they were still ordering doughnuts and probably hadn’t seen her. Not yet anyway.

  Claire pointed toward the front of the grocery store. She moved her lips exaggeratedly, but I had no clue what she was saying. I shook my head and frowned, hoping she could tell I didn’t understand. She sagged her shoulders like she was sighing. The laughter I’d been fighting almost broke out again, so I cleared my throat.

  Why the heck didn’t she just come over to us? It wasn’t that big of a deal. She could just let loose one of her famous explanations and— That must be it. She couldn’t think of a story to tell them. That was a first.

  She gestured toward the store’s exit again. I shook my head. She pressed her palm to her forehead as though I were a complete idiot. I smiled. I couldn’t help it. The whole situation was crazy. But Claire was still trying to get me to understand. In a sudden, wild move she motioned hard to the left. Her arm connected with the biceps of a guy carrying a container full of limes, which hit the floor with an awesome racket. Limes rolled everywhere. I burst out laughing.

  “What happened?” Nyssa asked.

  I pulled my arm out from under hers. “Claire needs a little help.”

  “Claire?”

  People scrambled around picking up limes. I joined them. Claire’s face burned bright red. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean— It was an accident. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right, miss,” the guy said, scooping up the limes nearest him. “Don’t worry.”

  I slid in closer to Claire, who was on her hands and knees. “Nice one,” I whispered.

  “Shut up,” she whispered back.

  I chuckled. “At least you didn’t hit him in the face.”

  She dropped two more limes in the container. “Stop laughing. It’s not funny.”

  “Sorry, but it is. It really, really is.”

  Her lips quirked into a smile, but she forced it away. “Just help me pick these up.”

  I found one more underneath the oranges display, but with all the people chatting and lime chasing, the job was pretty much done. I helped Claire to her feet, surprised by how tightly she gripped my hand. Maybe she was more upset than she looked.

  “Again,” she said to the man, “I’m so, so sorry.”

  He smiled. “It’s okay, really.” He moved on, giving Claire a wide berth.

  “So, Claire,” Amy said, “shopping for limes?”

  Whoa. Snarky much? We turned. Amy carried a box of doughnuts and a mocking smile.

  “Yes, actually,” Claire said. “My dad wanted them.”

  “Limes,” Amy said as though she didn’t believe her.

  “Yeah, he loves them. He uses them in his limeade and his tea and his … beer.”

  Okay. Close to rambling now. I should probably bring this show to a close. “Well, I’ll leave you to your lime shopping. I need to pick up my brothers.”

  Nyssa offered me a bag. “Don’t forget your cinnamon roll.”

  “Hey, thanks a lot. See y’all later.” I stared hard at Claire for a second to make sure she understood I’d be waiting in the car. She’d drawn her brows together in a thinking frown. I hoped she got it because I really couldn’t wait long.

  I headed out.

  “Bye!” the girls called, but I was pretty sure Claire’s voice wasn’t among them. I waved.

  Once in the car I cranked the AC to combat the oven-like heat and checked the time. I had eighteen minutes. Plenty of time if Claire could get there fast. Just then, Amy and Nyssa came out of the store and looked around. I slumped down in my seat. Could they possibly know what kind of car I drove? They headed across the parking lot. Toward me. I’d parked pretty far away, but if they kept going they were going to see me.

  Fourteen

  Gray

  What could I say if they came over? I was supposed to be in a hurry. I slumped down farther in the driver’s seat. Right, Gray. Like they’re not going to notice a driverless car idling in the parking lot. There was only one thing to do. I’d have to leave, then come back and pick up Claire.

  But just as I was about to put the car in first gear, the girls veered off toward a different row. Whew. I slid the shift into neutral. Then took out my toy pull-back-and-go car and let it spin.

  C’mon, Claire, get out here.

  And, as if responding to my Jedi summons, Claire came out of the store, swinging a plastic grocery sack. A dark blue Ford honked as it drove by and she waved. Man, I hoped that was Amy and Nyssa. It’d be better if they didn’t see where she went. She speed-walked to my car and got in.

  For half a second we just stared at each other, then we both busted out laughing. And Claire’s laugh didn’t match her petite body. No delicate, feminine laugh for her. Instead, it was a loud, belly-clinching sound. Which only made me laugh harder.

  “Guess your dad really likes limes,” I said, once the laughter had drifted away.

  She held up the bag. “He’d better. I bought twenty of them ’cause I felt so guilty.”

  I suddenly realized I was sitting there with a toy car in between my fingers. No sudden moves, Gray. Just slide it into your pocket. Yup. Almost there. And—

  “What’s with the tiny car?” Claire asked.

  Great. So much for stealth. “Nothing.”

  “I’ve seen you play with it before.”

  I put the real car in gear and drove out of the parking lot. “It helps me think.”

  “Oh.”

  She inhaled sharply like she was about launch into questions. But I felt stupid enough as it was. New subject. “That was absolutely crazy. Why didn’t you come over to us?”

  “Because I couldn’t think of anything to say.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  She covered her glasses with her hands for a couple of seconds. “I c
an’t believe that whole thing happened. Everything had been so perfect. Why did you let them take you into the store, anyway?”

  “What was I going to do, yank my arms away? They just wanted to buy me a doughnut.” I motioned to the small bag on the cup holder. “Want some cinnamon roll?”

  “Yes.” She grabbed the bag and ripped off a chunk from the pastry. “Watch the road.”

  “I am. Didn’t you eat breakfast?”

  “Yeah, but something about covert operations makes me ravenous.”

  I laughed. “Covert operations? What, are we spies now?”

  “And that’s another thing,” she said through a mouthful, “who goes to the grocery store to buy doughnuts? Why not Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts?”

  “Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” I said in my best Claire imitation, which was a high-pitched girly voice.

  “Ha, ha. No, really. They must have seen you and made that story up.”

  I stopped at a red light. “You don’t think they followed us this morning, do you?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. They probably had your house staked out.”

  “They couldn’t have. It’s too insane.”

  “I don’t know. I wouldn’t put it past Amy.”

  The light changed and I drove on. “Yeah, she does seem kind of psycho.”

  We drove in silence for a couple more minutes, Claire happily eating most of my cinnamon roll. “Ugh,” she said, “now I’m thirsty.”

  I pointed to a can of Coke from yesterday. “I think there’s some left of that.”

  “Eww. No, thanks. We’re almost to my house—I can survive until then. Tell me about talking to Lindsey.”

  “I oozed charm.”

  She laughed. “No, really. It looked like you had a little trouble at first.”

  I turned the car onto Claire’s street. “Of course I did. I mean, she’s Lindsey Taylor.”

  “The most intimidating girl in town.”