Falling Into You (Geek to Chic) (23 page)

“Again, I
think you need to tell your inner teenage nerd to calm down and enjoy what he
became.”
 
She paused in thought.
 
“You know what your problem is Derek?”

That caught
his attention.
 
“And what is my problem?”

“You haven’t
realized that this stuff,” she waved her hands around the room, “is now
considered cool.
 
Haven’t you heard of
geek chic?
 
Well, that is what you are.
 
Look at you, you look like a Greek God and
you have the intelligence of Einstein. Plus, you don’t have the ego to go with
that package.
 
Which makes you one
incredible sexy man.”
 
During her naughty
camp counselor self-esteem raising speech, Roni had stalked closer to him.
 
She was now toe to toe with him.
 
She looked into his eyes. “In case you
haven’t noticed a lot of people think you are great, including me.”
 

Derek smiled
down at her, pulling her into his embrace. “I have to say that I liked your
speech.
 
However, I do have the ego.
 
At least when it comes to my computer skills.
 
I am the best at what I do, it is the rest of
life I am still working on.”
  

“I have a
great idea.
 
Let’s spend the rest of the
day cuddled on the couch watching all of the Star Wars movies.”
 
Roni said, clapping her hands to his chest,
bouncing on her heels.
 
She was
adorable.
 
How could he say no?

“Sounds like a
great way to spend the day.
 
I will grab
the movies, you go grab some pillows and snacks.
 
We can order in later.”
 
He had more work he should finish today, but
for the first time in a decade, he was going to blow off work to spend the day
relaxing.
 

“Oh, this is
going to be fun!”
 
Roni kissed his cheek
before bouncing out of the room in search of movie supplies.
 

Minutes later
they were snuggled together on the couch under blankets with Episode I, playing
on the TV.
 
Derek was surprised to see,
just how excited she was to watch these movies.
 
Clearly she was not doing this to appease him or make him feel
better.
 
No, Roni was repeating the lines
in time with the characters which told him inside the blonde bombshell was a diehard
Star Wars fan.
 
Derek liked her even more
in that moment if that was at all possible.

Roni awoke
Monday morning with the biggest smile on her face.
 
After the Star Wars marathon yesterday she
had reluctantly gone home for the night.
 
Even though Derek insisted she could stay, she had to come home.
 
After all, she couldn’t wear her jammies to
work, and that was all she had at Derek’s house.
 

Roni
stretched, feeling sore in all the right places, then looked at the clock.
Perfect!
She had set her alarm extra
early wanting to beat Derek to the office to surprise him with breakfast.
  
She bounced out of bed.
 
It was amazing what a day of Star Wars and
great sex could do to a person’s mood.
 
Rushing through her shower and morning beauty routine she was out the
door in under an hour.
 

She pulled
into the Starbucks parking lot.
 
She
smiled to herself.
 
Oh where it all began.
Pulled the door of the café open with one
hand, and searched in her purse for her chirping cell phone with the other.
 
As always, she was not paying attention to
the world around her and ran into the back of the person in line in front of
her.
 
“Oh, I am so sorry.”
 
A statement that she uttered at least a
hundred times a day it seemed.
 
Looking
up she realized she had wasted the apology.
 

“Clumsy Barbie
strikes again.”
 
Alex spoke with
laughter.

“Good morning
Super Asshole.
 
How are you this fine
morning?”
 
She retaliated.
 

He placed his
hand over his heart in mock shock. “Such foul language so early in the morning.
 
Don’t you know the unspoken rule of cursing
is no bad words before coffee?”

She
laughed.
 
“I bet you break that rule
every morning.”
 
Her phone chirped.

“Not every
morning, but most.
 
So, since I didn’t
hear a word from Derek all day yesterday I was assuming you two kissed and made
up.”
 
Alex said with a little eyebrow
wiggle thrown in for good measure.
 

“Yes, as a
matter of fact, II did forgive him.
 
I
think I even convinced him to act more human at work.”
 
She knew that even though her words came out
in a normal tone she was still blushing over how many times they made up.
 

Alex’s
laughter was loud and from the gut.
 
“By
the red of your cheeks, I am assuming it was a marathon make out I mean make up
session.”
 

“Wow, what are
you sixteen? A lady never kisses and tells.”
 
She quipped back.

“No problem
because guys love to kiss and tell. And embellish a little here and
there.”
 
He smiled. “Are you trying to
beat D into the office? Bribe him with coffee?”

“Yes, and
although I am not sure coffee is a bribe I will still say yes.”

“Too
late.
 
I got a text from him about an
hour ago saying he was already in the office.”
 
He smiled again.
 
She kind of
wished Izzy was with her so she could smack that smile right off of his perfect
face.
 

She looked at
her watch. “Fuck a duck.
 
It is only 6:30
in the morning what time did he get to the office?
 
I was sure I had him beat.” Again her phone
chirped at her.
 

“Again with
the cursing before coffee.
 
I may have to
speak to your boss about that mouth of yours.”
 
After that his smile fell.
 
Serious Alex, Roni already knew, was a rare occurrence.
 
Therefore, serious Alex should be taken,
well, seriously.
 
“I want to talk to you
about Friday.
 
I know you two have
talked, but I feel the need to explain Derek a little.
 
Let’s grab a coffee and sit for a few minutes
before heading into the office.”
 
He must
have seen the hesitation in her face because he added. “Please Roni.”

“Ok, but just
for a few minutes. I have a lot to do today.
 
I know the position is only temporary, but at the same time I don’t want
Jemma to be behind when she comes back.”
 
They ordered their drinks and sat down at one of the empty tables in the
back of the café.
 

Alex looked
down at his coffee for a few minutes before running his hands through his hair
in a frustrated gesture. He finally settled his hands on the table.
 
“Ok, I have known Derek since we we’re three
and I pushed him down and took his toy the first day of preschool.
 
You see, Derek has always been intense,
focused, and nerdy.
 
After I took his toy
that first day. He didn’t even try to get it back.
 
He sat on the ground not crying or telling on
me.
 
At that moment I knew he may be
nerdy but he was tough.
 
So I took him
under my wing.
 
Made sure no one else
picked on him.
 
It stayed like that
throughout high school and part of college.”
 

“Yeah, I knew
you had met in preschool, I didn’t know you met because you bullied him.”
 
Roni was wondering where Alex was going with
all of this.
 
Plus her phone had been
chirping away, alerting her to incoming texts.
 
At this hour it could only be Derek.
 

“Well, I made
him less nerdy and he made me less of an asshole.”
 
He smiled at her. He held up his hand to halt
the smart ass comment that was already on the tip of her tongue.
 
“Anyway, you see Derek has never really had
anyone in his life besides C and me. We know he works too hard.
 
We know his work is his world and have
accepted being secondary.
  
He has lived
in his work bubble for a long time Roni.
 
Friday was just an example of what happens when that bubble is
jeopardized.
 
He needs balance.
 
You are the only person I have ever seen him
let close enough to give him that balance.
 
To break that bubble and make him a real person.”
 
He once again ran his hands through his
hair.
 

“Ok Alex.
 
I know that I am not the first girl to be in
his life.
 
And I can see you are
concerned and beating around the bush about something. It is very early in the
morning and my brain is still slowly coming online.
 
How about you tell me what you are so worried
about so we can get to the office?”
 
Roni
knew she was being abrupt with Alex but she wanted to hurry this along so she
could see Derek.
 

Alex placed
his forearms on the table, clasping his hands together and leaning in.
 
“You’re right, you’re not the first girl in
his life.
 
But you’re the first girl he
has let into his life in any meaningful way. After a few months with bitchy
sorority girls in college, Derek came to believe that women only wanted him
because of money or the way he looked.
  
After that he shut the dating world off.
 
You are the first woman he has had any true interest in a long
time.”
 
Alex sighed.
 
“My point is, don’t hurt him.
 
Don’t prove to him that the world outside his
work bubble isn’t worth leaving that bubble for.”
 
Alex looked directly at her as he spoke that
last part.
 

Roni took his
hand.
 
“I am not out to hurt him.
 
I like Derek, a lot.
 
I don’t date much to be honest with you.
 
So when I do they have to be special.”
 
She tried to reassure him with a smile.
 
Her phone chirped again.
 

“I know you
are not out to hurt him.
 
And it isn’t
just him I am worried about here.
 
I know
Derek and I know he is going to do some stupid things.
 
Just try and remember he does care for you he
just doesn’t have a lot of experience with dating or love.”
 

Love?
 
Did Alex think Derek was in love with
her?
 
That thought brought a big smile to
her face.
 
And another chirp from her
phone.

“I think you
should answer those texts someone is obviously desperate to get hold of
you.”
 
He smirked.
 

Roni giggled
and nodded.
 
She pulled her phone out of
her purse.
 
Five text messages all from
Izzy not Derek.
 
This can’t be good
. Roni thought.

“Is it lover
boy wondering when you are going to get your ass into work?”
 
Alex teased.
 

“No, all the
texts are from Izzy.” His face paled at her answer.
 

He coughed.
“Well, we better get to the office.
 
Um,
thanks for listening to me about Derek.”
 
He had barely finished the sentence before he practically ran out the
door.
 

Roni sat in
her seat for a beat, wondering what the hell that was all about.
 
Then is dawned on her that Izzy hadn’t been
home last night when she arrived back from Derek’s.
 
She had been living up to her bet to cook
Alex dinner.
 
That was when she
simultaneously realized two things, she had unintentionally reneged on her deal
to make Derek dinner and Izzy must be pissed off at Alex to be texting her so
early.
 
“Hey Neanderthal!”
 
Roni yelled after Alex.
 
She ran to catch up with him.
 
“Would you like to explain to me why Izzy is
texting me so early? She made you dinner last night.
 
So what did your Neanderthal brain get your
mouth to say?
 
In other words, how big of
a mess am I cleaning up today?”
 
She was
now standing in front of him blocking his path to his car.
 
Her hands on her hips standing as tall and
menacing as she could.
 

“Now why do
you think these texts have anything to do with me?”
 
Alex drawled giving her his best innocent
look.
 
He didn’t do innocent well.
 

“Somehow I
just have a feeling this is about you and your poor manners.” Roni countered.
His boyish charm might work on ninety-nine percent of the women in the world
but not her.
 
She stood impassive waiting
for him to fess up to his poor behavior.
 

“I will have
you know I was raised with excellent manners.
 
You will just have to see what the Demon Pixie has to say.”
 
He smiled again.
 
Then he picked her up and put her down out of
his way, winking before he climbed into his car.
 

Frustrating Neanderthal!
Roni stuck her
tongue out at him.
 
He had a way of
bringing out the immature nature in anyone. He was like an annoying older
brother. As she walked to her car she glanced at her phone reading the text.

Izzy: Did you already leave for work?

Izzy: I assume that you and geek boy made
up.

Izzy: Can’t wait to hear about it.
 

Izzy: BTW Super Asshole has a new name
Supreme Douche Bag!

Roni had to
laugh at that one.
 
She wondered if Alex
would get mad if she addressed him as Supreme Douche Bag in a staff
meeting.
 

Izzy: Oh, and tell him to fuck off for good!

Roni
sighed.
 
Alex had definitely said
something very wrong last night.
 
Roni
put her phone in her purse, started her car and headed to the office.
 
She would figure out what to do about the
Supreme Douche Bag and the Demon Pixie later.
 

***

Derek was thankful
that Alex had sent him a text warning him that Roni was on her way into the
office.
 
After she left last night he did
what he always did when he couldn’t sleep, he came into the office.
 
He was still looking a little rough when Alex
had text him.
 

He ran into
the bathroom attached to his office, quickly shaved, made his hair more
presentable, brushed his teeth and changed into one of the suits he kept in the
office for these types of situations.
 
By
the time he heard a small knock on his door, he was fresh as the morning
sun.
 
“Come in.”
 

Roni breezed
into his office carrying a cup of coffee and her iPad.
 
His brain fizzled out a little bit when he
saw her.
 
She was wearing a cream v neck
sweater, with a light pink chemise under it, a gray pencil shirt and cream
stilettos. Nothing provocative, the outfit was totally office appropriate.
 
He, however, knew what was hiding
beneath.