How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend (11 page)

A
t first I couldn't breathe. Then I couldn't speak. I just stood there looking at him. Had he always been so tall? Had his jaw been so perfectly square before?

He shifted a toolbox that he held from one hand to the other. “Is Dante home?”

“Oh. Um. No. He's picking up Skipper, but he'll be home any minute.”

“I have some tools to return to him.”

He held out the box to me, but I didn't take it. “Did you want to wait for him to come back?”

I thought Jesse wouldn't stay and face Dante, but he stepped inside. “Sure. I probably should talk to him about the ape hangers.”

“The what?”

“The handlebars.”

Apes, hogs. I never understood what he was talking about when he lapsed into motorcycle lingo.

Jesse walked to the living room, put the toolbox on the floor, then sat down on the couch. He knew the inside of my house as well as I did, and probably the nooks and crannies of the garage better. That's where he and Dante worked on their bikes.

I sat on the love seat, crossed my legs, and ran my fingers through my hair in what I hoped was a casual, I'mover-you manner.

Jesse leaned back on the couch, putting one foot on his knee. He wore his cowboy boots, and I traced the design with my eyes.

“So . . .” He let the word drift off awkwardly, a poor opening for any conversation, then examined my face. “Are you still upset about English class?”

The question wasn't what I expected. I had already prepared myself for something generic, maybe a comment on the weather, and I blinked at him unspeaking.

“I'm not trying to be your enemy,” he said.

Well, he had a funny way of showing it, but I decided to avoid another fight. I wouldn't be the stereotypical shrill, accusing ex-girlfriend. I would show him I was above such things. I put on a smile. “It's fine. I'm not upset.”

He nodded, but I could tell he didn't believe me.

“I've moved on.” I tried to make the words light and aloof, but his nod took on an amused tilt. Did he really think he was so hard to get over?

“Well, I'm glad you're not mad at me.” He forced a grin to disappear. “So what have you been up to lately?”

“The campaign takes a lot of time, and last weekend Daphne set me up with two of her guy friends—not at the same time, of course. I mean I went out with one on Friday and one on Saturday.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Dante said you went to your grandmother's to spend time with her.”

“I did. I spent time with her while I wasn't out on one of my dates.”

“Oh.” More suspicious nodding on his part. Which ticked me off, because—really, did he not think I was hot enough to rate two dates in one weekend? Okay, so they were blind dates with guys who had probably only consented to go out with me because they thought it would win them brownie points with Daphne, but that's beside the point.

“What have you been up to?” I asked.

He shrugged his awesomely broad shoulders in an obvious attempt to make it hard for me to breathe. And I admit my lungs had one quick spasm, but after that I was able to manage a disinterested expression.

He said, “I've been working with Wilson and his friends. You know, Luke, Stacey . . . Bridget.”

“Yeah, I've seen you working with Bridget. She's about as subtle as Wilson.”

Another quick smile on his part. “What's that supposed to mean?”

He knew what it meant, so I decided to ignore the subject of Bridget altogether. “Every time I turn around, Wilson has a different girl attached to his side.”

Jesse laughed, and his voice grew soft. “I think that says more about the girls at our school than it does about Wilson.”

Yeah, it said they were stupid.

I smiled back at him. “Well, I'm glad you're happy with your campaigning decision.”

His gaze locked with mine, and his aqua blue eyes grew intense. “I will be.”

The front door opened. I expected Dante, but instead Gabby walked inside. She opened the coat closet with one hand and put her briefcase inside with the other, then she turned back to us and sent a glare in Jesse's direction. “Jesse. I thought I recognized your bike out front.”

“I came over to return some tools to Dante,” he said.

Gabby's gaze swept across the living room. “Then where is Dante?”

“He's not back with Skipper yet,” I said. “That's why Jesse is waiting for him.”

Gabby twisted her lips into a disbelieving grimace. “How convenient. I come home early and find you here alone with your boyfriend. You just don't think rules apply to you.”

I blushed. I hated her, but I didn't say another word.

She put one hand on her hip. “We'll discuss this when your father gets home. For now”—she turned to Jesse and let out a disappointed sigh—“you'd better go on home. And please don't come over to see Giovanna again until she's through being grounded.”

Jesse opened his mouth but didn't speak. He glanced at me, I guess to see my reaction. Maybe he was surprised I didn't correct Gabby about his being my boyfriend. To admit that, however, was to let Gabby know she'd grounded me for three weeks for nothing.

Jesse stood up and said a quiet “Yes, ma'am,” to Gabby. Then he looked from the toolbox to me. “So you'll tell Dante I came by?”

I nodded and stood up to walk him to the door, but just then Dante and Skipper came inside. Skipper let out a squeal of joy and, with her arms up, rushed to Gabby. “Mommy's home!”

Gabby gave her a quick hug, then set her back down. “Yes, Mommy is home early today, and it's a good thing too, because apparently I needed to be here.” She shot me another one of her We'll-discuss-this-later looks, then turned and walked to the kitchen, shaking her head as she went.

Jesse nodded in Dante's direction. “I just stopped by to return your tools.”

“Oh.” Dante glanced at the toolbox. “Thanks.” Then nothing more. An awkward silence filled the room.

Skipper stared up at Jesse with her head tilted. Her pig-tails looked like crooked antennae. “You don't look like you've been crying.”

“What?” he asked.

“Dante said you were a sob.”

Immediately, Dante scooped up Skipper and flung her over one shoulder. “Let's go find Mommy.”

Dante gave Jesse a hurried, “See ya,” then headed to the kitchen, calling, “Hey Mom, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Jesse watched them go, then folded his arms. “So what was that all about?”

“I have no idea.”

“Dante called me an S.O.B., didn't he?”

I didn't want to look at Jesse but found myself meeting his eyes anyway. “You can't blame him. You and Wilson are trying to ruin his party.”

Jesse let out a sigh and walked to the door. “I'm going to be so glad when this election is over and things go back to normal.”

As if they would.

Jesse put his hand on the doorknob, then paused and turned back to me. “Do you want me to talk to Gabby for you? You know, explain to her that I really did come by to see Dante.”

“She wouldn't believe you,” I said.

He paused for another moment. I waited for him to ask me why I hadn't told Gabby about our breakup, but instead he said, “Ironic that she's mad at you for this afternoon and not for going out with two different guys last weekend.”

“What she doesn't know won't hurt me.”

He leaned against the doorway. His eyes took on a mischievous glint. “I could tell her.”

“You wouldn't dare.”

He looked upward, as though considering the situation. “It would keep you from going out again. And even though you broke up with me, I just might be the jealous type who can't get over you.”

“Yeah, I could tell that by the way you never take your eyes off of Bridget at school.”

He smiled. “We're not talking about Bridget.”

“I mentioned her name. You mentioned her name. That means we're talking about her.”

His gaze moved to mine, and his voice dropped to a soft murmur. “I could blackmail you, you know. Something along the lines of you doing my bidding or I tell your stepmom everything.”

I smiled back to show him I wasn't afraid. “Don't even think about it.”

“How can I help thinking about it? There are so many things I could bid you to do.” He rubbed his hand against his chin, still considering me with teasing eyes. “I have a vivid imagination, you know.”

Yeah, I bet. He'd probably make me campaign for Wilson.

Jesse took a step toward me, his gaze intense. I caught the scent of his cologne. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

He was doing this on purpose—making me want to throw my arms around him, even though we were rivals now. It must have seemed funny to him, how easily he could maneuver my emotions. Perhaps he was taking girl-melting lessons from Wilson.

I moved closer to the door. “You need to go. If Gabby comes out and finds you here, she'll yell at me again.”

He didn't budge. The teasing left his expression, but the intensity remained. “Promise me you won't go out again while you're grounded.”

Why? I stared at him, trying to figure it out. I mean, despite this episode of flirting, I knew he didn't want me back. You don't ignore someone for eleven days—and yes, I'd been counting—if you wanted a reconciliation. You didn't tote around Bridget like she was some sort of fashion accessory if you had second thoughts.

I tried to read his intentions from his eyes. “Why do you care whether I obey Gabby or not?”

He gave me a crooked smile. “Blackmailers never explain their thinking. They're like pirates that way. Dark-hearted, dangerous—and cool like Johnny Depp.”

I was not about to admit to him that he was right about that last part. Instead I peered over at the kitchen door. “If you don't go, you're going to get me in more trouble.”

“All the more reason for you to agree to my terms.”

“I can't. I already have plans for next weekend.”

One of Jesse's eyebrows shot up. “Besides Dante's party?”

“Yes. I have another date with a guy from Swain.”

He held one hand up, then dropped it in frustration. “You're out of control, Giovanna. You didn't go out this much when we were dating. I really should tell Gabby.”

I didn't answer him. I folded my arms, and the two of us stood staring at each other in the doorway. “I'm going to tell her,” he said. “One last chance to do my bidding.”

I waited and didn't speak.

We stood there for another moment, then he let out a sigh and shook his head. “All right. You know me too well. I'm not dark-hearted or dangerous, and I guess I don't have it in me to blackmail you.” He walked out the door, but then turned back around while he was still on the front step. “Don't let Daphne set you up too much, though. You know her judgment isn't the best.”

This from the guy who was friends with Wilson and his minions of popularity. “What do you mean by that?”

“Remember that concert in Houston? She convinced the rest of you she could drive there. What part of the boondocks did you all end up at?”

I refused to concede the point. “Anyone can take a wrong turn off the freeway.”

“How about that time she wanted to form a band?”

“It's not Daphne's fault the rest of us can't sing. The police probably wouldn't have kicked us off that street corner if we'd had better rhythm.”

“Right. So don't trust her judgment, or who knows what will happen.” He turned away from me and walked out to his motorcycle.

I shut the door, but somehow I couldn't pull myself away from the window until his bike had turned the corner.

When I finally walked into the kitchen, Dante sat alone at the table, popping Fritos into his mouth. He smiled when he saw me. “Gabby okayed the party.”

I had known he had wanted something from her when he called her “Mom.” She always transforms into “Mom” when Dante is about to ask her for something.

I pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. “I thought you were going to wait until she was in a good mood to ask her about the party. What happened to all of that I'll-ask-her-when-the-time-is-right stuff?”

He flipped another Frito into his mouth. “The time was right. When she's angry with you, she always bends over backward to be nice to me. It's like she has to prove to herself that she really is a good parent even though she comes down so hard on you.” He held both his hands out. “I'm happy to oblige her.”

I had taken a drink as he explained this, and now I nearly choked on it. I coughed and held my throat, trying to breathe. “You . . . you've been using my problems for your own advantage?”

He shrugged. “Someone should get some benefit out of Gabby's tirades.”

I waved my hand in the direction of the living room. “I got in trouble because Jesse came to see you. You could have stood up for me. You could have told her she was wrong.”

“But then we wouldn't be having a party on Saturday.”

I slammed my glass down on the counter so hard that half the water splashed over the edges. “That's it, I quit, Dante. Find yourself another campaign manager. In fact, I'm voting for Wilson, because at least the people he uses are just miscellaneous groupies and not his twin sister.”

Dante sighed and rolled his eyes. “There you go, getting all emotional again.” He probably said more. I didn't hear it, because before he'd finished, I was halfway to my room.