Vaughn brought me to one of the cafes his family owns. One step inside and I already feel out of place. This place screams luxury—and not all nerds come with that kind of packaging. He leads me to the farthest table, and I just keep my eyes down, clutching the strap of my bag while I walk. Not looking ahead, I bump into him when he suddenly stops.
Jerk! Is he not aware someone's behind him? For someone known as a nerd, he's clearly a stupid one.
He glances back at me and, once again, messes up my hair. Then he pulls out a chair and helps me sit down. This might be a heart-melting scene to some people, but honestly, all I want to do is glare at him for being so fake. I haven't said a word since earlier, and I expected him to be annoyed by now—but instead, he's being patient.
This isn't Vaughn.
What are you up to? Why are you doing this?
I keep staring at him as he moves to his seat, my thoughts spiraling. Why, Vaughn? Why now?
A waitress appears almost instantly, flashing Vaughn flirty looks and leaning way too far forward like she's modeling for a bra ad.
"Mr. Montier, what would you like for tonight?" Her tone alone makes me want to gag.
Vaughn keeps looking at the menu, then glances at me, completely ignoring the walking thirst trap next to him.
"What do you want to eat?"
I skim the menu and spot a dessert I've been craving for a while. "Dark chocolate mousse, please," I say. The waitress just stares at me like, Who the hell are you? Then she looks me up and down and snickers.
Did she really just do that?
Oh no, she did not. She did not just look at me like that. Smirking on the inside, I think, Let's see how far Vaughn will go for this nerd. I give him a pained look, and when I notice he's already watching me, I avert my gaze and look down.
I think it works—he looks ticked off.
"I'll have the frozen margarita mousse," he says coldly, then adds, "Also, report to your manager that you won't be working here anymore."
He doesn't even blink as he delivers that last line.
So that's how far Vaughn will go to impress a nerd. Cute. But honestly?
Not enough.
The waitress shoots me a death glare, bows stiffly, and walks away. People like her, the ones who look down on others, deserve what they get, especially when they mess with me.
I glance at Vaughn, still uncomfortable with his presence. "You didn't need to do that," I say softly.
He just looks at me with something that almost passes for care in his eyes.
No wonder girls throw themselves at him. His tricks are effective. If I weren't in my right mind, I'd probably fall for this crap too.
"She deserved it. A staff member who flirts with customers and disrespects others isn't worthy of working for me."
Tsk. If I didn't know better, I'd say he actually prefers staff he can manipulate. But fine. I won't ruin what's probably his plan to impress this "poor nerd."
"You don't have to worry about it," he adds, just as our orders arrive.
He glances at my dessert. "Seems like you like bittersweet things."
Trying to shift the mood, huh? Fine.
"It's just interesting how two opposite flavors can blend perfectly," I reply, taking a bite.
Wow. Okay, this is seriously good. I hate to admit it, but this café doesn't disappoint.
I'm just enjoying the mousse when I realize it's gotten too quiet. I look up—and he's just staring at me.
Okay? This jerk went from annoying to creepy real fast.
"I—I think you understand what I mean," I mumble, nodding to his dessert. "Since you ordered something with contradicting flavors too."
He just smiles and says, "I get it. Now, can I ask… what's your name?"
I laugh a little. After everything, now he wants to ask?
"We've been hanging out for hours, and you don't even know my name?"
I shake my head, amused despite myself. Why bother learning someone's name if you're just going to forget them tomorrow?
Still, I humor him.
"Kendall. My name's Kendall."
Silence again.
I can't help it. I have to ask.
"Why did you even bring me here?" I blurt out. "Why invite me at all?"
He clears his throat. "You look like you have something on your mind."
Uh, yeah! Like, why are you dragging a nerd into your fancy world? Or, what are you planning to do with someone like me? There are so many questions, and yet he just sits there acting all innocent.
"Why are you doing this?" is all that comes out.
"I already told you—I want to get to know you."
That doesn't answer anything! I asked why, dammit.
"You're Vaughn. You can get anyone you want. And I—I'm not going to sleep with you."
The air turns stiff. We both go quiet and finish eating. Maybe now it's finally getting through his thick skull that I'm not going to fall for him—or into his bed.
As we leave, he says, "Your car is here. Let me take you."
I just nod and follow him in silence. No words exchanged until we reach my ride.
I hope this is the last time he pulls something like this. I really do. I don't want the nerd me crossing into their world. Can't they just leave me alone? They have KD for that stuff. They don't need to drag some nerd around. I'd gladly line up girls for them if they'd just get lost.
I must've zoned out, because suddenly I hear him say:
"You asked me why I'm doing this. And you don't believe my answer, right?"
I nod. Of course, I don't believe him. Everyone knows their type only talks to people when they want something—and it's obvious what they want from girls.
Then he asks, "Do you believe in resurrection?"