Free The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox Page B

type and Leon the jerk who so was not, trying to concentrate on Cameron Diaz’s latest love dilemma. Which obviously called for her to run around in a short skirt.
    Seeing as Leon had shotgunned both the armrests on his chair, David and I were kinda sharing one. Every time he laughed at the movie (which was, thankfully, not all that often) the hairs on our arms touched. I wished he’d notice and move his arm away, because just sitting next to him was making my stomach do all kinds of belly flips. Which I kept telling it there was no point in its doing, after what I’d seen with David and the redhead the week before.
    Halfway through the movie, Leon’s cell started going crazy with this insanely stupid Yankees’ ringtone. “Way-hey-hey!” He didn’t bother to try to talk quietly, even though he was getting death stares from everyone in the theater. “Dude, I have to jet . It seems there’s a young lady who needs my attention. If you know what I mean.”
    Ew. He actually winked before he sprinted up the aisle. Leaving me and David—holy crap—alone.
    David stared after him, then turned to me and shrugged. He put his arm back on the rest next to mine, accidentally tickling my skin as he did.
    My heart was pounding so loud, I was pretty sure everyone in a two-row radius could hear it. Now that Leon had gone, why didn’t he just move? I felt my palms start sweating. Get a grip, Charlotte, I told myself. He’s only here because he felt bad ditching you for his hot girlfriend. Or maybe he wants help with his art project—he knows that’s your best subject. If Ali had come with you, you could drag her into the restroom and she’d tell you to stop being so pathetic. When Cameron finally got her man and he pulled her in for a slow movie kiss, I thought I was going to lose it. I wasn’t even interested in the stupid film, but sitting this close to a guy I liked, who was totally attached, while we watched movie stars make out was just too weird. I wished the credits would roll already.
    “So, can I walk you home?” David asked when they finally did. I felt too dizzy to make up an excuse.
    We took a shortcut across the park, talking about the lameness of the film and the greatness of the Drums’ new album.
    “Sorry, I had to run off the other day,” David said. “I wanted to stay and talk some more, but—”
    “No, it’s fine, I get it,” I said, cutting him off. Who needed to hear a whole lot more of oh-I’m-part-of-an-insanely-hot-couple? “You needed to go catch up with your girlfriend. It’s cool.”
    “My what ?” David stopped and looked at me with his eyebrows raised. His nose wrinkled as his brows disappeared under his bangs.
    “Your girlfriend,” I said. Why was he dragging this out? “You know, the pretty redhead who came to the square when we were talking last week? The one whose hand you grabbed as you walked across the road?”
    Oh God, shut up, Charlotte. You are one sentence away from being filed under stalker in his girlectory.
    David pulled his iPhone out of his pocket, wiping the screen on his combats. He touched some keys. “You mean this redhead?” he asked, showing me a picture of Square girl. I nodded. He laughed.
    “What?” I asked. This was beyond humiliating.
    “This would be Taylor. As in my cousin. My aunt’s daughter. She’s in town to check out colleges. That’s why she was down by NYU. We’re close, but she’s not my girlfriend. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. Well, in most states.” He smiled.
    Oh.
    “So why did you look so jumpy when she caught you talking to me?” I asked.
    He looked at me, and sighed. “Probably because … I don’t want my entire family to know I like a girl,” he said, dropping his eyes and concentrating hard on putting his cell back in his pocket, “before I’ve had the chance to tell her so myself.”
    My skin prickled and my face flushed. I hoped he was telling the truth. I hoped this wasn’t some stupid initiation dare Leon