Free V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram Page B

you back a slice of pizza.”
    When I turned around, Kyle had wandered behind my booth and was sitting in my chair like he owned the place.
    “That’s my seat.”
    Kyle patted his lap. “I’m not stopping you from sitting in it.”
    I rolled my eyes and sat down on Cara’s chair. “Cheesy lines like that will get you exactly nowhere with me, but, by all means, keep them coming. You’re so much easier to ignore when you’re being an idiot.”
    “That was not me being an idiot. That was me being charming.”
    “Awesome. That means this little game you’re trying to play will be a piece of cake for me.”
    Kyle shook his head. “Admit it, you find me at least a little charming.”
    “I used to think you were charming,” I admitted.
    “Used to?”
    “Back when you went to Huntington.” Kyle was so surprised by this that for once he didn’t have a sarcastic comeback. “I was a freshman when you were a senior,” I explained. “I remember you.”
    “Really? I don’t remember you.”
    “You wouldn’t.” I laughed. “I didn’t grow out of that gawky adolescent stage until sophomore year. When we were at school together I was a lot shorter, with a lot less highlights and a mouthful of braces.”
    Kyle shuddered. “No wonder. Sounds like I blocked you from memory on purpose.”
    I surprised us both when I laughed along with him.
    “Did we ever meet?” Kyle asked curiously.
    “Not technically. You held a door open for me once when I had my hands full.”
    “How chivalrous of me.”
    “It was. You saw me carrying a stack of books so you jumped ahead of me, pulled open the door and said, ‘After you,’ with a big, sweeping bow.”
    “You make it sound like I was a dork.”
    “Are you kidding? I swooned for a year after that.”
    “Seriously? That made you weak in the knees? If that’s all it takes, then why are we still sitting here? Let’s go find a door already.”
    I laughed again and then cursed myself for it. Why was he so easy to talk to? “Back then you were charming and considerate.”
    “And what am I now?” Kyle asked. He still had that curious tone.
    I shrugged. “Arrogant and slutty.”
    I thought Kyle would be offended, but he burst out laughing. “Okay, I’ll grant you that. But I’m also still charming and considerate.”
    “You are not charming.”
    “Say that without smiling.”
    I tried to wipe the smile from my face but was unsuccessful. “Fine. You have your moments. Rarely. But considerate? That’s a stretch.”
    “I’m playing an entire show tonight for charity .”
    “Please!” I laughed. “You have ulterior motives.”
    “Okay, you’re right. Agreeing to play tonight was selfish, but I fixed the leak in the sprinkler system for my Grammy last week because Pops is too old to be digging in the dirt. You have to admit that’s considerate.” He gave me a hopeful look. “And a little bit sexy.”
    An image of Kyle, shirt off, dirty and sweaty, manhandling a shovel, all to help his Grammy and Pops entered my head. It was considerate. And a lot sexy.
    “You’re smiling again,” Kyle said, which, to my everlasting annoyance, only made my grin stretch wider.
    “Fine,” I relented. “You’re, like, two percent charming and considerate, ninety-eight percent arrogant and slutty.”
    “That means you like me at least two percent.”
    “Not the best odds, Kyle.”
    “You’ll be in love with me in a week.”
    I rolled my eyes.
    “Okay, my turn,” Kyle said. “Do you know what you are?”
    “A virgin?” I guessed dryly.
    Kyle laughed. “That too, but I was going to say stubborn and blunt. Which, in your case, I find extremely sexy.”
    One of Kyle’s hands was suddenly resting on my thigh while the other was sweeping my bangs out of my eyes. “Come out with me after the show.”
    Kyle’s body was doing that gravitational pull thing again. I hopped up out of my seat, fighting a wave of chills and started straightening a stack of pamphlets. “Can’t,