I’d been here for a few hours already. Bouncing from author to author and chugging a giant bottle of water. With this many people in one place it’s incredibly hot and all the walking around makes you thirsty. Just as I think my bladder is going to burst I spot the restrooms. As a girl, it never fails that when you need to pee there is always a line in the ladies room. After waiting for fifteen minutes in a line that moved three inches, I decided to sneak into the Men’s room that hadn’t had anyone enter or exit for the last 10minutes. When you gotta go, you gotta go. I think I set a record. It was while I was washing my hands that he stumbled through the door with what looked like a mob of women after him. Dark brown hair sculpted into a cool short fauxhawk, with an ass made for those faded Levis. I stood in awe of him as he braced his large, tanned hand against the door and used his other to turn the lock quickly. He panted and backed away from the door right into my drooling self. Tumbling to the floor fabulous fauxhawk guy flattens me like a pancake.
“Ooof,” I groan
“What the hell?” He exclaimed. Scrambling up off me and the floor he turns around and flattens me again with sinful whiskey colored eyes.
“Holy shit! Miss, are you okay?” He asks me. The pounding on the door and the chanting of Derrick, Derrick snaps me out of my stupor.
“Um, yeah, yeah I think so. Did you hurt your butt? I mean… I think I hurt my butt.” I correct quickly. He raises an eyebrow and gives me a quirk of his lips. Reaching down, he helps hoist me up off the floor. I proceed to push my glasses further up my nose and reach back to dust off my rear end when I notice a hand already snatching the stray toilet paper off my jean clad derriere.
“Um, you had a little something attached to your…,” He finishes by pointing to my butt.
“Thanks.” I return. He gives a slight smile, but there is a sparkle in his eye.
“I could have sworn I ran into the men’s room to hide from that mob out there.” He says while eyeing up the door. “I guess I picked the wrong door.”
“No, you picked the right door, I’m just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” I answer him.
Quirking his eyebrow higher and giving me a real smile he responds with a laugh, “Okay then if I’m in the right place and you’re in the wrong one…”
“I needed to pee!!” I interrupt his question. “There’s always a line in the Ladies' room so I figured because nobody came in or out of here for the last 10 minutes I’d get in, do my thing and get out. I didn’t expect to get caught or trapped in the men’s room with……you must be Derrick.” I figured as much from the chanting still going strong on the other side of the door.
“Yeah, I’m Derrick Walker.” He responds while holding his hand out for me to shake.
“Amy Jenkins and they must be your fan club,” I say pointing to the door with one hand and shaking his with the other. Derrick gives the door a quick glance, and I feel him shudder just a tad.
“I guess you can call them that, bunch of horny housewives and lonely book nerds. I’m a cover model for Anita Wells.”
OMG, I’ve never seen his face, just shots of his incredible body, tight abs, strong chin, drool-worthy “V” and incredible pecs. I also know that beneath the white thermal Henley he’s wearing his nipples are pierced. This is the hottie that graces the cover of all seven of my favorite books and has given me many nights of fantasies. Wait a second, did he just say that? Horny housewives and lonely book nerds? The nerve of this meathead!!! He might be gorgeous and have a fabulous body, but his attitude for the women who buy the books he’s getting paid to model for completely sucks. I quickly pull my hand back wiping it on my jeans.
“Are you an author?” He asks.
I give him the stink eye and reply “No, I’m one of the lonely book nerds!”
“Oops, my bad,” he says, “I don’t know if I would lump you in that category, as you kind of have a sexy librarian thing going on.” He says to me with a confident wink, while taking in my dark wash jeans and white V-neck sweater. I still can’t believe this guy, he’s gorgeous and totally drool worthy, but he insults me one minute and then tries to flirt with me the next. I don’t know whether to be flattered or irritated.
“Well, Derrick, It was into interesting running into you. Literally.” As I turn to make my way to the door, I feel a hand wrap around my upper arm.
“Hang on a second, why are you being so prickly? That wasn’t meant as an insult.” I blink from his hand wrapped around my arm up to his eyes. “I find it rather funny that you almost seem inconvenienced to have run into me, most girls make it a habit of getting in my way on purpose.”
Giving him one last body scan from his toes to those dreamy eyes. “Well then maybe I’ve done you a favor by deflating your ego a bit so you’ll be able to fit back out that door,” I reply raising my eyebrow. The shouts and banging on the door have quieted a fraction by now, I wonder if security had to come and break up the mob.
“I know what I look like,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders. “A well, conditioned body is a thing of beauty; I work hard to look like this it’s one hell of an intense job and takes dedication.” “I can’t deny that you look good, Derrick. I have a book or two that you grace the cover of,” Or seven I admit only to myself with an eye roll “I know I’m a book nerd, but having my book boyfriend call me that kind of ruins the image, you know?” I argue while crossing my arms across my body.
“Hold on just one second come back here,” he says as I turn to leave again. “I think I recall saying you resembled a sexy librarian, not a nerd.” Running his fingers through his Faux hawk just makes it a tad messier and a mile sexier. “As studious as you look, I thought you were one of the authors at this event. I’m sorry if you took my comment the wrong way, I didn’t mean to offend you.” There is now silence from the other side of the door.
“Its fine, no problem. Nice meeting you, even under these conditions and circumstances. Good luck.”
“Well, next time we meet perhaps we’ll have a longer opportunity to talk without my fan club trying to beat down the door.” The smug smile on his face is incredibly sexy but it just ticks my bullshit meter up a few notches irritating me even more.
“What makes you think that we will ever run into each other again?” I Inquire.
“You’re here for the event are you not?” Derrick replies with another quirk of that eyebrow.
“Yes,” I say cautiously.
“Then I’ll see you out there, Anita, and I are at table 27, stop by for some awesome swag and a couple autographs.” He says and winks at me again.
With that he breezes past me to the door, Derrick stops for a moment to listen for the mob, unlocks the door and takes a peek. I assume the coast is clear as he opens the door wider and steps out leaving me alone in the men’s room. Collapsing against the sink, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Flushed cheeks, shiny eyes, I think I just swooned. I turn on the taps and splash cool water on my face. As my bad luck would have it some poor guy walks in on me, again. The look of shock on his face is priceless, he even takes another look at the door sign to make sure he’s in the right place. “I’m going, I’m going, you’re supposed to be here buddy not me,” and with that I make my exit with as much grace as I can, and that would be none.
Need more Nerd Girl?
I understand.
Visit Jemma Bell on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/jemmabellauthor
Phoenix Bar: A Steel Demons MC Novel Page 20
