His Nerd Girl (Falling for the Geek Girl): A New Adult Romance

by Lila Moore

  I wasn’t sure they understood how lucky they were to have Sage. At first I thought their arrogance was just their way of overcompensating for being beta males. Now I wasn’t so sure. They seemed genuinely smug about their status as nerds.

  “Sage is one of us,” the skinny one said. “She’s nothing like you. She hates guys like you.”

  “Yeah? You sure about that?” I replied.

  “I would put money on it.”

  “That’s an excellent idea,” Ansel said. “I’ll bet you two hundred dollars you can’t get in her pants.”

  I rolled my eyes. I didn’t need these assholes’ money. Besides, making a bet over a girl just seemed juvenile. It’s the kind of thing I would have done in high school. I was too old for this shit. But there was something about the smug look on their faces that nagged at me.

  “Fine,” I said. “Two hundred dollars. You have to pay up if I bang Sage.”

  “Deal,” they agreed.

  I drunkenly staggered down the hallway towards them. The second I took the skinny one’s hand I knew I’d made a mistake. This was beyond douche-y, even by my standards. Betting money over who got into a girl’s pants first was pathetic. I’d been trying to bait them into making assholes of themselves all night. It suddenly hit me that they’d just baited me into doing exactly that. Now I was the asshole.

  4

  Contrary to what a lot of guys think, I know for a fact that girls like it when you text or call them right away. Not immediately, of course. You don’t want to come across as desperate. But they like it when you show interest quickly.

  A lot of guys think you should wait days or even weeks before getting back in touch with a girl, as if this makes them look cool. Girls don’t think guys who blow them off are cool. The message you’re sending is: I’m too good for you, but I guess I’ll settle. There’s no quicker way to turn a girl off. This has always seemed like common sense to me, but a lot of guys don’t get it.

  The next morning I hit the gym, then stopped in the smoothie place where I’d first met Sage. To my disappointment, she wasn’t there. I would have liked to run into her again. I ordered a protein smoothie, took a picture of it, then started to text Sage: ‘Thinking of you.’

  I deleted it. Too cheesy. Texts like that are the kind that never get responses. They make people feel uncomfortable. I did a quick Google search. I was looking for something that might catch her attention. I smiled at what popped up when I searched for Doctor Who.

  My protein drink was made of blueberries. It was a dark blue just like Dr. Who’s tardis. I had no idea what a tardis was, but it was exactly the in I was looking for. I sent the picture to Sage alone with a text that said: ‘Remind you of anything?’

  She texted back: ‘Meeting you, yesterday? ;)’

  I smiled. It was a good sign that she responded quickly.

  ‘The tardis!’ I texted back.

  I copied and pasted a Doctor Who quote about time and love and sent that too. The Doctor Who angle seemed smart. I was sure the guys were filling her head with shit about how phony I was. I mean, they were right-let’s be fair. I was only pretending to like Doctor Who to get into Sage’s pants. Still, it didn’t give them the right to be cockblockers. If I could prove to Sage that I was into this nerdy shit, it would make her ignore what her friends had to say about me.

  I drank my smoothie and started to worry. She was taking her time texting me back. What if she wasn’t buying it? Sage was a smart girl. She might see through my bullshit.

  I headed out of the smoothie shop towards the parking garage. Just as I slid behind the wheel of my new sports car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out.

  ‘Meet for lunch?’ Sage texted. I was about to respond yes, when she wrote: ‘Unless you’re busy?’ A third text quickly followed: ‘Are you at work? We can meet some other time.’

  Sage didn’t know that I lived off a trust fund. I didn’t work, not really. Officially, I had a seat on the board of directors at my dad’s company, but I never stepped foot in the office. I collected an obscene paycheck every month on top of the money I made from my trust fund and investments. I did nothing to earn the money. Sage would probably think I was nothing more than a spoiled rich kid if she found out. So I lied.

  ‘I’m on my lunch break,’ I responded. ‘Let’s meet for sushi.’

  I texted her the address of an amazing restaurant downtown.

  ‘See u there!’ she replied.

  Feeling excited, I started the car and drove to the restaurant. I left my keys with the valet and walked inside. Sage wasn’t there yet. I was only a two minute drive away from the restaurant so it was no surprise. Besides, she didn’t own a car. She rode her bike everywhere. It would probably take her a while to get there.

  Just as well; I didn’t want Sage to see my sports car. She’d judge me for it, deem it a waste of money and me a greedy playboy. She’d be right to think that, but there was more to me than money, girls and fast cars. Right?

  The more I thought about it, the less sure I felt. I wasn’t used to putting this much work into getting a girl to sleep with me. Sage was making me evaluate my life in ways that made me uncomfortable. Most girls were excited to learn I was rich. I had a feeling Sage would be turned off.

  “Knox!” a sultry voice called.

  I turned to find a stunning brunette with smoky cat eyes and olive skin. She knew me. I’d probably slept with her, but I couldn’t remember her name. She greeted me with a kiss on each cheek.

  “Hey, stranger,” she said. “I haven’t seen you in ages. Can I get you a table?”

  “Do you work here?”

  She narrowed her eyebrows. “Obviously. This is where we first met, remember?”

  “Of course!” I lied. “How are you?”

  “Good. Well, you know, I’ve been busy…”

  She started to babble about her roommate, school, work. She rambled on and on. Sage would be here any minute. I didn’t want to explain to her my relationship with the hostess. Not that there was much to explain. The more she talked the more confused I became. She acted as if we’d dated. I had no memory of this girl.

  “That sucks,” I said cutting her off. “You’ve always been smart and strong-stronger than most guys I know. I’m sure you’ll find a way to make them all pay.”

  Pleased, she laughed and said: “Well, you know me.”

  “I do… of course. I’m meeting someone for lunch. Do you think you could get a table for me?”

  The place was packed. A world-renowned Japanese chef worked here. People came from all over to taste his food. The wait list was insane. You had to book a reservation months in advance. You don’t just walk into a restaurant like this and expect to be seated.

  Unless you’re me. My last name opens every door in the world. I’ve never been denied entry anywhere.

  “Who are you meeting for lunch?” she asked suspiciously.

  Great. All I needed was for her to cause a scene because she was jealous.

  “Just a business associate,” I said.

  “Oh. Well, I’m sure we can find something. We’re packed. We might have to squeeze a table into the corner. Is that okay?”

  “That’s fine. Whatever you can do.”

  “Anything for you, Knox.”

  She gave me a sly little smile that stirred my cock to life. My dick wanted me to blow off Sage and take this girl some place quiet, strip off her clothes and fuck her brains out. I tried to take back control. Since I was a teenager, I’ve followed my dick around like a compass. Where has it gotten me? Between the legs of some of the hottest women in the city. But other than that, what did I have to show for it? No meaningful relationships. No one to cuddle with and watch movies. No one who loved me.

  I pushed that thought away into a dark corner of my mind. I always tried to tell myself that love is overrated. Most men would kill for my life. I wasn’t missing anything, was I?

  Just then Sage walked in. She wore a sun dress with little flowers o
n them over black tights with boots. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a knot at the top of her head. Somehow, she looked even more beautiful with her hair pulled back. Her eyes scanned the crowd of people waiting for a table. When those blue eyes locked on mine, she lit up. I embraced her with a hug. I wasn’t sure if I was being too forward. You had to take it slow with a girl like Sage. Thankfully, she hugged me back. She squeezed me tight then stepped back.

  “Do you have a reservation?” she asked. “This place looks really popular. We’ll never get a seat.”

  “I called in a favor,” I said with a wink.

  Just then the hostess reappeared. Her eyes drifted over Sage, dissecting every inch of her. It was clear Sage was not a ‘business associate,’ and she knew it. The hostess’s face turned sour.

  “I have a table ready for you,” she said coldly.

  We followed her to a small table in the far corner of the room. It was dark and tiny, but it provide us with a bit of privacy.

  “Thanks,” I said to the hostess.

  She rolled her eyes. Our server gave us menus and asked us what we’d like to drink.

  “Sake,” I replied.

  “Just water for me,” Sage said.

  “You sure? The sake here is amazing.”

  “Oh, I really shouldn’t. I’m a lightweight. I can’t go back to work drunk.”

  The server walked off to fetch our drinks. Sage opened the menu. Her eyes went big and round.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. I hadn’t bothered to ask Sage if she liked sushi. What if she hated it?

  “Nothing. It’s just…”

  “You don’t like sushi.” I silently cursed myself for being so stupid as to assume she liked it.

  “No, I do. It’s just that…”

  She leaned in close to whisper, as if someone was listening in on our conversation. “It’s so expensive.”

  The restaurant was pricy. It cost about two hundred dollars a person to eat here. Money was no object for me, but Sage was on a budget. Not that it mattered. I would never ask a girl to pay for half of dinner.

  “My treat,” I said.

  “Are you sure? Can you afford this?” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just so expensive.”

  “No offense taken,” I said.

  To be honest, I was a little offended. There’s nothing worse than a girl challenging your ability to take care of them. It’s engrained in men on a primal level. Challenging our ability to provide for our woman is one of the most insulting things you can say. The only thing worse would be if she started to openly speculate if her nerdy friends were capable of kicking my ass. I’d need a lot of therapy, alcohol and some time to completely reevaluate my life if that happened.

  “My job pays well,” I said, doing my best to sound modest. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Of course. Do you think I’d invite you to eat at an expensive restaurant like this then stiff you for the check?”

  She shrugged. I frowned. I’d thought I’d made a better impression on Sage than this. She clearly didn’t think that highly of me. This was going to be harder than I thought.

  “Order whatever you want,” I said a bit too aggressively. I cleared my throat and tried to shake off Sage’s insult. “Everything here is amazing, but I love the Sunshine Rolls. It’s spicy with tuna, mango and-”

  “I’m vegan.”

  “Oh. Well, they have vegan options.”

  She bit her lip as she studied the menu. I was worried this meant I was going to be forced to become vegan too. I loved their Sunshine Rolls, but I didn’t want to eat meat in front of her. I wanted to show her I was fine with her vegan lifestyle.

  I frowned and looked over the options. I’d never tried them before, but the chef was amazing. I was sure he could make anything taste good. When the server came back, we both ordered several vegan rolls. I poured some sake and drank it down. I managed to talk Sage into having some. She sipped the hot drink from her cup. Her nose wrinkled.

  “Too strong?” I asked. I drink a lot; alcohol doesn’t affect me.

  “No. It’s actually really smooth. I’m just not used to the taste. What’s it made out of?”

  “Sake is made out of rice. It’s fermented, kind of like beer.”

  She took another sip and leaned in close. She was starting to loosen up a bit.

  “So tell me about your job,” she said.

  This was the last question I wanted to hear. “It’s, uh, your typical office job: boring. There’s a lot of paperwork and meetings. You know how it is. What do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a game developer.”

  “Really? That’s interesting.”

  “It’s a lot of fun. I love it. The company I work for is small. We don’t work on any major games, but we’re really hopeful our next one will take off. It’s got a lot of great buzz online. I’m working on developing the main female character. She’s this badass huntress who helps the main character find the magic weapons he needs to defeat the frost giants. They end up falling for each other, of course,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “It would be nice if she could just be a badass without falling in love.”

  “Badasses fall in love too.”

  “I guess.”

  “Look at you. You’re a badass. You’ve got guys fighting each other off to get close to you.”

  She blushed and took another sip of sake. “I’m not a badass. And no one’s trying to win me over.”

  “You’d be surprised,” I muttered. She perked up. “I mean, there’s your friends…”

  “They’re just friends.”

  “They’re all in love with you.”

  She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. This line of conversation was making her nervous. I tried to change the mood. I had no desire to talk about her asshole friends anyway.

  “And you’re wrong about not being a badass. How many girls work at your company?” I asked.

  “Four, including me. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “It’s not easy being a woman in a male dominated business. It’s a boys’ club. They don’t want to let women in the door. I bet you and the other women at your company have to work harder to prove yourselves than all the men do.”

  “You have no idea. They just hired a guy to do the same job as me, but he has no experience. Meanwhile, I have a degree and experience, and they were still reluctant to hire me. And he barely works. He dicks around all day, joking with his friends. He’s up for a promotion too. I work my ass off and I wasn’t even considered for it. How many women work at your company?”

  I had no idea how many women my father employed. “Not many. We’re better than most places though. At least we have equal pay.” I didn’t know if this was true. I hoped it was.

  “Ansel makes more than I do,” she said.

  “Do you work together?”

  “Yeah. We have the same job, but he gets paid more.”

  “That sucks.”

  She poured more sake into her cup. Her face was flushed with alcohol. I wondered if I should cut her off. I didn’t want her to get in trouble for showing up back to work drunk. I poured the rest of the sake into my cup.

  “He’s about to get promoted too. He’ll be my boss.”

  “That really sucks,” I replied.

  “Why?”

  I’d forgotten Ansel was her friend. “Mixing business and friendships can get messy,” I said.

  What I was really thinking was that Ansel would abuse his power to try and bully Sage into bed. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to bribe her with a promotion or some other sleazy tactic to get into her pants.

  “We’ll be fine,” she said. “Ansel’s different.”

  “Is he?” I couldn’t hide the skepticism from my voice.

  “You don’t like him.” It wasn’t a question. “Why?”

  “I don’t
like the way he talks to you. He called you a bitch last night when we were playing Mario Kart.”

  She shrugged. “He gets really into the game sometimes. It’s not personal.”

  “How would he react if you called him a whiny, little bitch?”

  She laughed. “Maybe I should have.”

  “Ansel wants in your pants,” I said bluntly. “You can’t trust him.”

  “Can I trust you?”

  Now it was her turn to sound skeptical. “I think you’re beautiful and smart. I’d be more than happy to call you my girlfriend. I’m not playing games.”

  She chewed on her lip and looked away. She was cute when she got shy.

  The server brought our food. We dug into the vegan sushi. To my relief, it tasted amazing. There was a spicy mango roll that was quickly becoming my new favorite.

  “It’s good, right?” she said. “I could tell you didn’t want to eat vegan.”

  “I don’t mind,” I lied. “Besides, the chef here is outstanding.”

  When the server brought the bill, I left a thirty percent tip. I saw Sage watch me filling out the bill. I wasn’t trying to impress Sage by leaving a big tip. I always over tip.

  We were headed out of the restaurant when the hostess stopped us. “Knox,” she purred.

  I turned to face her. Suddenly, her arms were around my neck, drawing me in. She kissed me on the lips. I didn’t exactly resist her kiss, but I didn’t welcome it either. She took me completely off guard.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” she whispered loudly enough for Sage to hear.

  The hostess turned and left before I could say anything. I looked at Sage. She was chewing on her lip and staring at her feet. She looked embarrassed. I should have known the hostess would do something to sabotage me. It was too late now.

  I led Sage out of the restaurant. My mind raced with ways to make this right. I wasn’t sure what to do.

  “That girl means nothing to me,” I blurted out.

  Instantly, I regretted it. ‘She means nothing to me,’ is one of the dumbest things a guy can say. It’s the line men use when they’ve just been caught cheating red-handed. Except I wasn’t cheating on Sage. We weren’t even dating. Still, I felt as if I’d just betrayed her. At that moment the valet pulled up driving my Maserati.