I grinned and tucked my arm through Blue's. "You have Colin. Isn't one older guy enough for you?"
"Or I could make do with that guy with the wheelbarrow." She nodded off to the right and I followed her glance.
A pretty cute guy was hauling a load of plants. He was wearing the same navy T-shirt as Mr. Novak, but didn't come close to filling it out the same way. Well, of course not. He looked like he was fifteen. A boy. Not a man. Cute though. Fending off his adoration would definitely be enough to heal my wounded ego after my dad's rejection.
"Welcome to Sam's," Mr. Novak announced. He looked at Blue's mom. "They'll be finished at three today."
Blue's mom nodded and then took off in the Suburban, no doubt to do some grocery shopping or something that normal moms do. She'd be back at five of three to pick us up, because Blue's mom would never forget and leave us stranded.
Mr. Novak inspected each of us, a frown marking his brow when he came to my outfit. "Are those the only shoes you have?"
"Yes." Weren't they darling?
"You'll need sneakers tomorrow. Those will never work."
Well, I hadn't worn them to impress him. They were for the boys. So I tried to blind him with my smile instead and tried not to wonder if I'd already disappointed him.
He gave me a stern look, then turned to the rest of the crew. "I always pair up the newbies with some of my more experienced hands for the first month. I've already assigned everyone." He whistled and I saw the guy with the wheelbarrow head over.
Wow. Blue would freak if she got assigned to him.
The boy approached Mr. Novak. "What's up?"
Mr. Novak nodded at me. Wait a sec. Me? "Tad, this is Allie Morrison. Allie, this is Tad. You'll be Tad's partner for the next month, Allie."
"But..." He was my age! I didn't hang out with guys who were my age. Especially with my less experienced friends currently dating high school graduates. If I was stuck with Tad, how was I going to meet the older guys? I needed to be paired with a man.
Tad didn't look any happier than I felt. "Are you kidding? Look at her. She'll be useless on a farm."
"Hey! I'm not useless." Did he think I couldn't hear or something? Just because I was wearing a cute outfit didn't mean I was incompetent. I always took care with my clothes because it was the best way to make people like me, and now he was using it as a reason not to like me?
I lifted my chin. I could totally succeed here, and Tad would like me and think I was cute, and I would do a great job.
"You're my best worker, Tad," Mr. Novak said. "I figure you'll be a good influence on Allie."
His best worker? So, was Tad going to be a spy to report back to Mr. Novak that I was useless and should be fired? No way. I wasn't going to lose this job. I was going to prove I was worth something. I narrowed my eyes and glared at Tad. "I'm perfectly capable."
Tad met my gaze, then took a deliberate look at my shoes. He didn't look impressed with my pedicure. I resisted the urge to curl my toes under and hide the rainbows painted on my big toenails.
"Rainbows." He sounded disgusted.
I scowled. "Don't judge me."
"I can see you two are going to get along well." Mr. Novak gave me a little push toward Tad. "I think there might be a pair of old boots in one of the barns. See what you can find, Tad."
He scowled. "I don't have time to be finding her boots. We have work to do."
Mr. Novak gave him a firm look. "Find the boots."
Tad folded his arms across his chest and glared at me.
What was his problem? What had I done to him? He hated me because my toes matched my shirt? Most boys would have liked it and given me a nice smile and been excited to be paired with me.
But not the idiot over there. Which was fine. He was a boy, and who needed boys? I needed an older guy. At least seventeen, preferably in college.
Yes, that was the problem. He was too young to appreciate me. See? There was nothing wrong with me. It was Tad who was the problem.
"Fine. Come on." Tad turned away without waiting to see if I followed. What? He thought he was too good for me? It was so the other way around. I didn't need him and I didn't care what he thought of me.
"You better hustle. It'll be hard to run in those shoes and Tad's not going to wait." Mr. Novak then turned back to my friends and corralled them so he could herd them off to their new partners.
Leaving me standing there in the dirt parking lot like an idiot.
Tad stopped at the edge of the parking lot and turned around. "Are you coming?"
Did I have a choice? I lifted my chin and stalked toward him, detouring around two mud puddles. I was so not going to ruin my sandals before a cute older guy had a chance to compliment me on them. Because there was nothing wrong with me or how I looked and some guy was going to notice it even if I had to shove strawberries up his nose to get him to appreciate me.
I could have sworn Tad was laughing at me by the time I reached him, but his face was stoic. Except one corner of his mouth, which was twitching. All I can say is he better be leering at my boobs and not finding amusement at my expense.
Between my dad and my mom and her obsession with dating, I had very little tolerance for the opposite sex these days, and I wasn't going to be taking any grief from this one. Besides, he was my age! A mere boy!
I followed Tad behind the farm stand, stepping around piles of dirt and mud. Shoes and pedicure were still intact, although I'd almost stepped in a pile of something nasty when I'd looked up to smile at a cute guy who was hauling some hoses past me.
Tad stepped into a barn that was full of hoses, crates and other farm-type equipment. "There's a lost and found in the back. The boots must be in there."
It smelled like dust and mold and stale air. Yuck.
Tad pulled open a creaky wooden door in the back, then disappeared inside a small room that looked it might have stored feed or something, if all the bins built into the walls were any indication. From the peek I got, it looked like my mom's attic. Dirty, old, farm implements piled all over the place. Total yuck. I opted to wait outside. No need to go diving into some rat haven. I mean, I was totally capable of handling it, but there was no need to tread on his ego by insisting I go in instead of him.
Even though I wasn't remotely interested in impressing him, he was still a boy and it was important to keep my Boy Allure on high so I could turn it on when I met a guy I was interested in. You think it's luck that boys all want to kiss me? No way. I work very hard at projecting the right attitude.
See, it's like this: You have to pretend not to like them while shooting them flirty glances. And you have to always be aware of their ego and treat it carefully—unless they do you wrong, in which case you stomp mercilessly all over it and leave them behind to curl up and die a painful death of mourning for the girl they couldn't have. It takes skill and commitment, and I might as well practice on Tad, even though I didn't care if he liked me.
Actually, that's the trick. You can't care too much. It's good to have boys like you. But I always keep them at a distance; I never give them the chance to hurt me. Kiss them, flirt with them, and keep them on a string, but never, ever fall for one.
That's my cardinal rule. I would never break it. And if I had any doubts, the incident with my dad provided adequate reinforcement for why I would never let myself care what a guy thought of me. Especially someone like Tad, who was a mere boy and not worth my time, let alone my angst.
He emerged from a pile of crusty old clothes, blankets and shoes holding a pair of dirty, worn hiking boots that looked about four sizes too big for me. "Here you go." He dropped them at my feet.
"You're kidding." It was one thing to borrow clothes from my sister or my friends, but those boots were gross. There was mud all over them, and they were wrinkled and smelled like something had died in them.
"You'll be glad to have them."
First of all, there was no way I was putting my feet in there, especially without socks. Second, my sandals
were perfectly fine. They were comfortable and I could stand all day in them. Unlike those monstrosities. "I'll pass." Besides, if I looked awful, then there'd be nothing left to appeal to anyone. I wasn't ready to be an outcast.
"Suit yourself." He walked off without another look back.
Yeesh. What was his problem?
Useless. That was his problem. He thought I was useless.
Well, forget him. My parents might not think I was worth noticing, and there was nothing I could do about that—not that I cared—but I sure didn't have to be dismissed by some fifteen-year-old jerk. I was going to work with him, and he was going to like it.
Please note, however, that I wasn't trying to get him to like me. I was merely going to prove he was wrong. Big difference.
I ran across the barn floor and caught up to him. "What's on the agenda for today?"
"Carrots."
Carrots? I could totally handle carrots. I chopped those things up for salad all the time. "Cool."
He shot me a look, and I shot one right back. "I'm not incompetent," I retorted.
He lifted a brow, but said nothing.
Jerk.
Tad pointed at a little shed. "In there is a wheelbarrow. Grab it, and a couple tools for digging." He looked at my hands. "I don't suppose you have work gloves."
I shoved my manicure in my pockets. "No."
"There might be a pair in there. If not..." He shrugged. "You'll need to get those nails redone tonight."
He didn't make it sound like a compliment. Never had anyone made me feel stupid for trying to look nice before.
I wasn't all that fond of it.
I was really going to enjoy making him feel like a fool for misjudging me.
"After you get the wheelbarrow and stuff, head to that field back there. I'll be out there and I'll show you what to do." He pointed to a spot that was three fields over. It was a gorgeous sunny day, but there was no breeze and that field looked hot. Really hot.
Tomorrow I was bringing a water bottle. Today? I'd die of thirst before I'd ask Tad for a drink from his. A girl had to find pride where she could. "Fine. I'll be right out."
He nodded, picked up his wheelbarrow and headed off.
* * *
For an instant, I was tempted to go over to the farm stand building and hide from Tad and his disapproving looks.
Except Mr. Novak was in there, and he'd know I'd failed if I went in.
Failure was not an option. It would mean I'd be stuck in my empty house all summer with nothing to do and no one to talk to.
No, thanks. Even Tad was better than that. So I pulled open the door to the shed and walked inside, smacking right into the hottest guy I'd ever seen. "Oh, sorry," I said, with my most scintillating smile
He was tall, with broad shoulders and short dark hair. And he had to be at least eighteen. I bet he was in college. Certainly not some fifteen-year-old like Tad the Jerk.
He had a smile, and he was directing it at me. It felt like forever since anyone had smiled at me.
My grin widened. "I'm Allie."
He shook my hand and gave me a wink. "Rand. You new?"
"Does it show?"
He grinned again, and I noticed he had dimples. "You're clean. It's always a sign of a newbie."
Rand didn't make being clean sound like an insult. I loved him for that. "I have to go work with carrots. I don't think the clean thing will survive that." Though I was going to make every effort to make sure it did. No need to ruin my clothes for the sake of some veggies.
He gave me a sympathetic look. "I saw you're with Tad, huh?"
"I'm not with him," I said quickly. "I'm working with him is all."
Rand lifted his brow. "Thanks for the clarification."
Aha. So he'd caught my drift. I'd wondered if he was going to pick that up. Good to know at least one guy on this farm had some sense when it came to girls. I flipped him a grin. "Anytime." Time to make him yearn for me. Leave while he's still wanting more. "So, I'll just grab my stuff and head out." I turned to the shelf full of digging utensils, stared at the selection for a minute, and then my brain began to hurt. I had no idea what I was supposed to use for carrots.
Rand picked up several tools and set them in my hand. "Try these."
I actually felt tears in the back of my throat. How pathetic was I? Just because someone was actually being nice to me, I had to cry? Totally uncool and it needed to stop right now!
Rand picked up my empty hand and turned it over. If he made a mean comment about my manicure, I was going to kick him in the shin, I really was. "You have gloves?"
I shook my head. "I didn't know I was supposed to bring any."
"Your hands will get destroyed." He pulled out a set that had been hanging from his back pocket. "Use mine."
I stared at them. "You're giving me yours? What about your hands?"
"I'll be fine. I have easy stuff today." He held them out. "They'll be huge on you, but they'll protect you."
Why couldn't I be paired with Rand? He was perfect. But no. I was stuck with Tad the Toadhead. "Thanks."
He nodded, then tossed a couple wooden crates in the wheelbarrow. "You'll need some of these."
Nice of Tad to tell me. He was probably hoping I'd show up with all the wrong things so he could keep sending me on the three-field trek back to the shed to retrieve items. Probably wanted to break my spirit before the first day was out.
Hah. Fat chance of that. First of all, no one was going to break me. Second of all, I had my secret weapon in Rand.
"All set?" he asked.
"You bet." I grinned and picked up the wheelbarrow, and promptly tipped it over.
Before I could even feel stupid, Rand picked it back up for me. "You need to wrap your thumbs around the handle like this." He set my hand on the wooden handle and moved my thumb to the side. "That gives you more stability."
His hand was about three times the size of mine. A total man. I was going to melt right there. I didn't even have to flirt to get him to be nice to me. He just was. I managed a weak smile. "Thanks." Yeesh. Did I have any other word in my vocabulary besides "thanks?" I sounded like a dork. "Any more tips?"
He laughed. "Many more, but I don't want to overwhelm you. I'll dole them out in pieces."
Did that mean he was going to make sure we ran into each other from time to time? I could deal with that. I hoped he stopped by when I was with Tad. Let Tad know what he was missing. "Sounds good. If you hear me scream, you'll know I'm in need of one of your tips." And I was using the word "tips" loosely to include advice, a smile and a generally warm fuzzy feeling.
He smiled. "I'll be on the lookout for you."
The warm and fuzzy feeling got even more delicious. "So, yeah, Tad's probably getting testy," I said.
"Yeah." He looked like he wanted to say something. "How old are you?"
I hesitated. I could say fifteen, and it would almost be true, but would that be too young? "How old do you think I am?"
He cocked his head and studied me. "Seventeen?"
Ah… seventeen. I loved him more by the minute. "Close enough," I said cheerfully. "And you?"
"Seventeen for another few weeks."
And I'd be fifteen in another few weeks. So that was only a three-year difference. Worked for me. "I'll see you around. Thanks again."
He nodded and walked me to the door.
I felt him watching me all the way out to the field. It was hard to have a seductive walk when tramping through a field wearing sandals and pushing a wheelbarrow, but I did my best. A girl has to have priorities.
Chapter Three
I found Tad on his hands and knees hauling carrots out of the dirt. "Hi."
He sat back on his heels. "What took you so long?"
The happy Rand feeling dissipated. "It took me a while to find everything. You didn't tell me I needed crates."
He rubbed his glove over his chin, leaving a black smudge of dirt. I decided not to tell him. Besides, he probably thought it was a fash
ion statement.
"I can't remember everything," Tad said. "I expect you to be able to fend for yourself at least a little bit."
"Isn't it your job to remember everything? It's not my fault I'm new, and Mr. Novak says you're some superstar, so I figure he probably does expect you to remember everything." I folded my arms across my chest, I could already feel sweat dripping down my back from the heat. "I'm not a loser, Tad."
He looked surprised. "I never said you were a loser."
"You didn't need to. It's obvious what you think of me." I swallowed and tried to force away the bad feelings. Since when did I let anyone's opinions make me feel hurt? If I started doing that, between my dad and my mom, I'd never be able to get out of bed in the morning. If I could survive them, Tad was no problem.
So why was I so upset? Probably residual from the L.A. thing. Big mistake to let my dad have that much power. There would be no more of that. Time to focus on the present, which was keeping my job. "So, what do I do?"
Tad stuck his mini-shovel into the dirt and stood up. "Come this way."
Manhandling my wheelbarrow over the lumpy ground, I trailed behind Tad. I'd bet Rand would have offered to take the wheelbarrow for me, not that I needed help or anything, but I wouldn't be averse to a little show of common decency.
The wheelbarrow hit a rut and flipped over, dumping my empty crates, my tools and my gloves onto the field.
Tad didn't even notice. He just kept walking.
I hate you!
He didn't hear my mental curse, and I managed to right my load before he turned around. "Coming?" he asked.
I said nothing, just leaned into the wheelbarrow and shoved it across the field.
He took me almost thirty yards away from where he was working, then he stopped. "Here."
I dropped the wheelbarrow and looked at my hands. They were burning and there were red spots at the base of my fingers. Blisters already? Rand wasn't kidding about the gloves. Guess they should be on my hands instead of taking up space in my wheelbarrow, huh?
Tad dropped to his knees. "Watch."
I looked at the dirt and then at my white shorts and decided to stand.
He stuck a little shovel into the dirt and did this wiggly thing while tugging on a green leafy part, then a carrot popped out of the dirt. Cool. He shook off the dirt, then set the carrot in a crate. "Got it?"
Who Needs Boys Page 3
