Beauty and the Geek (Gone Geek Book 1) Read online

  “He grabbed you.”

  “It happens. Let’s go. Now.”

  “The towels…”

  He glanced over his shoulder and Tamara caught a glimpse of Beach Dude tossing their towels into the surf.

  “They’re just towels. Let’s go.”

  “You have everything?” he asked.

  “Everything that’s important is right here.” She squeezed him, grateful the only thing to happen was a little kicking up sand.

  “I want to kick that kid’s ass.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “Don’t. Then the police get called and we lose the weekend. Let’s just go.” She latched onto his hand and pulled him toward the parking lot. “I have spare towels. It’s fine.”

  He didn’t appear convinced but neither did he argue.

  Towels were towels.

  It wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever lost.

  And what was more, she had Stephen. Beach Dude and the Sand Bros were the kind of guys who wouldn’t think twice about pushing the boundaries. Ignoring a girl saying no. They made her skin crawl in the kind of way that told her if they stuck around, there’d be trouble.

  Neither Stephen nor she spoke until they were back in her car.

  He turned toward her, his eyes green. Darker green. Stormy. Angry.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. He was just a pushy guy. And you shouldn’t have done that. Violence is not the answer. It doesn’t fix things.”

  “You’re making excuses for him. Why would you make excuses for him, Tamara?”

  Tamara opened and closed her mouth before finally shrugging. What did he want her to say?

  “I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you it’s just…” He pressed his lips together, tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Once again, she could hear his thoughts whizzing past at the speed of light. He finally looked at her, and when he spoke his voice was lower, controlled, quiet. “Is that what it’s like all the time?”

  If she said yes, did that change things? Should she lie?

  “A lot of guys don’t like hearing no.” She shrugged. “I got used to it.”

  “You could kick his ass. You didn’t need me.”

  “I punched a guy one time. He’d pulled at my dress, popped my nipple out. We were out at a bar. I’d had something to drink. Cops said it was my fault because I had training. It’s the same sort of thing if an army guy gets into a bar fight. Doesn’t matter what it’s over, who was doing what, I’m still at fault in that situation.”

  “That’s—what the fuck? I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you. You’re perfect. That’s just—what the hell? This is why you don’t want to report Adam, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. It’ll cause a big stir, people will ultimately blame me, and in the end—I’m still responsible for everything, even though it’s Adam who is in the wrong.”

  She reached for his hand and he grasped hers. Crazy, thoughtful, smart, and sexy. And he thought she was perfect?

  “Thank you.” She squeezed his hand. Getting angry and up in some guy’s face wasn’t the right solution, but she couldn’t deny that it was nice to have someone in her corner.

  “You’re not going anywhere alone. Ever again. Especially not to that party tonight. I’m going to stick to you like glue. And you’ll like it.”

  She laughed.

  “What? You’re going to quit your job so you can follow me around and scare away the idiots?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said without any hesitation.

  It was wholly unreasonable and silly, but she loved him a little bit more for it.

  12.

  Tamara sucked in a deep breath and stared at the line of cars around the Hollywood Hills mansion.

  Fuck.

  That was a lot of people.

  She hadn’t been familiar with the address, but judging by the neighborhood, whoever was hosting could afford it. This place put her one-bedroom apartment to shame. Still, it should be a pretty epic party, and she was glad Stephen was here with her. Usually, Piper and her went to these things together, and she missed having her wing-girl by her side.

  “I thought you said this was a little party.” Stephen killed the car and they peered up at the house.

  “That’s what I was told.”

  “I guess our definitions of ‘little’ aren’t the same.”

  They shared a look.

  Stephen opened her door and returned her car keys, which she stashed in her clutch. She’d opted for flats, pressed capris and a flowy blouse, while Stephen got to wear jeans and a T-shirt. He made even those look good.

  “Is this the kind of thing Adam will be at?” Stephen asked as they strolled down the street and up to the house.

  “Maybe? Who knows. There’s always a party going on in L.A., and he likes to party.” She hoped not, though. Rumors were already everywhere, thanks to the hatemongers.

  They checked in with a guy stationed at the door and then stepped into the mad house.

  Someone had remodeled the interior of the house to look more like a nightclub than a home. Different-colored neon lights flashed from the ceiling and walls. Circular sofas provided nooks for conversation. Several screens showed either bits of some amateur action movie or a video game. All in all, it was a pretty average Hollywood party.

  Tamara recognized a bunch of YouTube celebrities. There were more here in L.A. than almost anywhere on earth, thanks to the YouTube Spaces facilities that made producing quality content easier.

  “See them?” Stephen asked.

  “No.” Tamara searched the crowd, but didn’t see any of the guys from the new show.

  They made a few rounds, picked up some drinks and wandered across the house.

  Into the den of the nerd.

  There was a decided shift from the trendy and quirky YouTubers, and the geeks.

  Tamara kept the distaste off her face. She’d hoped to avoid this kind of scenario, but here they were. A crowd of guys, Stephen, and her. She recognized almost all of them, and more than a few glanced her way.

  “Tamara—hi!”

  “Hey, Josh.” She held out her hand, relief pouring through her. “Josh, this is my boyfriend, Stephen. Stephen, this is Josh. He’s the producer for HitPoint, the show we were watching.”

  The guys shook hands. She had an immediate good vibe from Josh. He was an All-American kind of guy—blond hair, wide shoulders—but he still seemed…so very innocent, given their surroundings. He had that new, out of the box, squeaky-clean vibe that wore off so many people who came to L.A. looking to make it big. And he wasn’t a new player. She’d known of him for a while. Tamara liked him, but not the same way she liked Stephen.

  “I’m still waiting on Samir, Nate, and maybe Bryan before we chat, is that cool?”

  “Sure,” Tamara said.

  “Awesome. Awesome. Really excited to get to talk to you, Tamara. I’ve been a big fan. So, Stephen, right? What is it you do?”

  “I teach robotics at the university.”

  “Ro-robotics?” Josh leaned forward, his eyes gleaming.

  Tamara squeezed Stephen’s hand and grinned. There were so many people in her circles who would want a piece of him. And who knew what doors might open up?

  “Yes, drone technology mostly.” Stephen nodded.

  “Oh—my God, Nate is going to want to be your best friend. I swear, he has like five different drones. Do you work on mass-produced drones, or what?”

  “All kinds.”

  “Brag about yourself a little. Don’t make me do it.” Tamara elbowed Stephen.

  He glanced at her, then Josh.

  “Well…I develop drone technology?” He shifted.

  “He’s too modest. He makes the really badass stuff.” She grinned and ignored the uncomfortable way Stephen was staring at her.

  “That is so cool. We’ve got to talk, man. I’d love to hear some of your ideas on a project we’re working on.” Josh held out his hand again.

  Stephen awk
wardly extended his arm and Josh slapped palms.

  “I’m going to go give the guys a call. Be right back!” Josh turned on his heel and jogged out to the patio.

  “What was that?” Stephen asked under his breath.

  “What?” She frowned at him.

  “I don’t know that guy. Why are you telling him about what I do?”

  “Is it a secret?”

  “No, but I’ve worked on sensitive projects.”

  “Okay, I get that, but it’s not like we’re sharing details or anything. I’m just bragging on how cool you are.”

  “I’d prefer it if you didn’t.” Stephen’s frown was so serious and…professorly.

  “Fine. Okay. I won’t open my mouth about it again. You can be my arm candy, and if anyone asks…” She shrugged.

  The frown lines bracketing his mouth deepened. What had she said wrong now? Was it the man candy comment? She hoped this wasn’t an indicator of how the evening was going to go.

  Someone yelled from across the house.

  Tamara winced.

  She knew that yell.

  He did it anytime he came through a door, no matter what was going on.

  Adam had arrived, no doubt with his entourage of wanna-be friends. She groaned and tipped her head back.

  Great.

  “What?” Stephen asked.

  “Adam’s here.” And if he was there, at some point he’d want to talk at her, and since she was wanting to make a good impression with the HitPoint crew, that meant grinning and bearing whatever asinine comments Adam wanted to make.

  “Want to get another drink?”

  “Water, please?”

  “Sure.”

  She stuck close to Stephen, in part because she liked being near him, but he was also her silent support. So long as they didn’t have a confrontation like what happened on the beach, then all would be well. Hopefully, their little chat about how important this was for her would keep things in check.

  They grabbed bottles of water from a glass-fronted cooler near the bar. Only when Tamara turned around, did she realize her mistake.

  Adam and his little crew had blocked them off in their single-minded trek to the bar.

  Tamara and Adam locked eyes and she tipped her chin up a bit more.

  “Tammy, baby.” Adam grinned at her boobs.

  Great. He was always worse with an audience, as if he needed to add an extra helping of dick to his douche.

  “Adam.” Tamara side-stepped, and almost bounced off Stephen, who’d stopped altogether. Crap. And now she was caught between pissed off boyfriend and butt-hurt asshole. Her night was looking so good.

  “You ignoring my calls, babe?”

  “I always ignore you, Adam. Shall we?” She elbowed Stephen in the ribs to get him moving.

  Adam made a face, but one of his admirers chose that moment to thrust a drink into his hand. Tamara made use of the distraction and quick-stepped out of the situation. She grit her teeth, because it was better not to rock the boat right now, and headed for the relative safety of the patio area.

  “Hey—Tamara?” Josh stepped into the patio entrance, blocking off their escape. “Now a good time? The guys are just about to walk in.”

  “Sure.” The faster she got this over with, the faster they could get the hell out of here.

  Josh gestured to her left. The house curved a bit, with one wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking L.A., which was spread out below them. The view alone was worth a fortune.

  Somehow, Josh had found one of the only sheltered spots for a relatively private conversation. Tucked away in a corner of the large, open space, an eight-foot-tall fish tank provided a partial wall between them and the rest of the party.

  “They just walked in.” Josh tapped his phone screen and took a seat on the ottoman facing both Tamara and Stephen.

  “Do you mind if Stephen stays?” she asked.

  “No, not at all. The guys are going to want to meet you, man.” Josh grinned. “There they are! Tamara, this is Samir, Bryan and Nate.”

  Tamara stood and shook the hands of the three men. She knew Samir and Bryan on sight. Bryan was the studio anchor, and Samir the on-location and wacky kind of guy. In person, they were quieter. More subdue. Nate was a new face, which she also liked on sight. It was his eyes. Deep, dark, soulful and a touch of the fun kind of trouble. Like Josh, he had that corn-fed, football size going for him, but he was quieter. She remembered a Nathaniel from the credits, so her guess was that he was a behind-the-camera player. The rest of the team didn’t have Josh’s out-of-the-box innocence, but they looked her in the eye instead of at her breasts.

  “Okay.” Josh turned toward her, and some of that fresh-faced excitement faded.

  Ah, she’d wondered when she’d get a glimpse of the man behind it all. If Josh and his crew were going to make it in this business, they had to have a strong leader at the helm—and the man staring at her now seemed ready for the storm.

  “I’m really excited about the opportunity to work together.” He glanced at the others. “How about we talk a little about what we want to do, and then pitch some ideas?”

  “Sounds great.” Tamara folded her hands over her knee, excitement simmering just below the surface.

  Legend had been a real stepping stone for her. Sure, HitPoint might not have the audience—yet—but she already liked them a lot better than her previous co-workers. Maybe things were looking up for her.

  From Stephen’s spot on the sofa, he could take in the ongoing interview and much of the party beyond their little corner. The Adam guy was a dick. So far, Stephen had watched the asshole stick his hand down one girl’s shirt, spill a drink on a second, and yell at a third for turning him down. How had an overgrown man-child like that survived?

  He was grateful Josh’s bunch seemed like the good kind. Tamara shouldn’t have to put up with a little harassment for any reason. It ticked him off she even thought she had to.

  “Want me to take that?” Stephen took the empty water bottle from Tamara’s hand.

  She barely noticed.

  He could recognize the look of professional excitement.

  “I’m going to get another water real quick,” he said quietly.

  She patted his knee and kept talking.

  If the way they were all leaning forward and gesturing was any indication, it was going well. He didn’t know enough about what they were discussing to gauge the interview progress, but the vibe was good. A hell of a lot better than it’d been earlier.

  He chunked the empty bottles into a recycling bin and got two more from the fridge.

  The party was interesting. Not really his thing, but he could see how Tamara would thrive in this atmosphere. She was really great with people and enthusiastic to talk to. This new crew would be crazy not to hire her, but he was biased.

  There were a lot more people at the party now than when he and Tamara got there, which made crossing the room back to her a bit more difficult. He didn’t like having her out of his line of sight, especially with the source of all her woes present at the party.

  He rounded the fish tank and slowed.

  Adam sat on the ottoman next to Josh.

  They weren’t leaning forward anymore.

  Tamara had her back pressed into the cushions, Josh kept glancing out at the patio, and the other two were checking their phones. The atmosphere had a decidedly tense shift to it.

  Stephen stepped into the circle and sat next to Tamara.

  “So, then I said, you should go back to work for that crappy little shop I used to get my speakers from. Am I right?” Adam elbowed Josh, who nodded.

  “Miss anything?” Stephen handed Tamara her water. Was it too much to hope she dumped it on the guy?

  “Nope,” she replied. The joy was gone, and her lips were set in a tight line.

  “Tammy here’s a good one to have around.” Adam sat back and bumped his knee against Tamara’s. He winked at her and Stephen wanted to deck the guy.

&
nbsp; “Well,” Josh glanced at his watch, “I guess—”

  “Hold on.” Adam put his hand on Josh’s wrist. “I didn’t even get to what’s so great about Tammy.”

  “Tamara,” she said under her breath.

  “Who is Tammy, exactly? I don’t think I’ve met her.” Stephen stretched his arm out behind her. “Oh—you mean, Tamara, right?” Either he was an idiot that couldn’t get her name right, or he was simply out to be a dick.

  “Right, I call her Tammy baby.” Adam leaned forward and patted her knee between his hands. “You guys should make sure to get her one of those tank-tops. You know the ones? They’re like, four inches wide, then they stretch across her boobs and are almost see-through? You know the ones, right? Viewers love that.”

  “Uh—not so sure I know what you’re talking about, Adam.” Josh glanced at the others. “Guys? We’re good here.”

  “Wait, wait, we’re just getting to know each other. We’re all going to be in the YouTube family together, we should—you know—hang out. Socialize. Do a couple body shots off Tammy’s tummy.”

  “All right, that’s enough.” Stephen stood up, glaring down at Adam.

  It was one thing to put up with someone’s crap. It was a whole other thing to allow that man to touch her and imply others should also take liberties with her.

  “Stephen—stop.” Tamara tugged on his hand.

  “Wow, man, what’s your deal?” Adam sat back and squinted up at Stephen.

  “You know what—Adam?” Josh tapped the other man on the shoulder. “Can you introduce me to Chadwick? I hear you’re good friends with him.”

  “Oh, sure, man. Sure. Come on. Tammy baby, we’ll catch up later.”

  Josh made a face behind Adam’s back and jerked his head toward the exit.

  Yeah, Stephen was more than ready to get out of here.

  Tamara grabbed Stephen by the hand and hauled him out to the patio. There was almost no breeze, which made it sweltering and private.

  “What were you doing?” Tamara whirled to face him. “I thought we talked about this.”

  “What was I doing?” He stared at her.

  “Yes. Everything was fine. You can’t just tell Adam to stop. It makes everything worse. You just—ignore him.”