Relying On Ben and Jerry (Waltham #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Adventure Time

For this grand adventure, Quinton took me to . . . a flea market.

I glanced around at the gaggle of people milling around the stalls, looking intrigued as they looked over the strangest of things. I glanced back at my neighbor to see him grinning widely, looking like an excited little kid about to go to the park, and I couldn’t help but to realize the way he was smiling was warming my heart. I bit my lip against a smile and shot him a curious look, but I think he was too distracted by what was in front of us to really notice my expressions at the moment.

“What’s this?” I demanded, and he jumped, turning back to me.

“The MIT market,” he told me flatly like he was surprised I didn’t realize that, especially considering he’s told me more than once. I rolled my eyes and looked at him meaningfully, trying to convey my meaning. He blushed a slight pink and smiled sheepishly before he explained, “Basically it’s a flea market but for everything to do with computers and electronics in general. There are a bunch of different things—circuit boards and old Gameboys and I even saw a phonograph once . . . Needless to say, I come here a lot.”

“You’re a computer nerd?” I teased, grinning. “That’s hot.”

He laughed, still blushing. I felt my own on my cheeks heat at my own audacity and purposefully looked around so he couldn’t notice even when he replied, “I like to build things. I designed my mom a laptop last year—it doesn’t work the greatest, but it works.”

“That’s really cool,” I admitted to him, looking back at him to show him that I really meant it. “I can’t even work the microwave without something going wrong.”

He smiled humbly before looking away, and I noticed that he was totally in his element here—he was relaxed, and there was this boyish excitement behind his eyes like he couldn’t wait until he could run around and rummage through piles of what looked to me like junk but looked to him like buried treasure. I felt myself start to smile as I stared at him, and even though I didn’t want to think about it, I knew that I was in trouble when it came to this boy.

He looked back at me, probably to see what I was doing, but I gestured to him, grinning. “Run free, Fido. I’m going to go creep around and see what this place has to offer.”

And even though I could tell he wanted to do as I offered, he shook his head. “I’ll show you around,” he offered, and I turned red. He smiled at me. “It’s the least I can do for dragging you here.”

“Okay,” I replied softly, and I bit my lip against a girly scream when he took my hand and pulled me forward, deeper into the MIT market.

Even if I didn’t understand the technology mumbo-jumbo that was coming out of Quinton’s mouth, I still found it extremely interesting. He pulled me over to stalls and pointed out the different little pieces and what they were used for, as if he was a walking mechanical encyclopedia. He explained to me what the foreign devices I was looking at did and didn’t even bat an eye when I purchased a bundle of fried wires for twenty five cents. His hand stayed in mine, and my stomach flipped in the best possible way every time I looked down at them, making my stomach feel warm, like it was on fire. His fingers curled tightly on mine like he didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want him to, either.