The Party Boy's Guide to Dating a Geek (Clumsy Cupids) Read Online Free PDF Page A

for the
    driver. Come on in. Mari's in back."
    "Mari?" Ash called as he walked down the
    hallway.
    "Back here, Ash." He followed her voice to the
    kitchen. Mari was setting out plates on the counter.
    She pulled a third one down and took out another
    napkin. He set the present on the counter and gave
    her a hug. "What brings you all the way down
    here?"
    "I got you guys a housewarming present."
    She slapped his arm lightly. "You didn't have to
    do that."
    "Of course I did. It's not every day someone gets
    my big bro to settle down and play grown up."
    "Well, he was kind of floundering out there. He
    really needed someone to tell him to put away his
    toys."
    "He always was bad about that." Ash grabbed
    some beers out of the fridge and followed Mari to
    the table.
    Jack came in carrying a pizza box and set it
    down next to the plates. "Bad about what?"
    "Never mind, dear."
    "Something tells me you're not here for the
    pizza," Jack said before he pulled a slice from the
    box and bit the end off.
    "I got you a gift." Ash tried for innocent.
    "You mean Carley picked us up something and
    sent you over with it."
    "Hey, I'll have you know I picked it out myself."
    "And you couldn't wait to bring it over, just for
    the sake of seeing us?"
    "I can't visit my brother now?"
    "I'm just fucking with you, bro. You're welcome
    here any time." Jack slapped a hand on his
    shoulder. "Even if you are only fishing for
    information."
    "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "Sure you do. And before you ask, yes, Mari
    gave him your number."
    Ash's head turned on its own. "Did he say
    anything?"
    "No, but she can pass him a note in study hall if
    you want."
    "Jack, stop it," Mari chastised, even as her
    mouth quirked into a little smile. She reached out
    and put a hand on Ash's. "He's really shy, so it may
    be a while before he calls."
    "How's his hand?"
    "Better. It wasn't as bad as you thought. It's just
    your fear of blood that made you think it was."
    "It's not a fear. It's just …" Ash shivered.
    "Never mind. You know, if you gave me his
    number, I could call him myself and see how he
    is."
    Mari shook her head. "You know I can't do
    that."
    "I'd just send a text to apologize again. Or how
    about his email?"
    "Come on, Ash. I can't do that to him. You'd hate
    us if we gave out your number to anyone who asks.
    Think about it from his side."
    "I just—" Ash started, but Mari's look cut him
    off. He turned to Jack. "She's got that look down."
    Jack laughed. "I think Mom taught it to her."
    Ash sighed and leaned back in his chair.
    "Look, if you want to know more about him, you
    can check out the blog for his reading group.
    Maybe that'll give you some help." She pulled out
    her phone and texted him the website address.
    "Thanks, Mari."
    They finished their dinner, and Ash made his
    way back to his apartment, anxious to find out
    more about the geek who had captured his
    attention.
    "I guess first I need to figure out what RTFS
    means, huh?" he mumbled to himself as the page
    pulled up. He looked at the archived blog entries,
    but it was mostly geeks talking about books. Some
    of them seemed to be how-to books, and one of the
    members had done an in-depth review of the
    manual for some computer language he'd never
    heard of.
    He found a "Contact Me" button on the site. His
    fingers hovered over the mouse for a second
    before he did just that.
    Chapter Two
    RTFMing
    If your geek is doing IT support, he will invariably talk
    about his users. These are not crack addicts. These are
    the people who look to him as their Sherpa navigating the
    Windows (or Macs) of their lives. He may call them
    'lusers.' This is a term of both frustration and endearment
    for those he supports. If you watch him in his natural
    habitat, you may hear him yell "RTFM!" This is not
    gibberish; he's graciously reminding his customer that the
    answers can be found in the manual. This acronym is
    short for "Read The Fucking Manual." This advice goes
    for everyone else, of