All I’ve Never Wanted(5)

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"So do you guys wanna go eat in the DC or eat out somewhere?" Zack asked, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers together behind his head.



"I vote for eating out. I've been craving Serrano's," Parker said, referencing Il Serrano, the chic Italian eatery that was practically a Valesca institution.



Zack smirked. "Yeah, and I bet that hot new waitress has nothing to do with your…craving."



Parker shrugged. "You know me."



"Yes, we do," Carlo said dryly. "Now, can we please decide where we're going to eat?"



"Let's go to Da Silvano instead," Zack suggested. "We've already been to Serrano's twice this past week."



"Da Silvano is in New York," Carlo pointed out.



"Yeah, but if we go right now and take one of the jets we'll probably end up missing only fourth period."



"Fine by me," Parker yawned. "What's the use of having a private teacher if he can't be flexible?"



"I'm sure he'll be glad he'll finally get a break from you troublemakers," a new, feminine voice said.



Parker sat up a bit straighter. "Hey, Adri."



"Hey." Adriana looked around the room. "Are you guys going to lunch anytime soon, or are you just going to stay in here all day?" she teased.



"We were thinking about going to Da Silvano or Serrano's," Parker said. "What do you think?"



"Oh, I think I'm just going to grab something in the DC," she replied airily. Half a day at Valesca and she'd already gotten the acronyms down pat.



Zack blinked. "Really?"



"Yeah, there's some interesting people here," Adriana said with an oddly secretive smile.



"Not in this school," Roman said, speaking up for the first time.



Adriana rolled her eyes. "You're too cynical, Rome," she chided. "That's no way to go through life."



"It's worked for me so far."



She shook her head. "All you need is a girlfriend," she decided. "A nice one. And then you won’t be so moody.”



"More like, and then pigs can fly," Carlo said loud enough for only Parker and Zack, whom he was sitting in between, to hear. They snickered.



Roman stared at her like she was crazy. "Does it look like I want a girlfriend?" he demanded.



Ignoring his tone, Adriana merely gave him a serene smile. "You will once you meet the right girl."



"I doubt it. The only thing girls care about is my money."



"There goes your cynicism again…"



Roman snorted. "Please. You're seriously telling me you can find a girl in this town who doesn't care I'm a Fiori?"



"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."



"I'd like to see you try."



"Oh, boy," Zack sighed.



Adriana raised her eyebrows. "That sounds like a challenge."



"That's because it is."



"Fine." Adriana looked inexplicably smug. "Give me until the end of this semester. If you don't like the girl that I choose enough to ask her to be your girlfriend, I won't ever bug you about it again."



"Well, that's just one less thing I have to worry about next semester then," Roman said cockily.



"You guys are ridiculous," Zack groaned.



"Well, I'm all for it," Parker drawled. "My question, though, is how are you going to find the perfect girl when you haven't even been here for the past four years?"



Adriana smiled. “Parker, dear, never underestimate the power of female determination.”





CHAPTER 2





Adriana was on a mission. If there was one thing she lived for, it was a challenge, especially when the challenger was Roman.



Even though she had been at boarding school for a while, she still knew Roman a lot better than he thought. After all, they were both children of the Founding Four families, who themselves had been friends for generations. He might say he didn't want a girlfriend, but it was only because a) he was under the impression girls only liked him for his looks and/or money, which is fair, since most of them did, and b) he hadn't met the right girl yet. Adriana was sure there had to be at least one girl in the world who was right for him, and she was going to make damn sure she found her. After all, Roman was like another brother to her, and she hated seeing him so cold and emotionless all the time when she knew he was sweet guy deep down inside.



Way, way deep down inside. He just needed someone to trigger that part of him, and what better way to start the search for the Perfect Girl than at Valesca itself?



The sound of her Manolo Blahnik kitten heels echoed loudly in the empty halls, but she was so deep in thought she barely noticed.