The Lucky in Love Collection - Lauren Blakely Page 0,63
only wants to be friends.”
He pats me on the back. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes the girl you want doesn’t feel the same.”
That’s the whole sad, sorry truth.
40
Arden
“I’m looking for a book.”
I turn away from the shelf of travel guides to a thin man wearing a straw hat.
“Anything in particular?” I try my best to feign cheeriness on Saturday morning. I’m the happy, happy bookstore owner today and every goddamn day, even though there’s an organ in my chest moping over a guy I can’t have.
The man in the hat strokes his goatee. “Can’t remember the name. It’s about a fireman who has special powers . . .”
He talks more about the story, but I latch onto one word, thinking of a certain fireman and all his special powers. His charm, his heart, his funny bone. He has so many more powers though. The power to make me feel like I’m special. Like I’m wonderful.
“Do you know it?”
I blink, trying to root myself in the present. “I . . .”
I can’t place the book he’s talking about.
A voice cuts in. A chipper, confident one. “You mean Joe Hill’s The Fireman. Yes, we have it in stock,” Madeline says, tipping her head to that section and guiding the customer there. She easily locates the novel and rings him up.
When he’s gone, she turns to me. “Are you okay?”
“Just a little off today.”
“Go take a walk or something. You’re not yourself.”
“Maybe I just need to clear my head.”
“Take a break for a few. I have this covered.”
I turn to go and step outside when I see Mr. Businessman heading in my direction.
I freeze.
He’s the reason I went to Gabe in the first place. Is he coming back to try to ask me on a date again? What do I say?
I’m not sure I’ll handle it any better this time around, even though the smile on his face expands as he walks toward me.
41
Gabe
Another rep. And another. On the weight bench, I make it through more reps than usual.
“Damn, are you hitting the juice?” Shaw asks as we go through our morning workout.
“Yeah, just like I did back in Texas.”
“Ah, I always suspected you were a ’roid head in your playing days.”
“That’s me.” My voice is pure monotone.
“How did it go with your lady the other night? Didn’t get to ask.”
I finish my set, sit up, and scratch my jaw. “Let’s see. On a scale of one to ten, it was a negative fifty.”
“Ouch. That bad?” Shaw switches to the bench, and I move behind, spotting him.
“She gave me my official let’s be friends forever card.”
“Damn. And you told her how you felt?” He pushes up the weights. “You told her everything?”
I shrug, keeping my hands near the bar. “Pretty sure.”
“Pretty sure?”
“I asked her to go out. That’s clear, isn’t it? Like on a date?”
His eyes widen as he raises the weights again, wincing, then lowering. “And you told her you’ve had it bad for her for a year?”
“I told her I’ve wanted her for a long time.”
“Wanted?”
“Yes. Wanted.”
He grunts, lifting. “Dude. She probably feels like a piece of meat.”
More like the other way around. “I think I was pretty clear.”
“You’re pretty sure you were ‘pretty clear’?” He finishes his set and sits up. “As in, you said you’re in love with her?”
“Hell no,” I answer defensively.
He furrows his brow like he’s deep in thought. “Did you, by any chance, say you were crazy for her?”
“No way.” But now he has me wondering if I totally botched my plans to lay it on the line.
He taps his chin. “Wait. Wait. Did you say, ‘I have no brains’?”
I sigh heavily. “All right. Spit it out. What should I have said?”
He doesn’t answer because a dark-haired guy with a swirl of sunburst tats up his left arm strides over to us. “Hey there. Any chance one of you can spot me? I’d appreciate it.”
“Go for it.” Shaw moves behind him, and the guy starts lifting, using more weights than either of us. “Damn. You training hard for a fight, bro?”
The guy laughs, barely breaking a sweat as he lifts. “Nah, my fighting days are behind me. I’m turning over a new leaf as a pacifist.”
Shaw arches a brow. “For real?”
“I’m kidding. Well, I’m all for world peace. But no, I just need to stay in shape for work. I’m starting a new job in a few days.”
“Lifting heavy shit?”
“Bodies. Very heavy bodies sometimes,” he says, playing up the spooky card, as he raises