Page 30 of Substitute for Love

Avery scrunched her eyes and nose. “Uh. Whatever.”

Okay, maybe he was right. He had lovely eyes, which had a devious feeling behind them.

“Alright class, you know the drill,” Gabe said. “Go find books to help with your project. Miss Williams here can assist you.” He turned and they locked eyes. “She was very helpful when I was searching for a book yesterday…” he trailed off.

“Oooooh!” some students said, as others shushed them.

Avery cleared her throat. “You won’t be checking out any books today, since the other students are going to need to look at them, too. So if you find good quotes for your projects, make sure you type the title and author to include in your notes.”

A student raised her hand, and Gabe went to go talk to her, while other students walked around, searching for books. She waved air on her face with her hand. Was it hot in here? Avery went to check the thermostat on the wall. It was a reasonable temperature. Or maybe having so many people in the room made it feel warmer.

Who was she kidding? Gabe’s comment warmed her. Why did he have to have that effect on her?

She walked slowly around the room, taking note of students who looked confused or like they needed help. Most were after ancient Egypt books, which were located in a far corner. As a student found a book, they found their seats and flipped through the book while taking notes, showing pages to each other.

After helping a few students find what they were looking for, for the most part they were all working at the tables. Avery went back behind the librarian’s desk and realized a pile of books on the floor were supposed to be shelved. She bent over and picked up the tall stack.

As she stood and lifted the books, the weight was more than she realized. Gabe was making his rounds at the tables, talking to the students quietly. As he was leaning on one table listening to a student, he glanced up, his eyes fixated on Avery.

Her breath caught in her throat and gravity took over as she dropped every book on the floor, each one plopping on top of the next one.

She bent over in embarrassment behind the desk. Why did she do that?You’re such a klutz, Avery.Another Marshall-ism popped in her head. It made her feel ill.

“You okay? Here, let me help.” Gabe quickly appeared at her side and started stacking the books, each one fitting perfectly next to his arm muscles.

“Thanks.” Her face warmed.

“I think it’s cute,” Gabe said.

She looked at him quizzically. “What?”

“I think it’s cute someone as smart and pretty as you is that klutzy.”

He stood with the pile of books as she stood and playfully whacked him on the arm.

“Excuse me. Who are you calling klutzy?” Avery grew stiff and defensive, but only for the split second before she saw his face.

“Shhhhh, this is a library,” Gabe said, his eyes wide and a goofy grin spreading across his face.

She rolled her eyes, then pointed him toward the cart where he deposited the books.

“Have you given any more thought to the dance tomorrow?”

She started pushing the cart and he followed. “Maybe.”

“Come on. You can’t leave me there alone. I’ll have to dance with the janitor, and he dances way too close.”

Avery held her hand over her mouth trying to cover a laugh. She stopped the cart and handed Gabe a book, who quizzically looked around until he figured out where to shelve it.

He was like a lost puppy, and she had a thing for lost puppies. Had Marshall been a lost puppy? No. More like a mooching cat who showed affection when it was convenient. Gabe was a playful, happy puppy.

Surely Avery couldn’t abandon Gabe in his time of need. And anyway, this was kind of a work thing. They were going to chaperone. No harm in that.

“What time?” she asked.

“I’ll pick you up around 6:30 PM. Can I text you?”

She pushed the cart, stopped, and handed him the next book. “Oh, I thought I couldn’t handle texting you.”

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