Page 15 of Rating the Book Boyfriend

There’s a link attached, and I click on it and begin reading. Before I reach the bottom, I scroll back to the top and start again because I absolutely can’t believe what I’m seeing.

“She has got to be fucking kidding me,” I mutter, and Libby looks at me with concern.

“Is everything okay?”

“No, it’s not. My girlfriend has signed me up for… something. I don’t even know what the fuck this is. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard of.”

“Like the Pickle of the Month Club? Because a friend of mine bought me a subscription for that once, and I actually enjoyed it.”

My laughter breaks free and soothes a little bit of the anger that’s boiling in my veins. “No, not the Pickle of the Month Club. I would like that a lot better than this bullshit. It’s called the…”

I look down to see the name again and shake my head in disgust. “The Book Boyfriend Builders. Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard?”

CHAPTER 4

Riggs

Igo off on an anger-fueled rant. “I can’t believe this shit. Book Boyfriend Builders.” That comes out as a sneer. “Who the hell ever thought that was a good idea? It’s honestly probably the dumbest business I’ve heard of since that social media network for imaginary friends.”

Tapping on theAbout Uspage, I glance up at Libby to see if she’s going to crack a well-deserved joke about this idiocy. Her face looks stricken, her normally almond-shaped eyes going round, and I scramble back in my brain to see what I possibly could have said to upset her.

“Oh my god, do you have imaginary friends? Because, you know, that’s totally cool if you do. I had one when I was little. He was a mouse named Carbonara.”

She swallows hard and shakes her head vigorously. “No, no imaginary friends.”

Something on my phone screen seems to have some kind of magnetic pull that forces me to look down. And I see a face. I look back up at Libby and see the same face. My eyes flicker soquickly I’m afraid I may give myself a seizure. Phone… Libby… phone… Libby.

I repeat that cycle about forty-seven times in the five seconds it takes for reality to click into place.

Well. Fuck.

“Libby, I’m so sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean what I said. That was just the surprise talking.”

The smile she puts on her face looks completely forced, her lips trembling a bit, and I feel like the biggest asshole on the planet. “No, it’s okay. It is a pretty dumb idea.”

I have to agree, but fuck. She looks like she’s about to cry. “No, it’s really not. It’s… unique. I just… I’m sorry. I think I was reacting poorly because maybe I was a little offended that my girlfriend thinks I’m not a good boyfriend.”

“That’s understandable,” she says sweetly, though the look on her face makes me want to rip out my own tongue. “We were drunk when we came up with the idea, and it’s… you know what? I think I’ll go to the restroom before we board.”

And with that, she hops up and practically sprints to the restroom across from our gate.

Well, Riggs. You fucked that up.

Taking a deep breath, I look back down at my phone and begin reading about the business. As I let my mind process it, I can kinda see where they’re coming from.

I mean, it’s still the wackiest damn thing I’ve ever heard of, but I’m ashamed I hurt Libby’s feelings. She’s so funny and has such a kind heart.

So I do the only thing I can. I click on theSelect Your Coachbutton and choose Libby Cox.

Libby is quiet when she returns from the restroom and loops her backpack straps over her shoulders.

“Thanks for talking with me on the plane. It was really nice to meet you, Riggs.” Her smile is tight and doesn’t reach her eyes. I hate that.

“Libby,” I say, wrapping my hand gently around her wrist as she turns to walk off. “Please sit. I wasn’t done groveling.”

She cracks a small smile. “It’s okay. You don’t have to grovel. Like I said, we were snockered when we set all that up. I don’t blame you for thinking it’s crazy.”

“No, really. I read more about it, and I’ve changed my opinion.”

---