Page 8 of And Then Came You

“Sure it is,” I mutter. I’m not trying to be disagreeable, but it seems no matter what I watch or eat or read, some woman is always there, claiming to love exactly what I do. I’ve heard that line a million times before. I’m not biting.

Her eyes narrow at me over her book. “Words are finite organs of the infinite mind. Shall I continue? I have several passages memorized.”

I lower the book to my lap, nodding at her perfect recitation. “I stand corrected.”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, right? Just because I’m geeky and ordinary doesn’t mean I can’t delve into deep, transcendental thought.”

Something about her self-deprecating descriptors bothers the hell out of me. I study Lexi’s face, really taking the time to examine her features—high cheekbones, angular nose, enormous eyes that flip between brown and amber depending on the light. The woman is many things—stubborn and naïve among them—but she’s not ordinary. “I don’t find you geeky or ordinary.”

“I don’t look like you.”

Chuckling, I set down my book to focus on the conversation. “That’s likely a good thing. I’d make a really ugly woman.”

Then she smiles. Most smiles are fake, forced, or some combination of the two. I should know. I volley between those two extremes. But Lexi’s smile lights her up.

Definitely not ordinary in any sense of the word.

“Don’t feel bad. I’d be a terribly ridiculous man.” She gestures along the length of my body. “Is it difficult looking like this? People claim you’re a perfect specimen.”

I bristle at her question. Here I thought Lexi was atypical, a rarity among women. “Nothing exists beyond the package, right?”

“I didn’t say that. If they can’t see how special you are, then that’s their loss.”

A server stops by our table, and Lexi orders a coffee, nodding in my direction. “Get a drink. It’s on me.”

After placing my order, I scoot forward in the chair, running my tongue ring along my lower lip. Women like to think it’s a sexual move, but honestly, it’s a nervous gesture. “People never bother to know me.”

Lexi takes notice of that comment, and she rests her chin on her palm, giving me her undivided attention. “Everyone knows you.”

“They know who I am and what I look like. Hell, they may even know my tattoos and piercings. But none of them know anything beyond that. You said you recognized me earlier. What have you heard about me?”

She skews her mouth to the side, scanning her memory banks for something—anything—not related to my physical appearance. Clearing her throat, she sits up, shaking her head. “Well, that’s bullshit.”

My back goes up again. Another person who thinks I should shut up and accept that people only see me as eye candy. “Figures you wouldn’t understand.”

“I wasn’t finished. What I mean is that itisbullshit that I know nothing about you. Granted, I don’t know your tattoos or piercings either, if that helps.”

“Like I said, you’re immune.” She is, too. It’s the strangest thing.

“Tell me about you. What’s your favorite book?”

“You don’t want to know about me.”

“I absolutely do. I’ll admit that I had preconceived notions as well, based on your looks. But I was way the hell off. So, I want to knowyou, but that only happens if you open up a bit.”

So I do.

Our lattes arrive as Lexi, and I discuss everything from Nietzsche to Buddha. The woman is no slouch in the brains department, and I can see why some men would find it off-putting. She is a geek, but she’s also adorable and open to debates on any number of topics.

She doesn’t gloat or claim knowledge she doesn’t possess. When I began talking about Ikigai, the Japanese philosophy that focuses on self-development and the betterment of society, Lexi’s eyes brightened. She then spent the next half hour chewing my ear about the topic.

Before I knew it, the servers were sending us side-eye glances. Closing time. Three hours had passed in the blink of an eye.

We stroll out of the bookstore as Lexi bites back a yawn.

“I guess I bored you, huh?”

“Not at all. I’ve been sleeping with one eye open the last week. Ever since I caught Carl with another woman.”

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