Page 10 of Years in the Making

“Sylvia isn’t a bird person at all. I’m still shocked she married one.”

“Well, being interested in all the same things isn’t a requirement for marriage.” He shrugs.

“No, of course not,” I rush to say. “It’s more that she moved to the other side of the world for birds. It’s funny, that’s all.”

“Have you been to visit her?”

“Yeah, we helped them when they first moved. My dad was so excited to get a tour of the facility. It’s actually where I got my first tattoo.”

His eyes grow wide. “You got a tattoo at a bird facility?”

“No, sorry. In the Philippines.”

“What is it?” he asks, leaning forward slightly.

“It’s a scale-feathered malkoha.”

He nods. “Right, the famous scale-feathered malkoha, I know exactly what that is.”

“Oh yeah?” I grin at him.

“Yeah, it’s a bird from the malkoha family with these unique scale-shaped feathers.”

“Nailed it,” I say, not even bothering to hold back my laugh.

“So.” He leans forward and sets his empty cup down on the table. “Where is it?”

It’s on the inner part of my left upper arm and would be easy enough to show him. “On my body,” I smirk back.Rein it in, Nell, the boyfriend remember? The bullshit excuse you gave because this hot guy asked for your number after being nice to you, and you panicked.

“Where on your body?” His eyes sweep over me quickly.

I try not to let myself imagine him searching for it. Those long fingers skimming across my body, hunting. “On my skin.”

His eyes flick to mine, and he swallows before he looks at my arms. “On a limb?”

“Maybe.” Heat spreads through my body. This feels like foreplay, which is wrong, very wrong.

He looks like he wants to keep going, but I’m afraid of where it would lead, of where I kind of want it to lead. I look down at his empty cup and then empty my own. “Should we go?”

He keeps looking at me, his lips twisting knowingly. “Yeah, let’s go buy some books.”

“Keep talking like that, and I may show you anything you want,” I joke. Oh my god, what am I doing? I need to come clean. But this is nice, and what if I make it weird and he leaves?

To his credit he doesn’t say anything inappropriate back, just stands and holds out his hand towards me. I take it, and he hauls me up. I desperately don’t want to be one of those girls who swoon at how perfectly my hand fits into his, but goddammit it does. I don’t have time to appreciate it, though, because once I’m up he lets go. Disappointment floods my entire body, and I’m once again upset that I started this relationship out with a big fat lie.

EG reaches down to pick up his empty cup and my mug and takes them to the garbage and dirty dishes area. Most guys our age would just leave them on the table. He really is just a nice guy who does nice guy shit.

“Shall we?” He gestures towards the door and follows me out the cafe.

FOUR

TEDDY

I’ve caught myself just staring at her too many times. I’m fine with being just friends, I really am. But goddamn, she looks good in the jeans and white button-up she’s rocking today. And I may have leaned a bit too hard into my desperation to know where that tattoo of the scale-feathered ma-something or other is located. She’s not helping, though. She says she has a boyfriend, but then she also seems kind of flirty. Maybe that’s just who she is. Maybe she’s like this with everyone. Or maybe I just want her to be flirty and so that’s how she’s coming across.

Then there is the ridiculous tote slung over her shoulder that is not helping me keep my mind firmly in the friend zone. “Readers do it by the book.” I stand beside her doing my best to look like I’m reading the back of a book when I’m wondering what exactly “it” implies.

“How does it sound…” She pauses, studying me. “Gavin?” She’s pushed her glasses back onto her head so clearly they are just for reading.

---