Page 18 of The Gift Rarely Given

He smiles that sweet smile at me. The one he has shown me every time I say something silly. The one he showed the kids at the hospital. I think this might be his genuine smile, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world he has shown it to me.

I'm lying in bed,daydreaming about this man when I know I shouldn’t. In a little over a week, this whole arrangement will be over and we will part ways. But what are the odds of me enjoying his company so much? It’s been years since I spent this much time with anyone other than Hailey and had a good time. I don’t know where that’d leave us, where that leaves me. Will we be friends, or just a flash of a good time?

I work tomorrow but I’m off the next day, so I grab my phone and text him.

Me: Any plans for Friday?

Alex: Do you work?

Me: I’m off! Breakfast at Ronnie’s?

Alex: Are you an early riser?

Me: I can be

Alex: Can you meet me at Ronnie’s for the first breakfast? 5:00am

Me: Fuck, Alex. 5:00 am?!??!!?

Alex: It’ll be worth it

Me: Fine, I’ll see you there. You better order me coffee before I get there or I will die

Alex: You’ll be fine

Me: Die

Me: Slow death

Me: Without caffeine

Alex: Ok Liv, see you Friday.

Me: Deal

FIVE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

On the fifthday of Christmas Baker Oaks gave to me a yoga class and kitchen shenanigans.

11

A RACCOON IN A FIGHT WITH A HOSE

CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT, TAYLOR SWIFT

Livie

This surely wasn’ton my bingo card this year. Slow flow yoga at 6:00am with a retired football star? Nope. And notregularslow flow yoga, no. Slow flow yoga with a very sweaty, very hot, half-naked Alex. He ended up picking me up this morning because I didn’t want to drive, and after a light breakfast at Ronnie’s, we joined the 5:45am yoga class at Sunshine Flow, the local yoga studio. The class was good and I felt very in tune with myself and my body. At one point, I even teared up.

Alex, on the other hand? He was front and center, moving seamlessly with the instructor. I can tell he knows the flow by heart, because he looked like he was completely in sync with her. I’ve never in my life seen someone so broad and strong move like water—effortless and fluid. Halfway through the class, the studio got hot and he removed his shirt. Nobody even batted an eyelash, but me?I was a goner. I couldn’t stop looking at the way his back flexed with every movement, or the control in his arms and legs. Fuck, I’m no better than any man. I had to keep myself in check several times for the rest of the class.

When the class was over, some of the women gravitated toward Alex, like he was the sun and they were the planets orbiting around him. He was polite, with courteous nods and a shake of his head before excusing himself and coming to find me in the back corner.

“Hey Liv, you ready?” he asks, unaware of the effect he has on me. The effect he has on people in general.

“Yup. Let’s go, Captain,” I shout, walking out of the yoga place with zero chill.Great, Livie, way to go.I hop in his truck and slam the door shut, tilting my head back on his seat and closing my eyes.Maybe if I can’t see it, it didn’t happen.I repeat to myself over and over again.

“Hey,” Alex’s whispers in my ear and I shut my eyes even tighter. “I know better than to ask a woman if she’s okay, but I don’t know how else to ask.”

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