Page 35 of Unstoppable You

I had to go back to work, so I couldn’t really dig into James’s answers until after we closed the shop for the day, and I was home making a quick dinner of teriyaki beef, broccoli, and rice.

That’s a lot of questions. Okay. So I think I want a few different things. I’m looking for a super cozy sweet romance. Maybe with some fantasy elements? Something that I can escape with. And then on the other hand I want to read something super messed up. Envelope-pushing. That doesn’t have to be a romance, but I wouldn’t be mad about it. How about we start there?

That was a ton of information and I could absolutely work with that. Some people would ask me if I could recommend a book and they’d tell me they just wanted something happy with kissing in it. I’d press and sometimes get a few more details, but it wasn’t until I started handing them books and they read the blurbs on the back where I could figure out what they really wanted. It was an art as well as a science.

With that information from James, I grabbed my rice from the rice cooker and topped it with the broccoli, beef, lots of sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. The plate of food steamed invitingly, and I was starving.

But as I grabbed my chopsticks, I also pulled up my master spreadsheet of books and started scrolling through, looking for a book for her first request of something light and escapist and maybe fantasy. I had a standard choice, but James impressed me as someone who had probably already read that one. It was an entry-level book. I needed to look a little deeper. Find a hidden gem. Something unexpected.

My food started getting cold as I threw myself into the hunt for the right book. I scanned the spreadsheet and my own shelves before selecting a title that I really thought would be perfect. I’d gotten totally swept up in it. Oops. Doing my job off the clock.

I shoveled the rest of my now-lukewarm dinner into my mouth so I could look for a selection for her second request.

Chapter Fourteen

James

It wasn’tuntil later that night, after I’d shut down from work and had eaten shrimp tacos for dinner and made myself a bowl of popcorn with lime juice and Tajin on it that she got back to me about the recommendations.

Okay I limited myself to two books. I could have given you more, but we’re starting easy.

She also sent me links for the two books. I read through both of the blurbs and she had absolutely nailed it. The fantasy book was sapphic, and the other one wasn’t. Interesting. I bought both ebooks immediately, as well as the paperbacks from Between the Sheets. Gotta support your local bookseller. Maybe I’d order a book a week just to bother her. Book order flirting.

No, not flirting. I wasn’t flirting with her. You didn’t flirt with people who were so obviously not into you. I’d gotten all the “crush on a straight girl” stuff out of my system already. At this point in my life, I was only interested in people who were equally interested in me.

Delaney wasoff limits.

Thank you. I sincerely appreciate it. I wish there was something I could do for you. Have anything that needs a good name?

I didn’t think she needed any research done, or author contracts read or emails sent to cover designers, so that was what I could offer her as far as my professional expertise.

Okay, how about my air fryer?

She attached a picture of a standard black air fryer with her message and I burst out laughing. I hadn’t expected her to take me up on her offer.

Oh, this could be fun.

Does your air fryer have a gender?I asked.

I asked them and they said genderqueer.

This time I nearly choked on a laugh. Delaney wasfunny. I guess I’d known that already but seeing it in real time was a pleasant surprise.

Genderqueer air fryer. Got it. Let me work on a list and I’ll get back to you with some options.

I threw my professional hat on and got to work.

Well. It wasn’t really work, but I was enjoying myself. I searched for names of animated appliance characters which also led me down a rabbit hole of children’s books. I managed to emerge eventually, but my eyes were burning, and I realized I’d been at this for too long. There went my Monday evening. Guess this was going to be a multi-day project.

I shouldn’t have agreed to this. I’d gotten too excited that she was giving me attention and now my feelings were going to get absolutely crushed.

I was in a mess of my own making.

* * *

Over the next few days,I did my best not to devote too much time to this air fryer name project. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from adding names to an already voluminous list. I was overdoing this silly little request, but it was for Delaney.

You’re really taking this seriously, huhDelaney responded when I told her I was still working on the list on Wednesday.

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