Page 98 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

‘Aren’t you… Prince Willy of the Royals?’ one of them asks.

I nod. ‘I am. Interested in finding out some of my secrets?’ I grab one of theRoyalsbooks that Berkley mentioned haven’t really sold well, and scribble my name inside, sitting it on the top of the stack. ‘Five bucks and you can know it all.’

‘Five dollars?’ she asks. ‘Sure!’

‘Flash sale. I just made it up; tell your friends.’ I bag their books and hand them the bag, noticing Berkley walking my way as the two women exit.

‘You’re selling yourself short,’ she says. ‘Those are worth at least a tenner.’

‘Yet, they’re marked at $24.99.’ I laugh. ‘No secret of mine is worth that much.’

‘Are you good running the front desk? I need to run to the bank.’

‘I was good at this at sixteen; I’m even better now.’

She flashes me a grin. ‘I’ll be back in an hour or less.’

‘Take your time. I got it all covered,’ I say confidently. This is my new life now; I’m embracing it and actually enjoying it.

When Berkley leaves the store, and there are few customers meandering, I catch Liv watching me from her desk across the room. I straighten up the front counter, but feel her stare boring a hole through me the entire time.

‘What’s up?’ I ask.

‘Excuse me?’ she says like she’s no idea why I’m now standing at her desk.

I laugh. ‘I feel like you’ve got something to say. Let’s hear it.’

She sighs heavily, as if she’s been caught and now the truth must be told. For a second she continues working, a book in one hand, her eyes on the computer in front of her until she finally sets the book on the stack and turns to me with a straight face.

‘Is this all for real? Or is it an act to make yourself feel better before you disappear and become the next Bachelor? ’Cause that’ll kill her, you know that, right? The girl has been desperately in love with you since high school and no matter what kind of idiot you act like, it never goes away and she’s tried.’

‘I’m serious as a heart attack, Liv.’

She clearly doesn’t believe me.

‘Can I trust you?’ I ask.

‘Duh,’ she says with a roll of her eyes.

‘I bought a ring.’

Slowly, her jaw drops. ‘As in a diamond?’ Her gaze never leaves mine.

I nod. ‘A big one. From a store famous for their little blue boxes.’

‘Santa mierda, pequeño diablo furtivo.’ The way she rattles off her initial thoughts in Spanish cracks me up because she knows only one of us in this store speaks it fluently and it’s not any of us Adlers or Kaines. ‘Then you plan to keep your previously agreed-upon life plans?’

‘I’ve always wanted to keep those plans. I just got caught up in myself for a while.’

‘If you’re hoping I’ll tell you you’re not an idiot, you’ve come to the wrong girl.’

I chuckle. ‘Not what I’m fishing for. We agreed to move in together, as boyfriend and girlfriend. That’s huge. There’s just one problem.’

‘What?’ she asks with worry.

‘We go on our start-over date tonight and I’m hoping to make her my fiancée as opposed to my girlfriend. Too soon?’

‘Too soon?’ She bursts out a laugh. ‘You’re nearly three years too late, dumbass.’

---