Page 51 of The Ruse of Romancing
IfI’dknowntheside of Dani that came to light inside a bookstore when she wasn’t signing copies or dodging Spencer’s advances, I would have brought her to Powell’s sooner. She was fully embracing the moment, flitting between shelves as she perused her options, picking up and replacing books as they caught her attention for different reasons. I hadn’t read her novel, but based on how books made her come alive, the woman was born to be an author.
And since it was Portland, no one even gave her a second glance for wearing sunglasses inside. Everyone was content, doing their own thing.
“I’ve heard amazing things about this one!” Dani squealed, holding up a young adult book with a black cover, the title written in gold type and framed by blue flowers. “And this cover is so pretty.”
Her fingers lingered on the cover of a different book, this one a special edition with sprayed edges in a swirling, colorful design.All the cover possibilities had me wishing for my tablet, so I could sketch out all the designs and options, to pull from the inspiration around me. The inspiration that was Dani.
Joane was right. I was falling for Dani, but before it could go any farther, I had to find a way to tell her who I was that wouldn’t completely destroy the fragile trust blossoming between us.
It wasn’t long before Dani’s arms were filled with books. I offered to help carry some or to grab her a bag, but she kept insisting she was fine as she tried to reach for another book, this one a nonfiction title highlighting the benefits of crystals that she said her cousin Poppy would love. I was fairly certain half her stack was destined for various family members. She’d snagged a special edition ofAnne of Green Gablesfor her cousin Lucy. There’d also been books for Avery, Sadie, and Chloe, each book carefully selected with the person in mind. The woman in front of me was beautiful, thoughtful, and kind.
And I was the ultimate jerk. My gut clenched every time she called me Allen, a sweet smile on her lips.
I needed to tell her soon. I couldn’t keep up this charade. Every moment I spent with Dani showed me just how special she was, and I would never forgive myself if I messed this thing up with my stupid lie.
Outside of the sketches on the beach yesterday, I still hadn’t shown her my artwork, but that seemed insignificant compared to the fear of breaking the heart of the woman in front of me. If I couldn’t find a way to tell her, I’d be no better than Rebecca: telling lies to get my way and have my fun, while completely disregarding the needs and emotions of the person in front of me.
I turned a corner and spotted a familiar blond head, as if he’d been summoned by my doubts: Spencer. My gut clenched as Irealized Dani was coming up behind me, completely unaware of the disaster she was about to walk into.
Thinking quickly, I turned back to her, pointing the opposite direction.
“I think the romances are that direction. You probably need to check those out too.”
Her face scrunched for a moment as she looked down at the pile of books in her arms. “How do I have this many books without having even looked through the romance section yet?”
“It’s probably a sign that you need a bag,” I said, my voice full of humor even as I felt the building worry that Spencer would round the corner and ruin everything.
She sighed, but headed up the aisle, away from where I’d spotted Spencer. “You’re probably right.”
I watched until she was out of sight before quickly walking to where I’d seen my best friend. If I was lucky, maybe I could get him out of the store before he saw Dani. I briefly considered just hiding from him. Powell’s was huge, and I probably could pull it off, but I dismissed the thought, deciding to risk a direct approach for quicker results.
“Spencer! I thought that was you,” I said, snagging his arm and dragging him a few steps away from where I’d last seen Dani.
“Mason? What are you doing here?” Spencer asked, stepping out of my grip and looking at me in confusion. “Last time I checked, the only bookstore you visit is mine when we’re talking about a commission.”
“I’m, uh,” I scrambled to think of a reason I’d do something so out of character willingly, “here on a date.”
Even as the words escaped, I winced, knowing Spencer would want all the details. Most guys would have patted me on the back, said something like “all right man!”, and moved on. Not Spencer. Clearly I wasn’t firing on all cylinders tonight. Maybe Ishould have opted to hide from Spencer, turn this evening into a giant game of bookstore hide-and-don’t-seek.
“Dude! What’s she like? I’ve got to see the girl who dragged you on an actual date to Portland. Is she close by?” He stepped around me, looking for my “date” and I hurried to block his path before he inadvertently stumbled into Dani. Even with my baseball hat and sunglasses on, there was no way Spencer wouldn’t recognize her.
“Oh, I think she’s that way,” I gestured vaguely, and Spencer turned just in time to catch sight of a woman wearing all black, her ears gauged, piercings and tattoos covering most of her exposed skin, and her hair dyed jet black.
Spencer’s wide eyes whipped back to me. “Her?” He asked in a tone that I would have found humorous in literally any other situation.
“Yep,” I lied. “My grandparents met her at church,” I scrambled to figure out a story for how I could have possibly connected with the goth beauty in the corner who was clearly the opposite of any woman I’d normally date. “Grandma thought we’d hit it off. It’s been... an experience.”
I paused and then grabbed Spencer’s arm like I’d just had an epiphany.
“You’ve been wanting to date more, right?” I asked, only feeling a little bit guilty using my friend’s lacking social skills against him.
“Yes,” he said slowly, pushing his glasses up his nose from where they’d slipped down during our conversation, “but what does that...”
I looked significantly back and forth between Spencer and the woman in the corner and his eyes widened even more.
“Oh no,” he said, shaking his head vigorously as he backed away from me, nearly running into an unsuspecting elderlywoman headed to the checkout with a cookbook. “Oh no, no, no. I don’t think... She’s not really...”
“Come on, Spencer, this is the perfect chance to practice. Low pressure, at a bookstore. What more could you want?”
