Page 43 of The Best Book Boyfriend
I carry her order to her favourite table by the window and she hands me her phone to take a photo of her. A ping in my pocket a few seconds later tells me she’s already uploaded it and tagged me. Meeting Kara is one of the best things that’s happened to Sunshine Coffee, and our accounts are certainly proof of it. Business has been booming, and after word spread about the book club, I’ve had a couple of enquiries from other groups who would like to use the space in the evenings. While Jo works the counter I grab a few minutes to sit down and catch up. We make small talk, and I hate myself because it’s none of my business, but I can’t avoid prying.
“So, how’s the dating going?” I half mumble.
“Oh God, Luke.” Kara covers her face with her hands and lays her head on the table. “It’s awful. Don’t even ask.”
Thank fuck for that.I shouldn’t feel this relieved. I ball my fists to avoid punching the air. “How so?”
“Honestly? I think Book Boyfriends have ruined real men for me. My expectations are too high. Where are the nice, kind men who read books?”I’m standing right here.“Where are the men who can carry an intellectual conversation beyond three messages? I’m not fussy, I’d take a bad boy mechanic who will eliminate a rival gang and then respectfully, but not too respectfully, make me his woman. But no, this app is just full of men who do the weirdest stuff. What am I supposed to say when a total stranger messages me to say‘nice tits’and nothing else?”
Don’t look.I pinch the skin on the inside of my wrist and keep my eyes trained on the courtyard beyond the window. I will not be just another one of these awful arseholes. “Uh, I wouldn’t know what to say to that.”
“Me neither! One of them began our conversation with a message that said I remind him of Jennifer Lopez. Tell me Luke, is there anything about me that looks anything like Jennifer Lopez?” She scans her pointed fingers all over her body and I burst out laughing. They’re both beautiful, but completely different. “I think he must have hadseveraldrinks. There was one guy I was chatting with who seemed quite nice. He asked if I wanted to meet up and I was about to say yes, then Hattie Googled him and within minutes she’d found out that he is a married police officer with two kids.”
“Shit, so sketchy.”
“Exactly. Thank God I met you Luke, or I really would have lost hope in men entirely.”
How can one small sentence sting and make my heart pick up at the same time? I pick up my cloth and concentrate on wiping down the table next to hers. I hate the idea of her talking to these creeps.
“Have you thought about it?” she asks after a pause.
“Thought about what?”
“Online dating?”
“Oh no, no way. That’s not for me.”
“Sorry, I know you probably don’t feel ready for all that stuff.”You have no idea what I feel ready for.“I’m hardly selling it well either. Honestly, I think I’m just going to give up. I’m swearing off men again. It’s such a waste of time. Think of all the books I could be reading instead.”
I suppose I should be thankful that the men of our local area are doing such an appalling job. Maybe she’ll give it up and in time come to see that I’m right here if she changes her mind about the just being friends thing.
“Anyway, if you decide to give it a go at some point, make sure you use a different app or you’ll probably just end up matching with me,” she laughs.What an unbearable thought that would be.
Chapter 18
Kara
ThesecondmeetingofSunshine Book Club is another huge success. Most of the people who came last month are back, along with enough extras that we nearly ran out of seats. I’m not as nervous this month thankfully, though again, that’s down to Luke’s words of encouragement before we got started.
We’ve been readingUnder Our Stars,a sweet friends-to-lovers romance packed full of will-they-won’t-they moments that have given us plenty to talk about. Natasha and Hamish have been taking a camping trip every summer since they were kids, but this year they end up having to share a tent when Natasha’s tent poles go missing. We all agree it’s a nice twist on the only one bed trope, and the confined space of a two-person tent builds on the tension that has always lingered between the love interests.
“What did we think of the sex scene? Was it worth the wait?” I ask, and I’m met with a resounding “Yes!” from throughout the room.
“I was practically cheering by the time they finally did it,” says Katy.
Luke agrees. “I thought it was so great, the way they understood each other in the moment, and it just happened, even without words.”
“The staying quiet thing was so hot,” says Megan. “It really proved how deeply they know each other.”
“Can we read something that’s not about childhood sweethearts next month?” asks Janice, one of the older members of the club. “I’m ready for a bad boy!”
“Am I not bad enough for you darling?” her husband Gerald teases.
“Give it a rest, you’ve not been a bad boy since 1976!”
The room erupts into laughter and I love that so many people are nodding in agreement. I was sure I’d have to wait at least six months before ramping up the spice.
“Of course Janice, I’ll pick something like that just for you. If you can all make sure your contact details are on the list when you head out, I’ll email you all tomorrow with our next book. Our next meeting will be on the first Wednesday of September. Before you all go, I want to say a huge thanks to my wonderful friend Luke for letting me run this book club. It’s quickly become the highlight of my month and I can’t think of a better room full of people to spend an evening with.” My eyes find his where he stands at the back of the group and he turns away, embarrassed by the attention. “Big round of applause for Luke, I think!”
