Page 57 of Bookish Boys Don't Date Social Girls
Dylan smiles. “Man, that sounds amazing.”
“We have extra trunks at home, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t have any with you.”
“I’ll give you a shoulder massage now, hon,” Ava says. She steps behind him and places her hands on his shoulders, making a funny face. “Oh, maybe I can’t do this when you’re standing.”
Bek and I laugh at Ava’s attempts at giving Dylan an effective massage. She keeps dancing around on her tiptoes and jumping, hoping to get a better angle. But her boyfriend is too tall.
Someone quietly hisses my name behind me. I turn and find Brent standing awkwardly at the side of the booth. He’s clutching a book in his hand. His upper body is pitched forward like he wants to tell me a secret, but it’s also angled away from the booth as if he’s going to bolt. Something about his uncertainty tugs at my heart.
“Oh, hey.” I walk over to him.
His stance is conspiratorial. And when he speaks, it’s in a whisper. “I forgot to get that book you asked for.”
Glancing over my shoulder, he hands me the book, with the cover face down. My heart stutters when I realize he’s trying to make sure Ava doesn’t see it. I step forward to further block our exchange, and I know my grin is ridiculously large, but I’m so touched by his effort. “Thanks for remembering and bringing one over here. What do I owe you?”
He shakes his head. “I got it. Like last time, let her know she can exchange it if she’s not interested in reading it. But I think she’ll like it.”
“Brent, you can’t keep buying my stuff. Let me pay you back.”
“Not right now. Let’s worry about it later.” He shrugs. “She might not even like it.”
His shifting from foot to foot, and his eyes nervously darting behind me is confusing me. Is it because he doesn’t want to spoil a present for Ava? Is he nervous to be talking to me? Staying away from him sure hasn’t helped me to figure him out.
“Oh hey, Brent!” Ava says. “Babe, have you officially met Brent?”
When his eyes go wide, and he looks down at the book, I smile and slip it under my arm. When Ava steps up beside me to introduce Dylan, I turn away from her and walk over to my bag, sliding the book inside. As I sidle up next to Bek, who has joined the conversation, Brent looks more relaxed. Dylan and Brent are talking about their mutual dislike of the science class they share this year. It’s nice that he seems so comfortable around Dylan. Most of the kids at school are nervous around him.
“What brings you to our end of the street fair?” Ava asks.
Brent looks at me and I raise my brows.
“I just wanted to check out your booth. It’s so cool how the #NoMoreShame project has taken off like it has.”
“Today was great,” Dylan says. “I’m glad I came. Ava’s been telling me, but I still didn’t realize how many people relate to this. And for so many different reasons. It really makes you think twice before you judge someone for their differences.”
Brent stares down at the table, though there is nothing to stare at except a navy-blue tablecloth. “Yeah, some of us have to be hit upside the head with the info before we realize what idiots we are.”
I steal a quick glance at Ava and Bek before squinting at Brent, but he doesn’t say anything else.
“How long will it take you guys to pack up?” I ask.
“It won’t be as bad as it was to set up. We can throw the books into boxes and don’t have to worry about unpacking them until regular business hours.”
“How did you guys do?” Dylan asks. “Was it worth coming out here?”
“Totally!” Brent's eyes are bright with excitement. “I can’t believe how many people didn’t know there was a bookstore downtown. I think the exposure alone will be worth the hard work, but our sales were good as well.”
“That’s great!” I say, remembering my own surprise when I discovered the store. “What made the owners decide to do it this year?”
“It was my idea,” Brent says. “I thought we needed more community outreach.”
“Good for you.” I grin. “It’s cool that they take your suggestions so seriously. You suggested they carry Global Lit, too, huh?”
Brent nods, toeing the ground. “They are good about considering suggestions. The whole staff brings ideas to the table. This one was just a really labor-intensive idea.”
Finally, Brent looks at me directly. “So, have you thought any more about writing a book for my dad’s publishing company?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot. And I’ve talked to several people about it. I think my next step is to talk to your dad. I don’t think I have enough of a story for a book. But if I can get others to agree to me sharing their stories, then that might be interesting. But I need to hear what your dad thinks, first. My sister’s fiancé, who actually runs the #NoMoreShame project, will want to be theretoo.”
