Page 11 of Undeniable

Alyssa shook her head. “We’re good. Thanks.”

I snapped myself out of it and said, “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He grinned. “Enjoy your meal. And I hope you don’t mind, Olivia, but I added one of our new chocolate cherry chunk cookies to your plate. They’re nut free, and I thought you might enjoy it.”

“Thanks, Drew.” As I smiled up at him, I began to wonder if Alyssa was right and I’d been missing something.

“You look really nice today,” he said, his eyes lingering on my legs.

If there’d been any doubt in my mind, that last comment dispelled it. I dipped my head, grateful to hide behind my curtain of hair. Another customer called out for him, and then he was gone.

“Are you as allergic to compliments as you are to nuts?” Even though Alyssa was teasing, I could hear the disappointment in her tone, and it pained me. Alyssa and I had been best friends since college. She knew me better than anyone.

“No,” I answered a little too quickly. My tone a little too defensive. “I just figure the person giving them usually has an ulterior motive.”

“Like wanting to get in your pants,” she teased, popping a chip into her mouth.

“More like football tickets or an autographed jersey or…”

She placed her hand over mine. “I know you’ve dated some jerks in the past, but not all guys are like that.”

I nodded but continued to avoid her gaze, sliding my hand out from under hers so I could lift the sourdough bread to peek at my sandwich filling. Looked pretty good, even if it wasn’t my usual. I removed the sliced tomato and carefully set it aside, not entirely sure how to respond.

But she wasn’t finished. “I just—” She sighed. “I wish you’d see how incredible you are. You have all this confidence at work, and I just wish…” She shook her head. “I wish you’d let that spill over to the rest of your life.”

It was easy to be confident at work. Books were my life. And I’d never been compared to my parents or asked for favors regarding them. My success at work was because of what I’d done—no one else.

Instead of responding, I took a large bite of my sandwich. The flavors burst on my tongue, toasted sourdough, crispy prosciutto, the crunch of the lettuce, and a zesty freshness from the homemade nut-free pesto. I closed my eyes briefly and relished the combination, wondering why I’d always stuck to the same sandwich. Week after week, I’d ordered the same thing over and over. Because it was easy? Or was it because I was too scared to try something new for fear of being disappointed?

“Thanks to you, soldiers all over the world are feeling a sense of connection with books and people. I mean, my reading partner is a badass, and she’s totally loving the alien romance novels I sent her.”

“That’s great!” I said, but then I faltered at the memory of Connor’s email. “I wish that were the case for everyone.”

“Connor.”

I nodded.

“So, are you going to tell me what his email said?”

I shook my head, mortified by the mere idea of repeating it aloud. Instead, I unlocked my phone and placed it on the small table between us. We both set down our sandwiches and leaned in to read from the small screen.

Dear Miss Goody-Two-Shoes,

I do hope it’s okay that I addressed you by that moniker, seeing as it’s fitting.

At this point,Alyssa started to laugh, though she quickly covered it by coughing into her hand. I glared at her, but she kept her eyes fixated on the screen. She knew better than to agree with him, even if part of me realized he was spot-on in his assessment. That was probably what irked me so much. That a stranger had pegged me so correctly from one email. I sighed and returned my attention to the screen.

A little bit about me—fun facts, as you’d say.

Reading novels is a waste of time.

Let me guess.Booksmartis your favorite movie because you identify so much with the characters.

I’m sure you and your cat are very happy together and will be for many years to come. Happy and alone.

The only thing I like eating more than homemade cookies is pussy.

Sincerely,

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