Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Before Alick could answer, Kenzie straightened and looked around the diner. “Does anyone know if we have middles? Should we have video games or board games? I don’t know what they do.”
Dragons above.
I was going to have to kill him and hide his body if he kept pulling this shit.
“I don’t know what that is and I don’t have my phone to ogle it.”
Ogle?
Oh, Google.
As another patron called out helpful advice that was surprisingly accurate for someone who was pushing ninety, I was barely holding back my temper. How chaos had taken over so quickly I’d never know…but Kenzie always had something to do with it.
“We’ll work on other options for the playdate. Why don’t you talk to Lorne and see if he thinks a survey of our current attendees would be a good idea.” Giving Kenzie something to think about besides oversharing with everyone in the diner, I took one last sip of my drink and thanked every deity I could think of that I’d already paid my bill.
“I’m going to head over to the library right now.” Because someone would be over at the library in the next five minutes asking Stefan intrusive questions if I didn’t get there first. We’d officially reached the end of their patience. “I will see you later. Enjoy your lunch.”
Escaping before anyone could be helpful or nosy, I tried to figure out how the conversation should start as I headed in the right direction, but I was still debating what to say when I arrived at the library…and that didn’t make my mood any brighter. There were too many ways for the conversation to get fucked up and for the librarian to decide to leave town at the very least.
Just the idea of having to find a new librarian made my stress level rise and that was discounting everything else.
Like how cute he was when he blushed.
And how he was always reading dirty books when he went to the diner lately.
And how adorable he’d be with a binkie…those wide eyes.
My head was so all over the place when I walked in that I just stood there staring stupidly at him when I saw him behind the big desk in the middle of the library. He was like one of the main characters in Kenzie’s dirty books, sexy librarian and all.
God, he even blushed again.
“I…Welcome to the library, Sir.” Something must’ve clicked at how submissive it sounded because he went still and licked his lips. “Um, Mr. Boyd?”
If his goal was to sound more grown-up, his second try wasn’t any better than the first…but it was the best mix of sexy and adorable. It also chased away the bulk of my frustration. “Either one is fine, Stefan.”
He shivered.
Ignoring his reaction and how it made him look even more innocent, I made my way closer to the desk. “You usually close for lunch around this time, right?”
Nodding slowly, it took a few seconds for his brain to come back online. “Yes, Sir, Mr. Boyd.”
How could he just keep getting cuter?
“Would it be okay if we talked over your lunch break? I have a few things I need to discuss with you and I think privacy might be a good idea.” And based on how the first part of the conversation went, I was seriously considering a second topic…because putting off the personal side wouldn’t make it any easier. “If you’d feel more comfortable with other people around, I can call over someone like Kenzie or the deputy to hang out while we chat.”
Instead of looking more relaxed, Stefan cocked his head and looked confused. “I…I don’t know how to answer that since I’m not sure I understand what the discussion will be.”
Nodding to himself, Stefan continued his adorable response before I could find mine. “Kenzie’s conversational topics are always…interesting and while I understand he’s in a relationship with the deputy, I’ve only talked to Deputy Talon about…well, about something unrelated to his role in Kenzie’s life.”
He talked around topics so well I knew I was going to have to take lessons. I wished I could’ve done just as well responding to him, but I knew my limits and it would’ve come out confusing, so, sadly, I had to stick with a simpler response. “I’d like to start with a conversation that relates to your discussion with the deputy the last time he was in the library and then move on to something of a more personal nature.”
Blink.
Blink.
“So…so business first and then personal if that…if that goes well?” Stefan stopped, waiting for me to nod before continuing. “But either way, if I feel the need to have someone else around for the discussions, you’d be fine with that.”
“Yes, Stefan. Your comfort comes before my desire for privacy.” I wanted that to be perfectly clear.
It just seemed to make things more confusing for the cute librarian, though.