Andrew’s relieved smile grows quickly. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
I start wandering around, reading the labels on the bookshelves. “Where’s the science fiction?”
A woman who looks to be college-age approaches us. “Is this your first time in?”
Andrew immediately steps in to speak for us. “I’ve been in a few times before, but this is Emma’s first time.” He tilts his head in my direction.
She nods in excitement. “My dad owns the bookstore, so I know this place like the back of my hand. The nonfiction is toward the front. The fiction is in the middle, and the children’s books are in the back. If you need anything at all, let me know,” she says with a friendly smile.
“She seems nice,” I note to Andrew as we walk toward the middle of the store.
“Her dad is amazing. I wish he was here. He gave me all kinds of book recommendations last time.” He looks down at the ground, disappointed.
“It’s okay. I don’t like people bugging me at the bookstore anyway. I just like to browse and see what I find.”
He perks up a bit. “Well, this is your reward, so you get to choose how this day goes.”
“You don’t have to buy me a book just because I went wakeboarding, you know. I had a good time doing it. It’s not like it’s something I regret trying.”
He shakes his head adamantly. “I promised you I’d buy you a book. I’m not going tobreak a promise.”
I give him a soft smile, but inside my heart is swelling as it hits me just how caring Andrew is. “Thank you.”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “Of course!” He begins shuffling some books around on a shelf until he lifts one up to read the back.
We wander through the store in silence for a while, picking up books, reading the backs, and placing them back on the shelf. As I round the corner at the end of the bookshelf, I find the young adult section. Fantasy books have always been my go-to, but starting high school has exposed me to several new genres, so I decide to poke around.
I pick up a book with a beautiful green cover, its title written in delicate white cursive. I don’t even know what it’s about, but I already want to read it because the cover is so magnificent. I know what they say about not judging a book by its cover, but it doesn’t mean a beautiful design won’t catch my eye every once in a while.
I flip it over to read the back and discover it’s a love story between a girl and the boy next door. It’s the perfect book. It reminds me of Andrew and me. While I haven’t read any romance books that aren’t primarily categorized as fantasy, I know I’m a sucker for love because of all the rom-coms Rebecca and I have watched. We spent one rainy day earlier this summer binge-watching movies on Netflix for over twelve hours. We only left her room to grab pizza from the kitchen and ice cream from the freezer. It was the perfect day in my mind.
I open the book up to the first page, curious. I figure I’ll just read a page or two and then keep looking for a book suitable for Andrew to buy for me.
Half an hour later, I’m several chapters deep. This book had me hooked from the beginning. There’s a will they or won’t they plot that leaves me wanting more with each page.
Andrew struts around the corner and catches me reading it. “Looks like you found a keeper.”
I blush a little, hoping he can’t tell what the book is and judge me for being a hopeless romantic.
“Is that the one you want?”
I close the book and hug it to my chest. Idowant it, but I don’t want to tell him that. I know it’s completely nonsensical, but if he finds out what the book is about, I’m convinced he will know I picked it up because it made me think of him, and it will ruin the amazing friendship we have going right now.
I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe we can look around a little more.”
“Are you sure? I saw you were already pretty deep in that book,” he persists.
I glance at the clock on the wall behind him. We’ve already been in here for almost two hours, and we are still supposed to go for ice cream.Stop being irrational and accept his offer!“Okay, yes. This is the one.”
He walks me up to the register, and we checkout with the nice store owner’s daughter. She lifts the book to scan it. Peeking down at the cover she exclaims, “Oh, this is a great book! It’s been very popular this summer. The story issogood. You know this author writes a lot of other good young adult romance books if you like this one. I personally think she has quite a few underrated gems.” She smiles kindly as I die from the shame bearing down on me.
I can feel my cheeks growing tomato-red by the moment. Andrew doesn’t seem too fazed, but I can see the slightest hint of shock at the mention of the word romance. If I pretend everything is normal, maybe he won’t ask me about it, and I won’t have to explain why I picked this book.
We walk out of the store, and he points out the ice cream shop that is right across the street. We cross over and enter with the musical ring of a bell overhead.
I find myself in awe for the second time today. This is no ordinary ice cream shop. There are two full freezers,each with at least a dozen flavors to pick from: fruity flavors with handpicked fruit from local orchards, and sweet flavors with homemade fillings like cookie dough and brownies. There’s even a dark chocolate ice cream with cocoa imported from Brazil.
“I don’t know where to start,” I whisper to Andrew as I gaze back and forth between the freezers. “Do they offer samples?”
