Sloane:Height isn’t a personality trait.
Riley:It is when you’re 5’6 and he’s literally ducking under doorframes.
Jade:DUCKING UNDER DOORFRAMES
Jade:Riley this is your book boyfriend come to life
Jade:What else?? What did he say?? Did he ask for your number??
Riley:He asked who hurt me when he saw my cheek.
Sloane:...okay that’s hot
Margo:That’s concerning. He doesn’t know you. Why would he care?
Jade:BECAUSE IT’S ROMANTIC MARGO
Margo:It’s a red flag, is what it is.
Sloane:Sometimes red flags are hot
Jade:And some of us are color-blind anyway, so
Margo:That’s how people end up on dateline
Riley:His sister said he’s from Australia. The “mate” thing is just slang there apparently.
Jade:Do you believe that?
Riley:I don’t know. Maybe? It sounded different though. More intense.
Sloane:Intense how?
Riley:Like it meant something specific? I don’t know how to explain it.
The conversation devolved into theories about the mysterious stranger. Jade thought he was a secret billionaire, possibly royalty, definitely destined to sweep me off my feet. Margo thought he was either a stalker or a hallucination brought on by stress and suggested I invest in pepper spray. Sloane reserved judgment but demanded I text her immediately if he showed up again, along with his height, weight, and any identifying features that might help her find him if he turned out to be a problem.
Eventually, the chat shifted to Thursday book club logistics.
Jade:I’ll bring the cheese plate!
Margo:Vodka. Obviously. I’m grabbing three bottles.
Sloane:I’ll bring myself. That’s enough of a gift.
Riley:I’ll post on the main page tomorrow. Theme is “morally gray love interests who would commit murder for you.” Seemed fitting.
Margo:Art imitates life.
Jade:Or life imitates art!! MAYBE HE’LL SHOW UP AGAIN
Sloane:Jade, please.
Jade:A girl can dream!!
I put my phone down, feeling lighter than I had all day. Now I just needed food, sleep, and to stop thinking about gray eyes that flashed amber in bookstore lighting.
That last part was going to be a problem.
