Twenty minutes later, they’d chosen three for her to read: a psychological thriller, a domestic thriller, and a supernatural thriller.
“You promised you’ve not read any of these?” Sophie asked. “I want to read them with you at the same time.”
“I haven’t. That’s why we have two of each book. Now, shall we join in on the fun and games? We can scout out the crowd and see if there are any stalkerish women hanging around Oliver that he’s blissfully unaware of.”
“Oh yeah. Weird. I keep forgetting about that call.” She laughed. “There’s something about you that makes me a tiny bit more scattered than usual.”
“Same,” he said honestly.
As guests started trickling in, filling the bookstore with a buzz of anticipation, Stone stood in the corner and observed while Sophie got drawn into the preparations, helping Oliver arrange chairs and hand out game materials. He couldn’t help but admire her energy and enthusiasm, even as he kept a watchful eye on the crowd, ready to step in if anything seemed off.
Sophie caught his eye across the room and waved him over. “Come on, Stone. You’re on my team.”
For a moment, Stone allowed himself to be pulled into the spirit of the event, his usual reservations fading slightly in the glow of Sophie’s enthusiasm. As they joined a group of laughing participants, Stone felt the edges of his world expand—a bit of magic that had nothing to do with spells or fairy godfathers, but everything to do with the unpredictable joy of human connection.
He wondered if, when this was over, he really could let himself experience the fall.
Chapter 23
Sophie fumbled with her keys, giggling at her own clumsiness as the world swayed just a bit too much. It was well past midnight by the time they had returned to her apartment, fresh from the buzz of the book party and a spontaneous trip to the nearby bar. Though she had indulged a little more than she should have, Stone remained ever professional, clear-eyed, and alert.
“Thanks,” she said as Stone unlocked the door and stepped inside to flick on the light, casting a warm glow into the otherwise dark apartment. She teetered in after him, leaning slightly to one side.
“For what?” Stone turned to face her with a bemused expression.
“For all the thingies you’ve added that make mine and Poppie’s apartments safer. And for being my pretend book boyfriend tonight. And for wearing my T-shirts.” She slurred slightly, her words tumbling out in a rush. “I sold a gazillion at the party.”
He raised his brows, his surprise evident. “You did? When?”
“All those women whispering at me while you were chatting with the guys. They wanted to know about your shirt, and one thing led to another...” Sophie swayed as she spoke, animated despite her tipsiness. “Next thing I knew, I’d given out all my business cards, and my phone blew up with messages saying I’d just made a sale.”
“I’m happy for you,” Stone said, his voice warm and not even a little slurred. He had managed the evening without overindulging, his professionalism unyielding. “Believe it or not, some of the guys even asked me about it. They thought wearing one of your creations to a bar would be a great conversation starter with women. They might be on to something.”
Sophie giggled, a sound that filled the small entryway. “What? Are you going to buy some for when you’re no longer my book boyfriend, in the hopes they’ll help you with your pickup game?”
“Now, you’re just putting words in my mouth.” He chuckled, leading her through the doorway and locking the door behind them. “But, just for kicks, what is your website where you sell them? I should probably check it out…for security reasons.”
She giggled. She seemed to be doing a lot of giggling. “I bet you can’t guess.”
He nodded. “I bet I can’t either.”
“Find Your Book Boyfriend Dot Com.”
“Yep. That wasn’t ever going to be my guess.” Stone said, his lips twitching.
The sound of a knock caused Sophie to jump. She swirled around, opened the app on her phone, and saw Poppie, his usual mischievous grin in place.
Unlocking the door, she greeted him with a warm smile. “Poppie. What are you doing up so late?”
“I was watchingDie Hardreruns and heard a bunch of high-pitched giggling. Reminded me of when you were young. I couldn’t resist checking in on my favorite girl,” Poppie said as hestepped inside, his eyes twinkling. He looked over at Stone and nodded in approval. “Seems like you’re good for my girl. I can’t recall the last time I heard her laugh like the days of her youth. Back before she had things to worry about. What all have you young’uns been doing?”
Sophie led Poppie into the living room. “We just came back from a book event that spilled over into a bar event.”
She glanced at Stone, who gave her the most uncomplicated smile she’d ever gotten out of him. It was as if in this very moment, he’d let every last one of his guards down and was allowing her to see him for who he really was.
“You know what, Poppie, you might be right.” She winked at Stone before turning to her grandfather. “I do feel a little less stressed having Stone in my life. It’s like he’s taken on all my demons so I can just enjoy this current journey of being a professional daydreamer.”
“I think you might have found a good one this time, Sophie,” he said, walking in and settling into an armchair.
