“Darling, I’ve got just the man. He’s ready to drop a bombshell on whoever takes him home from the auction.”
“Really? Who?” Sophie asked, her heart skipping beats.
Ms. Birdie’s smile widened. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to say. At the auction, he’ll be introduced as Mr. X, cloaked in mystery—and quite literally wearing a disguise.”
Sophie felt like she’d just stepped into the pages of a best-selling romance. “Do you know his secret?”
Ms. Birdie nodded, her eyes gleaming. “And before you ask, no, I can’t tell you that, either. But trust me when I say he is book boyfriend perfect.”
A niggle of suspicion weaseled its way into Sophie’s brain. “And he’s willing to reveal his bombshell secret to some random stranger who happens to have deep pockets at the ball?”
It went against all common sense for a man to do that. Even a cinnamon roll book boyfriend willing to sacrifice a secret for a good cause would have to have reservations.
“It won’t be a free-for-all—there are a few loopholes to jump through,” Ms. Birdie assured her. “First, they’ll need a clean slate on a background check and agree to seal their lips with a nondisclosure.”
Sophie’s suspicions eased. “Makes me wish I was sitting on a pile of cash to throw in the ring for him.”
Ms. Birdie’s laughter filled the room. “Keep dreaming big, Sophie. One day, you’ll have that and much, much more.”
A wave of optimism washed over Sophie at Ms. Birdie’s words. “Guess I’ll need his measurements. Need to know what size of superhero cape—er, I mean T-shirt—to tailor for our mysterious Mr. X.”
“An extra-large should do quite nicely for him,” Ms. Birdie said. “He’s quite the specimen—broad shoulders, muscle to spare.”
“Yummy. He sounds like a perfect book boyfriend.”
“Speaking of which,” Ms. Birdie said, her tone now serious. “Have you and Stone had a chance to catch up recently?”
Sophie’s mood shifted as she turned to shuffle through the cardboard cutouts of literary heroes. “There’s nothing left for us to say.”
“Darling, I’m not one to interfere in another’s love life,” Ms. Birdie said, walking up behind Sophie and placing a hand on her shoulder. “But take it from a woman who’s seen her fair share of romances bloom into a garden of happiness, you and Stone were well matched.”
“I don’t know how you can say that.” Sophie turned. “There’s nothing sweet about him.”
“And you think that’s a problem because you’re sweet and romantic and very much a pink girl?”
A pink girl. Sophie pondered the descriptor. It implied girly-girl, which some would take offense at…but Sophie kind of liked it. She’d never pretended to be anything other than pink. She loved being someone who embraced the romantic side of life. And pink was her favorite color. And…oh yeah, Ms. Birdie was waiting for a response. “Yes, I’m a pink girl, and he’s a thundercloud.”
Ms. Birdie smiled like she had a secret, but instead of revealing it, she said, “And what of all those novels you’ve read? Are there none of them where the hero and heroine are night and day but still complete each other?”
Sophie nodded. “I love good opposites-attract romances.”
“See there. Maybe Stone needs a little pink added to his life and, no offense, but maybe a thundercloud every now and then would help keep you from floating away on a dream cloud and missing all the messy wonderfulness of living.”
Sophie gave a strained smile. “Your points are great. But honestly, I’ve experimented twice with dating guys outside of my comfort zone—and both times, it backfired.”
“Once was a disaster, true,” Ms. Birdie conceded with a nod. “But the second time wasn’t about incompatibility—it was just… complicated”
Ugh. Complicated. It was Sophie’s newest disliked word. “An insurmountable complication, more like.”
“Funny things about complications,” Ms. Birdie said in a conspiratorial tone. “They have a funny way of resolving themselves over time.”
Nope. Nope, nope, nope. “Not all of them.”
“Suppose this one did—where do you stand with Stone?” Ms. Birdie asked. “What are your feelings toward him?”
Sophie sighed. Dwelling on her feelings was a waste of time. Theirs was not a complication that would untangle itself. Then again, perhaps if she talked about her feelings, it would help her to untie the knot in her heart. “Just between us? I’m head over heels for him…and so is Poppie. And Stone is the first man Poppie’s ever taken a liking to.”
“Excellent.” Ms. Birdie beamed. “Now, are there any other glitches in your delightful book boyfriend tropes that I may assist you in smoothing out?”
