He seemed to consider that. “It depends. If it’s something complicated and new, then yeah, I will make sure I know what I’m doing. But I don’t need a manual for, say, a hard disk or an iron. I’m pretty confident I know how those work.”
I pushed my glasses back up my nose. “I’ve learned a lot from working my way through all the manuals for my MacBook. I’ve discovered shortcuts I had no idea existed.”
“Let me guess, you’re the kind of person who reads instruction manuals for fun?” His eyes twinkled with amusement rather than mockery.
“Guilty as charged. I even read the terms and conditions before clickingAgree.” I leaned against the desk, feeling surprisingly at ease. “My sister says I’m the only person in the world who does that.”
“Your sister sounds like she keeps you grounded.”
“Chantelle? Oh yeah. She’s a nurse in Montana, and she has absolutely no filter. Calls things exactly as she sees them.” The thought of my outspoken sister made me smile. We were polar opposites, but we loved each other for it. “What about you? You said you had two brothers?”
“Yup, two younger brothers. One’s a firefighter in San Francisco, the other’s a cop in Seattle.” Pride colored Stanton’s voice. “They’re both way more athletic than I ever was. I was always the bookworm.”
“Nothing wrong with being a bookworm.” I gestured around the library. “Look where it got me.”
His warm laugh sent pleasant shivers down my spine. “True. Though I ended up being a reporter before…” He hesitated. “…before making some life changes.”
The way he trailed off made me curious, but I didn’t want to pry. Instead, I said, “A reporter? That must’ve been exciting.”
“It had its moments. Mostly, it involved a lot of coffee and tight deadlines.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of which, I have to go. I have an appointment in half an hour. Meeting with a contractor.”
That meant I needed to get to the point. “Actually…” I fiddled with my glasses, a nervous habit I’d never managed to break. “I was hoping to ask you a quick question? Well, not quick, as in I expect you to answer right away. You can think about it, of course.”
He leaned casually against the desk, and sweet heavens, how did he make that look so effortlessly attractive? “I’m all ears, Pascal.”
My heart did a little skip at hearing him say my name. Focus, I told myself sternly. This was about the teens, not about my silly crush. “I run this program on Thursday nights called Safe Space. It’s aimed at LGBTQ+ teens and allies, so they don’t need to beout to attend. It’s gotten pretty popular, and I could really use some help.”
“Yeah?” His eyes brightened with interest.
“We do crafts, talk about books, hang out. It’s meant to be a space where they can be themselves without judgment.” I grabbed a flyer from the stack on my desk, though my hands shook slightly. “The thing is, we’ve grown from five kids to fifteen over the last two months, and I could really use another adult volunteer.”
“And you thought of me?” The corners of his mouth curved up.
“Well, you’re great with the kids, and I noticed your rainbow flag and the sticker on your truck…” I trailed off, suddenly worried I’d made assumptions I shouldn’t have.
“I’m bi,” Stanton said without hesitation, and my heart did a happy little dance. “And I’d love to help.”
“Really?” The word came out embarrassingly high-pitched.
He nodded, taking the flyer from my hands. Our fingers brushed, and I could’ve sworn I felt a spark. “What time on Thursday?”
“Seven to nine.” I couldn’t stop smiling. “The teens will love you. And it’ll be nice to have another adult to bounce ideas off of.”
“Looking forward to it.” He folded the flyer and slipped it into his back pocket. “See you tomorrow then?”
“You’ll be there tomorrow?” It came out in an embarrassing squeak.
He frowned, looking slightly confused. “You said it was on Thursday.”
“Yeah, but…” I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t sure if you were immediately available. On such short notice, I mean. You could’ve had other plans.”
Like a date with his boyfriend or girlfriend—but thank goodness, I kept that part to myself.
“Ah, gotcha. Nope, I’m available and happy to help.”
I nodded, probably looking like one of those bobblehead dolls. “Thank you so much.”
He gave me another one of those knee-weakening smiles before heading out, and I watched him go, admiring the view. I caught myself and quickly looked away. But now that I knew he was bi…
