‘Right.’ He nodded.
‘Like, sometimes I’d make plans to go out and a friend would text to cancel because they had to work late and they’d apologise and feel bad about it, but I’d literally dance around with excitement, because it meant I could stay in and read.’
‘Wow,’ he said. ‘You really are passionate about books. And what about if you had a date? Would the same rules apply?’
‘Yep. Those were usually shit too.’
‘Have you dated since your ex?’ Ben asked.
‘I tried. Joined some apps and went on some dates, but every time I did, I wished I’d stayed at home. I’d be sitting there with the guy who usually looked nothing like his profile pics, wondering why I’d shaved my legs and left my flat to come and listen to him talk about who he thought would win the Champions League, dreaming of being at home with my book and spending time with my latest fictional crush.’
Ben nodded, then tilted his head like he was deep in thought.
‘That’s it!’ He jumped up. ‘I’ve got it!’
‘Got what?’
‘An idea for the videos that will be great for the target audience and reflect our personalities. Well, it’ll fit your personality more than mine, because in reality this would never happen to me, but I’m happy to take the piss out of myself if it’ll help the library.’
‘I don’t follow.’ My face crumpled. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Ah, yes, sorry. Let me explain. So what I’m thinking is that we use part of your original idea.’
‘Okay,’ I said, keen to hear his suggestion.
‘So, imagine, you’re reading in Love & Lattes or somewhere else in the library like you said.’
‘Right.’
‘You’re reading your book, and I come up to you and say, “Hello, Sarah, may I just say how beautiful you look today.”’
I blushed, then chastised myself because obviously he didn’t mean it, he was just giving an example of what we’d have in the script.
‘You’d then look up from your book and say, “Thanks,”’ Ben continued, ‘then I’d say, “I was wondering if you’d like to come out for a drink with me tonight.” Then there can be some kind of dramatic pause, your eyes pop and you blush because obviously you’re blown away that such a fine specimen like me has asked you out.’
‘Purlease!’ I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to smile.
‘Then you’d say something like, “That’s really kind of you, Ben, but I’m reading this super cool romance and the friends are about to become lovers.”’
‘I don’t think I’d saysuper cool, but I get the point.’
‘Good. Then I’d say, “Got it. Not evenIcan compete with that. Happy reading!” And then you go back to reading your book and fanning yourself because stuff’s getting heated between the characters. So that would make the followers want to find out more about what book could possibly be so good that you’d want to reject a god like me. What do you think?’
I paused, then smiled.
Dammit.
That was actually a brilliant idea. Why hadn’t I thought of that? It was like everyone but me was on fire with their creativity right now.
‘I like it. Alot,’ I admitted. I had to give credit where credit was due, no matter how much it hurt.
‘Really?’
‘Really,’ I said. ‘It’s a great idea.’
Much better than what I’d come up with.
‘Brilliant!’ Ben beamed like he was genuinely chuffed to get my approval. ‘But like I said, obviously no one would believe thatyou’d turn down a date with me to stay home and read, because clearly that would be ludicrous, but it’ll still be fun.’
