“What?” His gaze slides to me.
“Nothing.” I pluck my journal from his hands, satisfied when he gives it up without a fight. “We need to let the maintenance guy know we’re done dropping off the table linens so he can lock the banquet hall up.”
“Got it. I’ll be right back.” Alex clasps my shoulder and plants a quick kiss on my forehead. “Meet me in the lobby.”
My tongue twists itself into a useless mess and I stare at his back. There wasn’t anyone around to see, yet he did anyway. He does this stuff so naturally. Kissing my head, holding my hand—for a guy who isn’t known for dating, the boyfriend role suits him.
I cross my arms, wondering if my mom’s AHL player was like that to woo her away from her marriage and family. Maybe they’re all this smooth.
Sighing, I give the ballroom one last check before maintenance locks up. Alex snags my hand on our way out to the parking lot.
He taps the dashboard clock when we climb inside his truck. “Let’s do the tickets now. The quad will be busy with people coming and going for lunch.”
My lips twitch into a frown. “I was planning to get the supplies for the book arch that people will enter under next. But you’re right. If we’re going to maximize ticket sales, then now is an optimal time.”
Nodding, he rests a hand on my headrest to back out, handling the wheel with the same ease as he handles his hockey stick. For some reason, it leaves me short of breath.
Alex doesn’t let me carry the table or the chairs he packed in the back of his truck. I’m ready to fight him over the bi-fold sign, but he lets me carry it by myself. Once we’re set up on the quad between the two biggest dorms on campus, I eye the people passing us with trepidation. This is like the flyers all over again. I feel on display.
“Hey guys. What’s up?” Alex’s smooth voice cuts through the fear creeping up my throat. He rests a comforting hand on my leg and waves a couple over. “Have you seen the flyers for the Ballgowns for Books event? Tickets are on sale now. You get points for a sweet date night and we’re supporting a charitable cause to help a local small business.”
The girl’s eyes sparkle. “I never got to go to my prom. This sounds awesome. I want to do it.”
“We’ll take two tickets,” her boyfriend says.
“Hell yeah. You’re going to have a great time.” Alex rubs my leg. “How much do they owe for two, baby?”
I gulp, not sure if my stomach is fluttering from nerves or from his touch. “Fifty-five each.”
They hand over their money and nod to Alex. “Thanks. Great game last weekend.”
Once they leave, a group of girls buy tickets. Then a guy recognizes Alex and ends up picking up a pair for him and his girlfriend. Within twenty minutes, we have a line. Things move so fast with Alex doing the talking and me handling the money box, my self-conscious anxiety fizzles into background noise, overtaken by the task at hand.
“This isn’t what I pictured,” I say during a lull. “I didn’t know how I was going to get people to come to the table otherthan the sign, or sell enough tickets to make a difference for the bookshop.”
I certainly wasn’t going to get up and talk to people like Alex has. A band tightens around my chest. If I care so much about this, why is it so hard to do what he does without overthinking it?
He gives me a carefree shrug. “Once they see there’s a line, it’s easy. Everyone wants in on whatever’s going on.”
I’ve always seen Alex as an extension of Theo. A hockey player I thought was full of himself like all the rest. But he’s not what I expected. His charisma and crooked smiles aren’t only his weapons for flirting. He’s not an aggressive caveman like Mike.
This side of him has challenged my view on hockey players.
“Thank you for helping out with this. You didn’t have to.”
“This is really important to you,” he says.
I nod, twining the cuff of my sweater around my fingers. “I want to bring the magic of reading a great story to life. To walk through its pages and experience the world within. I…”
Hesitation clogs my throat. I bite my lip, gathering the courage to open up about something I never talk about.
“I love books. They’re my favorite escape. Derby Bookshop means everything to me. Not just because it’s where I work.” I keep my eyes on my hands. “It’s where I found an outlet after my parents divorced because of my mom’s affair. Dad and Theo have always had each other and hockey, but I have my books and a safe place to work hard on my studies.”
Silence stretches after I finish speaking. I lift my head and choke back a gasp at the way his green eyes pin me in place beneath their intensity.
“Lainey—”
“Alex? Oh my god, yes!”
