Stacy floated by but stopped when she saw Alice’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Hopefully nothing.” Alice tucked her book close for comfort. “I still need a few volunteers.”
“So start asking.” Stacy cocked her hip. “It’s harder to say no to a person than to a piece of paper.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just give it back like this.”
“Come on, assert yourself.” Stacy dropped her arms. “It’s just like with the library board. If you would have asserted yourself a little more, they might have appointed you instead of Russ.”
Alice had coveted the last open spot in the board, but it had been offered to Russ. And of course, it should go to him. He was college educated and a playwright, for heaven’s sake. He made his living using words, and she made her living selling trinkets at dollar-store prices. If she’d had to choose between them, Russ would have won, hands down.
“No, they want someone with a college degree, and I’m not that person. Not yet, anyway.”
“I think they’d be lucky to have you now.” Stacy’s eyes lifted to the clock. “Oh jeez, is that the time? I have to stop at my parents.” She donned her jacket and knit hat. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” Alice paused to add her name to the Thursday list.
She’d pushed herself into flirting over the phone with Russ earlier and had gotten a favorable response. Of course, that didn’t mean he would ask her to the Halloween dance. If she was alone that night, she could always hide in the library loft, like she had on prom night. She’d been up there, crying silently, when Lillian had arrived with a box of tissues, a giant candy bar, and a stack of romances. She’d set them in Alice’s lap and left without a word.
Alice would hint to Russ about the dance. But she’d make sure she had a good romance on hand—just in case.
Chapter Five
Russ shoved his laptop away in disgust. His work in progress was more like of an exercise in frustration than playwriting. The romantic comedy with a Cinderella twist was as elusive as a wisp in the autumn wind. Each time he felt like he was getting close to something magical, it flitted away, only to tease him in the distance. On top of that, his characters were wooden, mere puppets instead of people. And try as he might to spark something between the fair maiden and the hero, he just couldn’t get them to cooperate. His most recent attempt, strained and lacking, mocked him from the laptop screen.
Pulling the computer towards him once again, he clicked out of his manuscript and into Amazon, where he looked for a copy ofThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobefor Lillian’s collection. She’d warned him away from Amazon, but he had to check. Who knew when or where people were supposed to find old books if they didn’t start there?
Over a hundred pages of options loaded, and he spent the next fifteen minutes combing through them. Most were paperbacks with colorful Hollywood images on the front and not at all what Lillian so clearly specified. Deciding it would be more fun to search with Alice, he clicked out of the page and sent her a text.Wanna look for books at The Bottom Drawer this weekend?
She sent back a thumbs-up sign.
He grinned, thinking of the goofy smile she made when she gave him a thumbs-up in person. She stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes, making him laugh. He laughed a lot when they were together. He wished they were together right now. If only he could get this play done, then Graham would get off his back and he’d be able to hit the trails with Alice before the first snowflakes fell.
His phone beeped, giving him another reason not to work on the play. Tapping on the text icon, he was pleased to see a message from Gabriella.
I’m coming to town in two days. Will you be around?
His grip on the phone fumbled, and it hit the floor.She’s coming. Holy cow! He had to handle this with a level of calm he didn’t feel.
What could he say that wouldn’t sound too forward and yet express interest? Scrambling for the phone, he forced himself not to type until he had a plan. Gabriella often had to go just when their conversation turned from flirty and fun to more serious matters. He figured she had some trust issues—he’d seen the show. After several minutes, he finally typed,Working hard. Should be here.Confirmation without a commitment. Perfect.
All work and no play make a boring life.
He grinned.Not sure I remember how to play.
I’ll remind you.
I’ll look forward to it.
You’d better.
Russ set his phone aside. He liked Gabriella to have the last text as if she were waiting for him to respond. In real life, shewas the one with the busy filming schedule, the publicity appearances, the meetings with Hollywood executives, and the like. And he was the one who built a nest around his computer and took vows of electronic silence in order to work.
Gabriella didn’t need to know that he spent the majority of his days in his pajamas in the sunroom off his small cottage, wrapped up in his latest imaginary world and talking to people who existed only in his head. Well, until an actor brought them to life onstage. Then the whole world entered his imagination, and it was thrilling to invite them in.
Shoot. He’d invited Alice to go book hunting. With Gabriella coming, he’d need to move things up. A tumble of excited nerves hit his system at the thought of seeing Alice again. Hopefully, she wouldn’t hold his embarrassingly long embrace in the front seat of his car against him. It wasn’t that he’d planned to almost kiss her. She’d taken him by surprise.
He checked the clock. She should be done with the meeting by now—unless someone invited her out for a hot chocolate or something. Of course men noticed Alice—she had qualities that set her apart from other women. Qualities that made it easy to find her in the library or a crowded barn, or just about anywhere.
