Chapter Three
Irving
I fingered the stack of comics in my hands, flipping through the pages and pretending like I was reading, then glancing back up quickly. Across the shop from me, Ezra was leaning against the counter, bobbing his head up and down to some cheesy ‘60s girl group playing on the speakers.
God, he was so damn cute.
How was it possible for a guy to be that cute?
It was something about the way he moved and something about the way he dressed. He was wearing a pink T-shirt with a flamingo printed on the front and a pair of denim shorts that clung to his muscles and the full curves of his butt. As the singers on the speakers harmonized and hummed, he bounced his hips back and forth, his backside swinging while he twirled a finger in the air.
He thrust his hands out, singing along at full volume. “Just because he doesn’t do what everybody else does, that’s no reason why I can’t give him all my love!”
I swallowed hard, trying not to stare while he started playing the countertop like a drum with his hands.
I guess it was the whole package that did me in. Not just the way he moved, or his clothing, or the silly grin that seemed to swallow his face. It was his whole happy, bright style.
I shoved the comics under my arm, smoothing the front of my button-up shirt and running a hand through my hair to make sure my part hadn’t shifted. I had been in the store picking up my comics for a good half hour, lingering despite the fact that I bought the exact same titles every week, picking them up from their exact same spots on the shelves. If I stayed too much longer, the employees might start to get suspicious.
Technically, I supposed, what I was doing could be considered creepy. If I worked at a store and some guy came in every week to ogle my dancing style, I would probably think it was creepy, especially if said guy never so much as bothered to introduce himself to me.
Not that I hadn’t tried to introduce myself to him. God knows, I felt like I tried every week. I combed my hair and put on my best outfits and practiced flirting in front of the mirror. But then I got to the store, and he was just so damn cute, and sexy, and fun.
And me? I did the same thing I always did. I clammed up.
Ezra was still shaking his booty when I approached the counter. I slid my weekly purchases to him and did my best to steady my breathing. He flipped through the covers, taking note of the titles and punching some numbers into the cash register.
“For a guy who is about to read a bunch of great issues, you sure look pretty glum.”
I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. “Excuse me?”
“These are all great issues. You have amazing taste, in fact. Not the best taste of all our customers, but pretty damn close, and you’ve got all the best illustrators here to boot. You always do. So why do you look so… grumpy?”
I glanced down at my shoes and felt my cheeks turning red. This wasn’t the first time I had heard that feedback, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last, either. At my best, I could come across as charmingly deadpan and sincere, but I knew that most people didn’t see me that way. Instead, I tended to seem like a misanthrope, a nerd with a grudge against the whole world.
It was something about the way I didn’t smile enough. My default expression was just kind ofblah. Not quite a frown, but getting there. I had round, soft cheeks, which for some reason made it worse, like my whole face was part of the conspiracy to look like a bummer.
I looked back up, forcing myself to meet his eyes. He had said I always bought the best comics, which meant he had been paying attention to which comics I bought, which meant he remembered me. That should have been enough to make me grin all afternoon, but the second I caught a good look of his silver eyes, my stomach twisted, my smile disappeared, and I clammed right back up.
“I’m fine.”
Ezra shrugged and went back to tallying the comics. “Whatever floats your boat, buddy.”
“Irving.”
Ta-da! You finally introduced yourself! Level unlocked!
“Whatever floats your boat, Irving. I’m just saying, if you’re about to sit down with the newBlack PantherandMeet the Skrulls?” He let out a long, slow whistle, his perfect lips forming an equally perfectO. “I’d be smiling if I were you.”
I did my best to force a smile, a strained expression tugging at the corners of my cheeks. Ezra startled and looked away.
Yikes.
“Thanks for coming in, though! Northstar loves our devoted customers, and I hope we’ll see you next week. Same gay comic book time, same gay comic book station.”
I nodded and muttered a thanks, then snatched my bag and scurried away as quickly as I could, my heart pounding and embarrassment washing over my body. When I got outside, I kept hurrying until I was at the end of the block. The streets of Seattle were always hilly, but this block in the Central Distract was damn steep. When I got down the block, I leaned against the building on the corner to catch my breath and tapped my forehead against the wall a few times.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it.”
