“Oh!” Sadie says as she pulls her lips away from Hudson. “That book you had me order came in about an hour ago. Quinn wanted to read it, too, so I bought extra copies.”
“Really?” Brooke beams and steps out from the bookshelves with a smile that wasn’t there before. “I’ll take it.”
“It's a great book for you and Dutton to buddy read,” Sadie adds.
“Oh, no, no.” I hold up my hands.
“He’s not reading the same book as me, he’s just …” Brooke’s words trail off as Hudson grins at me, his left brow raising in question.
“You should totally buddy read it,” Sadie goes on. “You’ve been looking forward to this book, and the suspense would probably be something Dutton would enjoy. It’s no different from him watching some action movie with blood and guts and?—”
“It’s different,” Brooke cuts her off.
Sadie presses her lips together to hold back a smile as she hands the book to her friend. “Right.”
Brooke seems to be avoiding looking in my direction.
She’s pretty defensive over a book she apparently is eager enough to read that she had her friend order it instead of just reading it on her Kindle.
Hudson wraps his arms around Sadie from behind and whispers in her ear. She laughs, and that’s my cue to give my full attention to Brooke.
I reach for the book in her hand.
Like a ninja, she pulls it back before I can grab it and steps away from me.
“No.”
It’s a full answer. Short and to the point, but fuck does it only encourage me more.
I nod slowly, a grin taking over my lips as I pivot and grab the same book from the stack Sadie left on the counter.
This time, it’s Brooke who tries to steal the book from me.
“Ah, ah, ah,” I say and hold my hand out so she can’t come any closer. “All you’re doing is making me even more curious.”
“You won’t like it,” is her argument.
“I might.”
“I don’t think you will.”
“Let me read the back cover and I’ll be the judge of that.”
I start reading, but Brooke decides that’s also a wonderful time to start talking. Loudly, might I add.
“You were only coming in here to help me pick a book. The book is picked, and now we can pick out your book, a different book, and then go back to finish our food and drinks and be on with our merry evening.”
I chuckle but go back to reading.
I only make it through the first line before I decide that we should, in fact, buddy read this book. It does sound slightly interesting, but mostly because Brooke doesn't want me to read it, and that only makes me want to know why. Since she won’t tell me, I have no doubt the book will.
“I’ll take it,” I tell Sadie and put them on the counter. “Charge hers to my card, too.”
“Oh my god, Dutton, no,” Brooke says and slaps the card from my hand.
I chuckle and pick it up off the floor.
“This is a fun side to you I didn’t know,” I say and make sure Sadie takes my card this time.
