“She must have missed them.” I smile. “I love the book, so I wouldn’t mind having a copy for the office.”
Placing his fork on the table, he studies my face. “Tell me why you love the book so much that you already own two copies of it.”
I look into his handsome face that’s so much more than a strong nose, and a chiseled jaw. It’s the face of the man I’m falling in love with. “I’ve always had a literary crush on the main character. Mr. Darcy.”
He flashes me a devilish grin as his hand hits the cover of the book. “Now I’m going to have to read this damn thing to find out what Mr. Dar
cy has that I don’t.”
I drop my hand on his. “Mr. Darcy has nothing on you.”
***
Jo appeared at just the wrong moment in time. She refilled Barrett’s cup with coffee and offered to bring us a piece of lemon meringue pie to share for dessert.
I didn’t turn that down.
I’m still smiling about the conversation we were having before Jo interrupted us.
“What’s the smile for?” Barrett yanks a few bills from his wallet and tosses them in the middle of the table to pay for brunch.
It’s way more than the cost of the meal. He’s more generous than I realized.
I inch the conversation forward because I want to talk about the ideas for Misty and Rusten’s store. I know where he got them. “Is there anything in Garent’s employee handbook that states that a boss can’t go through his employee’s desk whenever he damn well pleases?”
Leaning back in his chair, he raises his chin. “We’re finally going there, are we?”
Resting my elbow on the table, I sigh. “You found the notebook in my desk drawer, didn’t you? It was under the novels.”
His eyes lock on mine. “You know I did.”
I do know that. When Duke first told me that he was considering buying Rusten’s Reads to rebrand it, I got straight to work making notes of all the changes I felt were necessary.
I was the one who sent him to the store when he was looking for a birthday gift for his mom. She loves to read, so it felt like the perfect suggestion.
He came back to the office from Brooklyn with a copy of Oliver Twist and a determination to save the corner bookstore. I was overjoyed.
I spent hours jotting down ideas for names, a color scheme for the revamped store and community events that would fill the shop with avid readers.
I never showed any of it to Duke because he didn’t have a chance to move forward with the deal before he went to Fire Island.
When I heard Misty talk about the new name, I knew that Barrett had gotten a look at my notebook. I should be mad, but I can’t be. My favorite bookstore is getting a second chance, just like the books inside of it.
I rest my chin on my hand. “Why didn’t you tell me you were saving it?”
He scrapes his teeth over his bottom lip. “The truth?”
I nod. “The truth.”
“You won’t tell Ivan?”
I jut out my hand toward him. Wiggling my pinkie finger, I laugh. “I pinkie swear I won’t.”
He shakes his head. “Is that making a resurgence? Dylan tried to get me to pinkie swear last night.”
I want to ask about what, but I’m way more curious about why he didn’t tell me he stepped in as the savior of Rusten’s Reads.
“Pinkie swearing has always been around.” Dropping my hand, I grin. “Just tell me why all the secrecy about the store.”