“Okay,” I agree. “Tell me your fantasies.”
She rolls her eyes. “Not all at once. I meant, like, over the next few weeks.”
“Okay.” I’m still a little baffled.
“And you do the same for me. Like a fantasy exchange.”
“Uh… can you write down the rules?”
Liv grins. “There’s only one rule.”
“Which is?”
“We both win.”
CHAPTER THREE
Olivia
January 15
rofessor Hottie alert.”
I glance up from the order invoice. Allie Lyons, my good friend and owner of The Happy Booker bookstore, is peering through the front window with a pair of plastic binoculars that came with a kid’s explorer kit.
“Quick.” She drops the binoculars back around her neck and comes over to the front counter, fluffing out her red curls. “How do I look?”
“Your nose is a little shiny.” I take her bag from beneath the counter and pass it across to her.
She digs around for her compact, powders her nose, and freshens her lipstick. She tilts her heart-shaped face toward me for approval. “How’s that?”
“Perfect.”
The bell over the door rings, and we watch as Dean enters the store. He’s handsome as ever with his dark brown hair ruffled by the wind, his cheeks flushed with cold. Beneath his open peacoat, he’s wearing a blue flannel shirt and jeans that hug his long legs. Although he spends much of his time in a lecture hall or at a desk, his shoulders and chest—his whole body—are hard and muscled from his athletic pursuits.
“Hi, Dean,” Allie says breathlessly.
“Hey, Allie.” His voice is like hot water sliding over a polished floor. “How’s that boyfriend of yours treating you?”
Allie smiles, her face getting a little pink. “Really well, thanks.”
“Good.” Dean reaches out to give my long ponytail a gentle tug. “And how’s that husband of yours treating you, Liv?”
I meet his gaze, my heart thumping at the potent combination of heat and tenderness in his eyes. “He does all right.”
“Guess he’d better work harder, huh?”
“Couldn’t hurt.”
“God, you two. Get a room.” Allie fans herself with a magazine and rolls her eyes.
Dean and I smile at each other before he pushes back his cuff and glances at his watch.
“Still off at four?” he asks.
“You can leave early if you want, Liv.” Allie glances around the store and sighs. “It’s not like I’m expecting a dozen people to come in during the next half-hour to stock up on New Year’s reading.”
The Happy Booker has had a tough year, what with a rent hike, customers who browse rather than buy, and a dwindling stock that has left several of the shelves bare. All of Allie’s efforts to increase business—kids’ parties, book clubs, educational seminars, Free Cookies and Milk Day—haven’t stopped the store’s downhill slide.
“Hey, a new biography of Darwin.” Dean hefts the hardcover up from the front display rack and gives it to me to ring up. “And a book about cosmic mysteries. And, um, a guide to aquaponic gardening. I’ve been wondering about that.”
He hands me a few more books. Allie shakes her head at me, her eyes bright with amusement behind her purple-framed glasses.
“Did you ever talk to Brent about finding a way to incorporate a café?” I ask her as Dean heads off to look at the history section.
“Too expensive,” Allie admits. “And I’d never get approved for another loan. I can barely pay off the one I already have, and my credit is maxed out. Brent is still paying off his student loans, and I really don’t want to ask my dad for more help.”
“What about opening the store to other events, like writing workshops?”
“I’d love to, but I don’t know how that will bring in much revenue.” She straightens up a few magazines with a discouraged sigh. “Heaven knows my children’s parties haven’t been much of a draw either.”
I glance to the back of the store, where Dean is browsing the shelves.
“What if I apply for a loan?” I ask Allie. “Like as a business partner?”
The instant the words are out of my mouth, my heart stutters. I’ve never even considered being a business partner before.
Allie blinks. “You want to invest in the bookstore?”
“I can try. If you want me to.”
“Are you kidding? I’d love you to be my partner.” The excitement in her eyes fades a bit. “But I don’t want you to feel obligated or go into debt just to bail me out.”
“If I’m a partner, I wouldn’t be bailing you out. I don’t think I would, anyway.”
“You’d be taking on my business debt, though, which is totally unfair. I can’t let you invest in a failing business. You can’t do that. It’s way too risky.”
“I’d rather do that than see you file for bankruptcy.” I hold up my hand to stop her from protesting again. “Honestly, Allie, I don’t know much about business. I don’t even know the steps in the loan application process. But at least let me look into it. If I can find a way to help you, then I really want to.”
She hesitates. “Okay, but promise you won’t do anything without talking to me first.”