Page 32 of Saving Little Clark

Alex snorted. "Relax, drama queen. Your shoes are by the couch, your wallet is in your back pocket, and your dignity... well, I think we both know that ship sailed a long time ago."

I glared at him, feeling a flicker of indignation mingle with the anxiety humming beneath my skin. "Rude. See if I invite you along on any more of my dates after this."

Another knock sounded at the door. We swiftly began hiding all the toys and superhero figurines.

Chapter 13: Clark

Alex grabbed my hand and was tugging me towards the door with an excited bounce in his step. Taking a deep breath, I turned the knob and swung the door open.

There he was. Beautiful, stunning, heart-stopping Brody, standing there on my doorstep with a shy smile.

"Hi," he said softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he took in the sight of me. "Wow, Clark. You look amazing.”

"Thanks," I mumbled with a bashful grin. "You look pretty incredible yourself."

He was dressed in a simple button-down shirt and dark jeans, but the way they hugged his muscular frame made my mouth go dry. His hair was artfully tousled, his eyes bright, clear and so damn blue.

"I got you something," he said, holding out a pink gift bag with a hopeful expression. "I saw it at the store the other day and I couldn't resist. I know it's a little silly, but..."

I felt a flicker of curiosity and excitement as I peered into the bag. Amidst the tissue paper and ribbons was a stuffed T-rex with a goofy grin on its face and a bright red bow tied around its neck.

"Oh my god," I breathed, pulling it out of the bag with reverent hands. "This is amazing. How did you know I love dinosaurs?"

"I remember you saying that Jurassic Park was one of your favorite movies," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

I clutched the stuffed animal to my chest, and beside me, Alex let out a low whistle, shaking his head with a wry grin. "Damn, son. You really know the way to Clark's heart. I mean, forget flowers or chocolates. You went straight for the jugular with the dino merch."

Brody laughed, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "What can I say? I'm a man who knows what he wants, and what he wants is to see Clark smile."

Alex, of course, chose that moment to embarrass me. "Oh man, Clark. I can't believe you never told Brody about your childhood dream of having a pet dinosaur. You told me it was all you could talk about for like, three whole months. You even had a whole elaborate plan for how you were going to train it to be your loyal steed and ride it to school every day."

"Is that so?" Brody asked, his voice low and teasing. "Well then, I guess I'll have to step up my game for our next date. Maybe see if I can track down a real, live T-rex for you to adopt. I'm sure that would make quite the impression at the office."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm pretty sure I’d win Employee of the Month on the spot."

"So," Brody said, his thumb stroking over my knuckles. "What are we going to name this little guy, hmm? How about Barney?"

I shuddered, shaking my head vehemently. "Oh god, not Barney. I still have nightmares about that creepy purple abomination. The only thing worse than his incessant singing was the dead-eyed stare he used to give the camera when he thought no one was looking."

Eventually, we settled on a name that felt just right.

"Rexy McFluffykins," I said, holding the stuffed animal up with a proud grin. "Loyal companion, fearless adventurer, and certified badass in the world of prehistoric playthings."

"Well!" Alex said brightly, clapping his hands together like a camp counselor trying to wrangle a group of unruly toddlers. "As much as I hate to break up this little lovefest, I just realized that I have a very important thing to attend to. You know, a thing that requires my immediate attention and cannot possibly wait another second."

I blinked, turning to look at him in confusion. "What thing?" I asked, my brow furrowing. "I distinctly remember you saying that you were free as a bird all night long. You’re tagging along for the date, remember?"

Alex waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, you know how it is. I’m like a busy bird. Things come up. Urgent, unexpected bird things. Nests to build, worms to catch, eggs to sit on. That sort of thing. A bird's work is never done, you know."

I stared at him, my mouth falling open in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. He couldn't honestly expect me to believe that he had sudden, pressing bird-related duties that required him to abandon me in my hour of need.

But as I met his gaze, saw the mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the barely suppressed grin tugging at his lips, I realized that was exactly what he was doing. The little shit was trying to give me an out, trying to push me out of the nest and into Brody's waiting arms.

"Alex," I said, my voice coming out small and pleading.

His expression softened, his hand coming up to squeeze my shoulder with a reassuring firmness. "You don't need me. You just need to trust yourself."

Before I could get a word out, Alex was already bounding towards the door, his steps light and jaunty with barely contained glee.

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