Page 8 of A Beary Nice View
“Do you enjoy it?”
“Not really,” I say truthfully. “It’s okay. I like my customers. I’m good at it. I make great tips for the most part, but my manager sucks major ass.”
“Are you thinking about trying to find something else? Something you enjoy more?”
I take a bite of my food, chewing slowly as I think about my response. I guess there’s no point in lying. Alaric mentioned he wants to know me, all of me. Why not tell him my dream?
“My dream is to be a professional voice actor.”
Alaric’s face lights up. “That’s incredible! Did you go to school at all for that? Are you thinking video games or more like tv shows? Audiobooks? Tell me everything.”
Something inside of my chest spins out of control in the best possible way. If there was any ice before, it’s all melted away. He sounds so genuine to hear about my dream. So interested to truly know me.
Great. Not only is he hot, kind, and willing to spend his money on me, but he seems like a genuinely good guy. My heart didn’t stand a chance, did it?
“I’m honestly willing to start with anything to get some exposure but my ultimate dream would be to voice video game protagonists. I’ve taken a ton of acting and voice classes. I’ve done a few audiobooks already and there are some radio dramas out there that I’m a part of but so far, I haven’t landed anything bigger than that.”
“Maybe someday you’ll let me listen to some of your works.”
“Maybe,” I say with a smile. “They’re kind of embarrassing.”
“I doubt it. Anything that has you sounding that passionate must be amazing, Dell.”
Oh gosh, I don’t know how much of this my heart will be able to take. At any moment, it feels as though it might actually leap out of my chest towards the man sitting across from me. I’m overwhelmed with the way Alaric makes me feel but at the same time, I wouldn’t change a thing.
“You probably say that to all the cute boys.”
“I don’t. I haven’t been on a date in years and none of those dates ever felt like this.”
“Oh? Is this a date? I would have dressed better,” I say, trying to make a joke.
“This could be a date if you wanted, Dell. Plus, it’s hard to dress up after getting hit with a truck.”
Instead of scolding him yet again, we both laugh. I have a feeling the truck thing is something he’ll never let himself live down. As much as I’d like to keep on him that it truly isn’t a big deal, I’m okay with this becoming something like an inside joke between us. The idea of having inside jokes with Alaric makes me smile.
“I guess you’ll just have to work on making it up to me.”
“Lunch and laundry isn’t enough?”
I smirk. “It’s a good start.”
His eyes sparkle with amusement. “I’ll work my ass off, don’t you worry. Once I put my mind to something, the only way I’ll stop is if I’m asked to stop.”
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I find a sliver of boldness. “Well, I’m not asking you to stop.”
Chapter Five
Alaric
Ipullacartfrom the bay, pushing it into the store. The AC hits us as we walk in, cooling us from the heat outside. Getting to know Dell is a wonderful experience. Every time he shows me a new facet of himself, I feel entranced. Like a bug caught in a web, I become more and more tangled, unable to escape. It’s a good thing I have no desire to do so.
“What do you need?”
“Everything,” I say with a chuckle. “I need to restock my fridge, so milk, eggs, sandwich fixings, veggies, and fruits. Plus, I’d like to see what they have this week on sale for meats.” Then I wince, turning towards him. “Is that okay? I know you’re a vegetarian. It’s not like fucked up if I buy myself meat right now?”
Dell giggles, shaking his head. “I don’t mind at all. Even though I don’t eat it doesn’t mean everyone around me can’t!”
“Okay,” I say slowly, “just making sure. The last thing I wanna do is send you screaming for the hills because of my grocery list.”
