Page 13 of Betting on the Best Friend
Her cheeks show a faint flush. “I checked there first, but those books looked too general. If you’re busy, I can go back and read through the indexes on my own.”
“Not busy at all.” I like Sydney. Despite Ruby pointing it out like I’m clueless, I’d sensed Sydney was looking for a reason to talk to me again when she came in last week. “Let me see what I can find in the system for you.”
I adjust my monitor and start a search. “Brace yourself because this could take a minute. Or ten. Like I mentioned, the collection at the central branch is great, and if that doesn’t turn up anything, we have some academic databases I can check for articles.”
She settles her forearms on the counter, and I adjust the screen so she can see. She’s not in my space at all, but she’s close enough that I catch her scent. Something floral, maybe? But it’s subtle. It suits her. I’m flattered by her signals, but I keep my setting at “friendly helper.”
“Looks like you’ve already checked out the most relevant books in the city collection,” I say, scanning what’s available. “One day I’ll convince the director that we need to quadruple the size of our geology collection, but so far, she’s not buying it.”
“Oh. That’s too bad.” Sydney starts to straighten.
“Not so fast,” I tease. “Academic articles, remember?”
“Right. Fancy database.” Her tone is pleased.
I haven’t always been a chump. If Sydney had come in even seven months ago, I would have asked her out. I was still shoving down romantic feelings for Ruby. I went on my own dates. But six months ago, when she dumped Niles, the dam inside me broke, and suddenly I was drowning in Ruby.
“Oh, hey, you here for more rock books?” Ruby asks, walking toward the reference desk. Her smile probably looks friendly to Sydney, but I know Ruby too well: that’s triumph curving her ruby-red lips.
That woman rocks a red lipstick. If she wears it with one of her sexy librarian outfits, it kills me. (Ruby doesn’t have a Sexy Librarian outfit rotation. She turns normal things like a blouse buttoned to her chin and a straight skirt to her knees into Sexy Librarian clothes by being sexy and working in a library. She hates the sexy librarian stereotype.)
“I am,” Sydney says. She blushes again, deeper this time, probably feeling obvious. If only she knew Ruby is fully Team Sydney. “I don’t have great research skills. Y’all are nice to be so patient with me.”
“What do you do for work?” Ruby asks as she rounds the desk to man the other computer.
Sydney makes a sound between a squeak and a hiccup before she goes even redder. “I’m a paralegal.”
Ruby’s eyebrow goes up, and her expression says what her mouth, thankfully, does not.You mean you do one of the most research-intensive jobs around?
Sydney clears her throat. “I meant I don’t have great general research skills. I’m pretty good in a law library.”
“No doubt,” Ruby says. “I hope Charlie is being helpful.”
“He is,” Sydney says. But she’s guarded, her look moving from Ruby to me, probably drawing an accurate conclusion.
“I need to tell Charlie something super unprofessional for a second, and then his mad search skills are all yours,” Ruby says.
Sydney starts to say, “Sure. I have to go—”
But Ruby is already talking. “It has begun. First date tomorrow. Dinner with Sami and Josh and a lawyer named Ed.” She flashes a smile at Sydney. “My roommate and her boyfriend are playing matchmaker for me.”
Sydney doesn’t finish her thought, closing her mouth and looking from Ruby to me again.
“Already?” I ask, hoping I sound semi-distracted and not tense. I should have known the girls would jump right in.
“Did you forget who I’m dealing with? Anyway, update over. Go back to minerals.” Ruby wakes up her computer and starts typing like she’s not going to eavesdrop on every word we say.
“Good news,” I tell Sydney, turning so I can’t see Ruby. “This looks promising.” I point to the article title. “Contemporary Approaches to Rare Earth Mineral Mining.”
“Perfect,” Sydney says.
“Great. I’ll send that to print for you. Anything else I can help you with?” I ask.
Sydney glances around the reference area. When she fails to come up with another excuse to stick around, she gives me a friendly smile and shakes her head.
“That should do it. Helpful as always. Thank you, Charlie. I better get back before my lunch break is over.”
“No problem,” I tell her. “Have a good day.”
