Page 47 of An Overdue Match
None of it matters because I know exactly how things will play out if I allow myself to walk down that road at this time in my life. I can’t do it. Not yet. I’m not strong enough to watch the desire dim from a man’s eyes again when he looks at me after he realizes I’ve been stripped of basic physical features we take for granted. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be strong enough to risk that again.
I pull into the library’s back lot and park in the space farthest from the building, leaving the closer spaces for our patrons. There’s a cloth tote full of books in the back seat that I need to return, so I grab those and make my way to the rear entrance, key in hand. Both Hayley and Martha’s cars are sitting in the upper lot. Looks like my little detour to Cotton-Eyed Cup of Joe has made me a bit later than I expected. And all for nothing.
I sigh and slip the key into the deadbolt, unlock the door, then step into the dimly lit building. I lock the door behind me. There’s still five minutes until we officially open.
“What have you been up to this morning?” Hayley’s voice comes out of nowhere.
I give an unladylike squeal, pressing a palm against my knocking pulse. “Sheesh. You about gave me a heart attack.”
Her smile is unrepentant. “Sorry.”
“Sure you are. I swear you’re the master of jump scares. You should hire yourself out to haunted houses around Halloween. You’d make a pretty penny.”
She falls into step next to me, her grin wide. “I never beat you to work. Hot date keep you out late last night?”
A jumble of sounds clog my throat. Like Scrabble tiles being shaken in a Yahtzee cup then spilled onto a table, the letters are there to form a response, but they aren’t in any intelligible order to form coherent words.
I hadn’t thought about this aspect of my arrangement with Tai. Of course people are going to see us spending time together and form their own conclusions. Unless our not-a-real-date outings are beyond the city limits. Is that a stipulation I should make?
Or maybe I should let people, and Hayley especially, think we’re dating. Maybe that will get her to stop dropping hints about my lack of a love life. She’s been subtle so far, but I know my stance on staying single is driving her curiosity to crazy-monkey heights. Pretty soon she’ll no longer be appeased by my vague answers and throw down the friendship card to try to get me to spill.
I plan to tell her about my alopecia. One day. It’s not like I think she’ll see me any differently, it’s just ... well ... yeah, she might see me differently. I’m not ready to give up my anonymity and normalcy yet.
Saying I’m dating her cousin will throw her off my scent, if only for a little bit. We’ll have to concoct some plan about our mutually ending the relationship once I’ve successfully made a few love connections and gotten to know my fellow townspeople enough not to need Tai’s help anymore. I’m sure I can think of something convincing that won’t paint either of us in a bad light.
“Actually—”
“What am I saying?” Hayley shakes her head. “Evangeline Kelly doesn’t date.” She peeks in my tote and retrieves the top book. “Your tardiness must’ve been caused by—” She reads the title, then looks back at me with a smirk. “Got a thing for elves and hobbits, huh? No wonder no mortal man can do it for you.”
“Yes, you’ve found me out,” I say dryly. “It’s the heroes of Middle Earth for me or none at all.”
She laughs as she hip-checks me. “My cousin never stood a chance.”
An image of Tai in battle armor fills my imagination. He may be on the shorter side, but the definition of his muscles and the broadness of his shoulders make me think he could fill out a suit of armor nicely.
Time to think of something else.
“Did you reread the series for the book club discussion today?” Hayley asks. “I can’t imagine this is the first time you’ve made it through Tolkien’s classic.”
“Third time, and yes.”
Hayley returnsThe Fellowship of the Ringto my tote. “Will I lose librarian street cred if I admit that I’ve never read the series?”
I stop and stare at her. How could she make it through her academic career without cracking the spines ofLord of the Rings? Even more baffling, how could she have never read the books for sheer pleasure?
“If I had the power to fire you, I’d do so here and now.” I start walking again. “I feel like I don’t know you.”
“I’ve never read a single Brontë novel either.”
She’s like the Luftwaffe, dropping bombs left and right.
I shake my head. “And you call yourself a librarian.”
She giggles and pulls on my arm. “What were the names of those children who got lost in a wardrobe?”
I dig in my heels, my lack of movement and her grip on my arm swinging her around to face me. “The Pevensies? You’ve never readThe Chronicles of Narniaeither? Have you ever readanybook?”
She looks at me, then bursts out laughing. “Oh, Evangeline, you should see your face.” She hooks her arm more fully through mine. “I’m so glad you moved here. I knew the moment we met that we would be bosom friends.”
