Page 9 of Bookworm
"Why are you smiling?" he asked.
"A smile is an excellent way to improve an awkward situation," I said."Or at least,that's what I read once."
Bo's jaw ticked.
Gripping my books to my chest, I added, "It may also be a defense mechanism. I laugh at inappropriate times, smile when I'm nervous. That kind of thing."
"I make you nervous," he said.
"One hundred percent," I said back. There was no use lying. My cheeks were starting to hurt I was smiling so hard.
Bo, on the other hand, looked like he was gritting his teeth. Then he asked, "So, you ever going to answer myfirst question?"
I looked up, feigning thought. "What was it again? As I age, I find that I'm super forgetful, so…"
"You, spying on me at the library," Bo said.
"Ah that," I murmured. "I can explain."
He waited.
"There's a really good reason for what happened.I'm sure you'll find it hilarious."
"Stop stalling, Kent."
Alright then.
"I was checking to make sure you and Addison weren't up to any shenanigans," I said.At his look of confusion, I cleared my throat. "By shenanigans, of course I mean, making out, hooking up, having relations, or as they say in Britain, snogging."
Bo's lips twitched. "I see. So,you wanted to see me snogging?"
"No, absolutely not." Igave my head a vehement shake. "As a library volunteer, we have certainduties. One of them, apparently, is making sure no one's getting busy in the stacks. In my defense, I only recently discovered this was a thing. I had every intention of leaving once I assessed the situation."
"And how long did you stand there?" he asked.
"Not long," I said quickly.
Bo's brows lifted. "Your voice just went up a notch."
"It did?"
"Hmmm," he said. "I call B.S."
Jeez, was he a human lie detector or something?
Putting a hand on my hip, I said, "Okay, I heard some stuff.Only enough to get the gist of the situation. AndI've got tosay Addison was harsh. I mean, sure you're a little frosty andclosed off—"
Bo's lips pinched, and I hurried on.
"—but you're not a robot. That's just absurd."
I shook my head.
"If anything, you're more like a disgruntled koala bear."
His glare only grew.
"And the flower shop is awesome," I went on."I know I've never been inside, but the outside is so lovely, vibrant, and whimsical. I'm surethe interior is just as fantastic."
