Bad good things.
And, if I’m being honest, I’ve never really been good at resisting temptation.
Finn, of course, ignores me and bounds out of the room like the traitor he is.
“Afraid I might bite?” Alek asks, one of those knowing smirks tugging on his lips.
“No,” I answer honestly.Only afraid I might like it.
Alek gazes pointedly at the nearby empty tables. “You know, nobody is forcing you to sit here. I’m not holding you hostage.”
A little bit of guilt trickles in at that, because I hadn’t meant for him to hear me. “I’m happy where I am,” I admit, the words tumbling out in a quick, breathless succession.
Alek stills, sucking in a sharp breath as he studies me. “Good.”
I swallow, holding his gaze until I can’t bear the heady, delicious weight of it anymore and focus my attention on my own lunch bag instead. Zipping open the black container, I pull out the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I made this morning, along with a bag of chips. My stomach lets out a loud growling rumble just as I’m taking the first bite, the creamy peanut butter exploding across my taste buds.
Alex frowns. “Do you always eat like that?”
“Like what?”
His frown deepens. “Like a college frat boy who has no concept of nutrition.”
I grin, amusement zipping through me at the slightly disgusted and horrified expression on Alek’s face as I continue to devour my sandwich. “What’s wrong with what I’m eating?”
Instead of answering me, Alek waits until I’ve finished my sandwich before pushing a clear container to my side of the table with a gruff, “Eat.”
Curious, I pull the red lid off and…grimace. “Carrots? Seriously?”
“Eat.”
I sigh, pulling out another container of what I sincerely hope is ranch dressing, only to be disappointed when it turns out to be hummus. “Fine. Whatever.” As I bite into the first carrot stick with a satisfying crunch, I swear I hear a pleased little hum from Alek. We return to eating our meals in silence, my gaze lingering on the man in front of me. Questions spring to the forefront of my mind, things I’venever stopped to wonder about my best friend’s dad before. Has he always run this place by himself? And what made him decide to open a book cover design company? Does he like being the boss, calling his own shots? I like graphic design in general, but it’s not my passion. Not like my artwork is, but I haven’t been brave enough to try to make a living off of that. And I can’t imagine wanting to run an entire company by myself.
From what I’ve seen so far, Alek makes it look effortless.
“Why book cover design?” I blurt out.
For a second, Alek looks startled. “What?”
“What made you want to run a company that does book cover designs?”
He blinks, the confusion clearing from his eyes, replaced with something more contemplative. “Because it’s bullshit what people say about not judging a book by its cover.”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“What’s the first thing you notice about a book?” he prompts.
“The…cover.”
He nods. “Exactly. It’s the first thing people see when they’re at the bookstore. If it isn’t visually pleasing to them, they keep browsing.”
“Hmm. I guess you’re right.”
“It’s the author’s most powerful tool. All it takes is one glance and the reader immediately gets a glimpse at what’s on the inside. I like to think it’s what’s on the inside that counts and it’s our job to convey that.”
I whistle. “Wow…that’s surprisingly deep.”
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by his answer. Caleb told me once that his dad has a keen eye, and he’s somewhat of a workaholic. I suppose someone like Alek Cromwell wouldn’t be the type of person to half-ass anything, would he? It sort of makes me wonder what beingin a relationship with Alek would be like. I bet he’s attentive to his partners, and I bet that’s exhilarating. Having the full attention of a man like this, being the object of his focus….
