He let the silence hang for a moment, then leaned forward, elbows on the bar, grin widening like a man about to land the knockout blow.
“All right, then. Here’s what I really think. You’ve built yourself a little Neverland in that bookshop. Safe, cozy, timeless. You don’t want to grow up—not really. Because grown-up life means chaos, change, heartbreak, and you’d rather stay put with your books where everything is neat and safe. You hide in stories, so you don’t have to face the mess outside. And sure, you play the part of an adult in your pressed shirts and bow ties, but deep down? You’d rather live in your own private world where nothing ever has to change.”
I felt my ears burning. “That is a gross oversimplification.”
Cody’s grin sharpened. “It’sPeter Pan,isn’t it? You’re Peter Pan in a bow tie.”
I nearly choked on my vodka. “That’s ridiculous!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Bea chimed in, sashaying back just in time to catch Cody’s last guess. “All he needs is a little pixie dust and he’d be flying around this bar organizing the cocktail menu and slipping a coaster under every last glass.”
I simply shook my head. “Strike three.”
Cody slapped the bar, pretending to be outraged. “Unbelievable! Three guesses, all brilliant, all wrong. You’re a tough nut, Beresford. What is it, then? What’s your favorite?”
I smoothed my bow tie and sat back, enjoying the thrill of having the upper hand. “A gentleman never reveals all his secrets on the first drink.”
“That’s your second drink,” Bea pointed out. “And your third is coming right up. Now spill the tea.”
“Sorry. You’ll just have to stew on it.”
Cody leaned closer, eyes narrowing. “So, itisPride and Prejudice. You’re just too embarrassed to admit it.”
“It is notPride and Prejudice.”
“Frankensteinthen.”
“I told you, no.”
“Peter Pan!” he bellowed, loud enough for half the bar to turn our way again.
“For heaven’s sake, lower your voice. And no.”
He groaned dramatically and turned to Bea for backup. “You hear this? He’s freezing me out.”
Bea leaned across the bar with a wicked smile. “Darling, if he won’t tell you his favorite, it’s because it’s something deliciously scandalous. I’m thinking smut. The sort with a cover they hide behind the counter and a title likeThe Duke’s Forbidden Petticoat.”
Cody laughed so hard he nearly spilled his beer. “That’s it, isn’t it?! Smut! You like the spice!”
Suddenly he reached forward and tickled my ribs.
I flinched so violently I spilled what was left of the drink in my hand. “Don’t do that! I’m… I’m…”
“Ticklish!” Cody finished for me.
I put down my empty glass and tried to claw back my dignity. “Maybe. I don’t really know. Nobody’s ever tried to tickle me before.”
Bea gasped like she’d just witnessed the Second Coming. “Nobody’s ever tickled you? Oh, precious, you’ve been living like a monk in a monastery of hardcovers.”
Cody leaned back, grinning from ear to ear as he placed his hands behind his head. “Well, I’ll consider myself your first time.”
My ears burned so hot I thought they might ignite. “If nobody minds, I think that’s my cue to leave.”
I slid off the stool and almost lost my balance before Cody caught me. I didn’t realize just how tipsy I was.
“Woah, woah, steady on there,” he said, his arms tight around me for a moment. “You’re leaving so soon? We were just starting to have fun.”
“Sorry, I have to go. Those drinks seem to have gone straight to my head, and I need to be up early to open the store.”
