Page 22 of Accidental Blind Date

“I…” Jax looks between us and shakes his head.

“No,” I say quickly.

Luckily, Kai is lost.

“Libby, this is Dax Hemingway, owner of Hemingway books and soon to be owner of our shop. Also, one of my best friends since I left college, isn’t that right, brother? Dax, this is my little sister and soon to be a huge pain in your ass, Libby.”

“Jax…” the word escapes my mouth as my brain scrambles to catch up.

“Dax,” he says, holding out his hand and I realize I have to take it. Then it hits me, all at once, like a freight train.

Jax was a fake name. Lots of people on apps use fake names. Especially if they’re looking for a onetime thing.

Dax is Daxton Hemingway. Of Hemingway books. The largest book and media franchise in the country.

As I piece it all together, one word escapes my mouth. The only word I can think of to say.

“Shit.”

Chapter 5

Dax

“This is Libby…”

Kai introduces me to her along with a spiel of other words, something about her running the shop and being a pain in the ass. But I don’t hear most of it. I can’t process pretty much any of it. Because what are the odds that Libby, the girl from the date I never knew I was going on, the date I wasn’t evensupposedto go on would be the owner of the bookstore my colleague talked me into buying out?

“I’m sorry,” her soft, familiar voice breaks into my thoughts and I have to blink. Her voice isn’t always that soft. Or that quiet. I mentally kick myself in the nuts to get rid of the memory of literally anything from last night.

“For what?” I ask.

“Calling you Jax.”

I feel heat rise to my face and hope that it isn’t visible. Kai is giving me an odd look, and I realize I need to shape up fast. Even if we didn’t hook up last night, I can’t have my business partner and closest friend thinking I’m into his younger sister.

“Common mistake,” I say gruffly. “Happens all the time.”

There is a hint of hurt in her eyes and I hate myself immediately. But Libby lifts her chin and just like that, all the emotion is gone. She knows the game we have to play too.

“So now that we are all acquainted, we can talk logistics,” Kai starts in. “Most of the inventory will probably be tossed unless we rebrand. Dax, I’m sure you know the best way to go about that.”

“Hold on,” Libby cuts in. “You’re going to throw away my books?”

“Not throw away per say,” Kai explains. “But let’s be honest. Most of the inventory is sparse.”

Libby’s eyes sweep the room before landing back on us. “My shelves are full.”

“Your shelves are niche,” Kai goes on and Libby’s gaze slides over to me. As much as I have grown close with this guy over the last few years (he knows how to make money and has an excellent eye for opportunity), the way he is springing it on her kind of pisses me off. It’s not ideal in any transaction to come at the owners blindly. And if I am being honest, seeing Libby upset doesn’t sit too well with me.

“What your brother is trying to say is that Hemingway books have a very specific inventory they must carry. All of the stores need to be identical–”

“Like clones. Impersonal. Dishonest…” she cuts in and it’s a stab I don’t think I deserved. After all, I didn’t know who she was when I rescued her from her date-gone-ghosted.

“We aren’t dishonest,” I say. “We are exactly what we advertise.”

“Until you start pulling strings, changing the agenda.”

“There was never an agenda. Not one that wasn’t made clear from the beginning,” Kai says, not realizing that we are having two different conversations. “Also, Libby, I don’t care if you areon board. We have talked for years about how this shop is going to get stagnant if we leave it as is–”