Page 10 of Let's Talk About Love

Oh no. Not yet. If she could just—

“You’re Alice, right? Essie described what you looked like. I figured I should probably ask instead of staring at you,” Takumi said.

He was tall enough to make her look up.

“Yes. I am. Alice. That is me,” she said, shaking his hand. She prayed he didn’t notice her clammy hands. That he didn’t wipe his hands on his pants because she was pretty sure she’d die of embarrassment.

“I’m Takumi.”

He smiled.

Her eye twitched.

Everything was goingfabulously.

“This way.” She held out her hand toward the elevator. Takumi had broad shoulders and strong hands and dark brown eyes, and THAT SMILE should have been criminal.

The elevator pinged as soon as she pressed the button.

“After you,” he offered.

She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. She didn’t have the capacity to think about that otherthing, so she focused on the cute. She had dreams about this level of cute. They were never supposed to manifest into reality.

He had such a nice jaw. And shiny, shiny hair that had been dyed darkest dark blue. And, and he smelled amazing.

When his gaze turned to her, her eyes zipped to her feet.

“Have you worked here long?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah.”

He hesitated then said, “What’s your favorite thing about it?”

The answer formed itself in Alice’s mind. A beautiful sentence full of wit that would impress the hell out of him. But somehow, duringthe near-instantaneous route from her brain to her mouth, the words decided to have a sudden-death match. The sole victor? “Things.”

He waited for her to continue and when she didn’t, he chuckled. “You’re not very talkative, are you?”

She shook her head.

“That’s okay.” He smiled, laughing a little.

The elevator pinged and opened. Takumi held out his hand (again!!!) for her to go first. Alice marched out of that elevator like she was in a band on a football field in the middle of the summer, complete with sweat trickling down her back. After she had opened the first door on her left, she stood in front of it to let him pass.

“This is the break room,” she said, steeping in a nice cup of self-loathing.

He walked by her and she took a deep breath to calm herself—nope. That was a lie. Alice had had her first creepy moment, crowning herself the creepiest Creepy McCreeperton in existence.

“Badges.” She pointed to the wall.

“Do I clock in?”

“Yes.”

“And my badge should be on the wall?” he asked, already looking.