Page 13 of Let's Talk About Love

“Sometimes it just happens,” Feenie said, tone stillsoft. “For me, I just have to be in the mood. Ryan will look at me and it’s go time.”

A deep voice yelled Feenie’s full name in the background. She turned in response, face wrinkled in undiluted aggravation and not so politely told him where heandhis mother could go if he yelled her name like that again.

“I have to go,” she said to Alice. “I swear to God this place would fall apart without me.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at home.”

“That’s right. You live with us now.” Feenie beamed, a question forming in her eyes. “Fuck, I love you. I think sometimes my mind blocks out how much, so every time I remember feels like the first time I’m realizing it.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“Take it and don’t complain.” Feenie rolled her eyes. “Wipe your face and push what happened to the back of your mind for now. Go do something, like start studying a second language so you can get a fabulous job once you’re fluent. My future sister-wife can’t be poor. Someone has to support my ass.”

Feenie had always joked that she planned to marry both Alice and Ryan. And they would both spoil her rotten.

“Isn’t that Ryan’s job?” She wiped her eyes.

“Well, yeah.” Feenie shrugged. “I figured he’d do all the house stuff and you could support my makeup habit.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She sighed. Only Feenie could have calmed her like this.

“But I’m really glad you called me about this. Everything is going to be okay. Try not to think about it for now.”

“Okay. I won’t.”

“Love you.”

Alice adored the way Feenie saidgood-bye. It was always some variation of “I love you.” And if she forgot, Alice would get a text within thirty seconds letting her know.

Feenie was right. She needed to push it to the back of her mind, get some perspective. Tomorrow, when she got to work, everything would be the way it was before she ever laid eyes on Takumi. She’d call it a fluke, yes, a one-off event, due to her body short-circuiting from stress. It wouldnothappen again.

CHAPTER

6

Oh dear God.

She had been wrong. So very, very wrong. The feelings, the sensations, came right back, flooding into her like they had never faded. Alice had always wondered what physical attraction would feel like, and while she didn’t necessarily dislike it, she wished there were a button she could press to turn it back off.

Essie had somehow conned Takumi into leading Storytime in the children’s section. The kids gathered around him in a rapt semicircle, gasping, shouting, and giggling at the appropriate times. He even used voices—it was the most dramatic (and entertaining) adaptation ofThe True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!she had ever heard.

And she was hardly any better. She watched the show from behind the picture-book shelf. Her back began to ache from the tiny chair (and she was sure she had felt the dangerous wobble of the tiny legs from her weight), but you couldn’t pay her to move.

(Which, technically, the library was. She was supposed to be shelving, not watching.)

Takumi was still really, really, ridiculously good-looking (straight-legged light blue jeans with a soft-looking gray sweater pushed up his forearms. And okay, but seriously, those forearms?Man.) and she was still mystified. And attracted. Like a giant dumbstruck moth to a supernaturally beautiful bug zapper. Screaming was most definitely not in Alice’s best interests, but that didn’t stop the urge to want to do it.

“The end,” Takumi said, closing the book. “Who’s next?”

Almost all the tiny hands shot into the air. A few held their books above their heads.

“Let’s do a riddle this time. Whoever guesses the correct answer first wins.” Takumi tapped his chin. “Which letter of the alphabet holds the most water?”

“I know!” A little brown boy stood up.“C!”

“That’s right,” Takumi said. “Which book did you pick?”

The boy toddled toward him, book outstretched. “Can I hold it?”