Page 16 of Let's Talk About Love

A whole bench and yet he figured shoulder-to-shoulder proximity was the way to go. The control it took to not lean away from him was the stuff made of legends. The effort of not moving made her rib cage shake like she was too cold.

“Are,” Takumi began slowly, “you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why?”

“You seem kind of”—he moved farther down the seat away from her, eyes concerned—“tense.”

“I’m fine. Really.” She balled her hands into fists, pressing them into her thighs.

Talking to him shouldn’t have been difficult. It shouldn’t have taken so much effort to keep it together and stop herself from flailing like a long-limbed Muppet hopped up on sugar. The curious Takumi-induced nervous energy made her hands shake, her throat tight, and her heartbeat echo inside her ears. All she wanted to do was let it out. Maybe then she’d feel better and stop embarrassing herself every other second. And be able to say more than three words at a time to him.

He stared at the parking lot and around the area before turning to her with a determined look on his face. “If you tell me to leave, I absolutely will. I don’t want to force my chivalry on you, but if you could possibly take pity on me and let me stay, I’d appreciate it.”

“Pity?” Was her voice always that squeaky?

“Yeah. It’s late. It’s dark. You’re sitting here. Alone.”

“Well, if you say it likethat—”

“Oh shit. No. I’m not trying to scare you—”

“Done now.”

“—and I’m not implying you need to be protected or anything—”

“Uh-huh.”

“All I’m saying is two people together is better than one, sort of like how you’re not supposed to split up in horror movies—oh my God. I am really messing this up,” he said, laughing. He ran his hand through his hair. “I swear I’m not usually like this.”

“Like what?” Alice was certainlyneverlikethis.

Carnivorous butterflies gnawed away at the inside of her stomach. She tried to focus on the flower pattern on her skirt, but her gaze kept involuntarily going back to him because her eyeballs had apparently developed minds of their own—how splendid. Why was her body so intent on mutiny?

“This,” he said as if she were supposed to understand. “Awkward, I guess? My brain is melting. I figured I could last at least a week before exhaustion set in from working two jobs.”

When he caught her staring, she mumbled, “So, um, two? Jobs?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “This is my evening and weekend gig. Monday through Friday days, I’m a paper pusher in an office until the fall.”

“Then what?”

“I’m going to be a teacher. Kindergarten.”

“Really?” And suddenly, Storytime with Takumi made sense. Essie didn’t force him—he probably volunteered.

“I’m pretty excited about it.” He nodded. “It’s the same school where I did my student teaching. I applied, the stars aligned, and they hired me.”

“Congrats.”

“Thanks. What about you? Is this your only job?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you a student?”

“Yep.”

“Still not feeling talkative, huh?” he teased.