Page 38 of The Ruse of Romancing
Mason
If I’d known the side of Dani that came to light inside a bookstore when she wasn’t signing copies or dodging Spencer’s advances, I would have brought her to Powell’s sooner.
She was fully embracing the moment, flitting between shelves as she perused her options, picking up and replacing books as they caught her attention for different reasons.
I hadn’t read her novel, but based on how books made her come alive, the woman was born to be an author.
And since it was Portland, no one even gave her a second glance for wearing sunglasses inside. Everyone was content, doing their own thing.
“I’ve heard amazing things about this one!” Dani squealed, holding up a young adult book with a black cover, the title written in gold type and framed by blue flowers. “And this cover is so pretty.”
Her fingers lingered on the cover of a different book, this one a special edition with sprayed edges in a swirling, colorful design.
All the cover possibilities had me wishing for my tablet, so I could sketch out all the designs and options, to pull from the inspiration around me. The inspiration that was Dani.
Joane was right. I was falling for Dani, but before it could go any farther, I had to find a way to tell her who I was that wouldn’t completely destroy the fragile trust blossoming between us.
It wasn’t long before Dani’s arms were filled with books.
I offered to help carry some or to grab her a bag, but she kept insisting she was fine as she tried to reach for another book, this one a nonfiction title highlighting the benefits of crystals that she said her cousin Poppy would love.
I was fairly certain half her stack was destined for various family members.
She’d snagged a special edition of Anne of Green Gables for her cousin Lucy.
There’d also been books for Avery, Sadie, and Chloe, each book carefully selected with the person in mind.
The woman in front of me was beautiful, thoughtful, and kind.
And I was the ultimate jerk. My gut clenched every time she called me Allen, a sweet smile on her lips.
I needed to tell her soon. I couldn’t keep up this charade. Every moment I spent with Dani showed me just how special she was, and I would never forgive myself if I messed this thing up with my stupid lie.
Outside of the sketches on the beach yesterday, I still hadn’t shown her my artwork, but that seemed insignificant compared to the fear of breaking the heart of the woman in front of me.
If I couldn’t find a way to tell her, I’d be no better than Rebecca: telling lies to get my way and have my fun, while completely disregarding the needs and emotions of the person in front of me.
I turned a corner and spotted a familiar blond head, as if he’d been summoned by my doubts: Spencer. My gut clenched as I realized Dani was coming up behind me, completely unaware of the disaster she was about to walk into.
Thinking quickly, I turned back to her, pointing the opposite direction.
“I think the romances are that direction. You probably need to check those out too.”
Her face scrunched for a moment as she looked down at the pile of books in her arms. “How do I have this many books without having even looked through the romance section yet?”
“It’s probably a sign that you need a bag,” I said, my voice full of humor even as I felt the building worry that Spencer would round the corner and ruin everything.
She sighed, but headed up the aisle, away from where I’d spotted Spencer. “You’re probably right.”
I watched until she was out of sight before quickly walking to where I’d seen my best friend.
If I was lucky, maybe I could get him out of the store before he saw Dani.
I briefly considered just hiding from him.
Powell’s was huge, and I probably could pull it off, but I dismissed the thought, deciding to risk a direct approach for quicker results.
“Spencer! I thought that was you,” I said, snagging his arm and dragging him a few steps away from where I’d last seen Dani.
“Mason? What are you doing here?” Spencer asked, stepping out of my grip and looking at me in confusion. “Last time I checked, the only bookstore you visit is mine when we’re talking about a commission.”
“I’m, uh,” I scrambled to think of a reason I’d do something so out of character willingly, “here on a date.”
Even as the words escaped, I winced, knowing Spencer would want all the details.
Most guys would have patted me on the back, said something like “all right man!”, and moved on.
Not Spencer. Clearly I wasn’t firing on all cylinders tonight.
Maybe I should have opted to hide from Spencer, turn this evening into a giant game of bookstore hide-and-don’t-seek.
“Dude! What’s she like? I’ve got to see the girl who dragged you on an actual date to Portland.
Is she close by?” He stepped around me, looking for my “date” and I hurried to block his path before he inadvertently stumbled into Dani.
Even with my baseball hat and sunglasses on, there was no way Spencer wouldn’t recognize her.
“Oh, I think she’s that way,” I gestured vaguely, and Spencer turned just in time to catch sight of a woman wearing all black, her ears gauged, piercings and tattoos covering most of her exposed skin, and her hair dyed jet black.
Spencer’s wide eyes whipped back to me. “Her?” He asked in a tone that I would have found humorous in literally any other situation.
“Yep,” I lied. “My grandparents met her at church,” I scrambled to figure out a story for how I could have possibly connected with the goth beauty in the corner who was clearly the opposite of any woman I’d normally date. “Grandma thought we’d hit it off. It’s been... an experience.”
I paused and then grabbed Spencer’s arm like I’d just had an epiphany.
“You’ve been wanting to date more, right?” I asked, only feeling a little bit guilty using my friend’s lacking social skills against him.
“Yes,” he said slowly, pushing his glasses up his nose from where they’d slipped down during our conversation, “but what does that...”
I looked significantly back and forth between Spencer and the woman in the corner and his eyes widened even more.
“Oh no,” he said, shaking his head vigorously as he backed away from me, nearly running into an unsuspecting elderly woman headed to the checkout with a cookbook. “Oh no, no, no. I don’t think... She’s not really...”
“Come on, Spencer, this is the perfect chance to practice. Low pressure, at a bookstore. What more could you want?”
“Maybe a woman who doesn’t look like she’s going to murder me and use my body parts to cast a spell?” Spencer said, his voice cracking slightly.
“Eustasia’s a really nice girl, once you get past her prickly exterior,” I said, grabbing his arm and trying to guide him over to my unwitting accomplice.
“You know, on second thought, I have enough books at my own bookstore. No need to shop at the competition,” Spencer said, breaking from my grasp. “Enjoy your date.”
Spencer fairly ran from the store, nearly bowling several people over in his haste. I fought back my laughter until he was out of the store, relief immediately filling my chest at my narrow escape.
“What’s so funny?” Dani asked, coming up behind me with a bag over her shoulder and at least three more books in her arms.
“Oh, just something I saw outside the window. It’s hard to explain.”
Dani shrugged, accepting my explanation at face value.
“What did you find?” I asked, eager to change the topic and turning to examine her books closer.
She held up two romances and one romantasy novel that looked vaguely familiar. I’d probably seen them around Spencer’s shop.
“Aren’t these covers gorgeous? I want to read the books, but I’m also going to take them home to show Avery so she can see who the cover designers are. Now that I’m more than halfway done writing book two, we really need to find a new designer.”
“Those are nice,” I said, grabbing the top book and examining the cover with its bold font and bright colors.
It was a beautiful design, but it would clash completely with the current cover of Of Curses and Pomegranates.
“Though, I’m not sure this designer’s style would pair well with your first book. ”
Dani gasped, grabbing my arm. “How could I forget, you’re a designer! What’s your style? I mean, when you’re working on something besides covertly drawing me.”
“It depends on the project,” I said, excited but trying to play it cool as I sensed the opening I’d been waiting for since the day I’d officially met Dani in Spencer’s store.
With that excitement, though, came a sense of guilt that I couldn’t ignore.
I was coming to know and care for Dani, and I couldn’t feel good about using her to advance my career with so many secrets between us.
“You’ll have to show me some of your work at lunch! I want to see if you could be a good fit. Not that I have any control over the decision, but if you’re good, and I’m sure you are, I’ll pass your name onto Avery for consideration.”
I followed Dani as she continued to talk about covers all the way to the row of cash registers at the front of the store.
Just as we were about to hop in line, a display of books caught my eye.
The table was labeled “staff favorites,” with Dani’s book forming a small stack in the middle of the table.
Snagging Dani’s arm, I slowed her dash to the cash register, turning her to see what I saw.
“And you were worried they wouldn’t carry your book. Looks like at least three employees are fans,” I said as I pointed to comment cards placed next to the stack of her book, each one containing the review of a different Powell’s employee.
“Oh, well, that’s just...” She stammered, her cheeks turning bright pink as she bit her lip. She reached up to brush at her cheeks, looking suspiciously like she was crying.
“Hey now,” I said, pulling her in for a hug. “This is a very good thing.”
“I know. I’m being ridiculous. It’s just, I feel silly for all my worries, but then there’s a voice in my head saying it’s a fluke or that—”
I stopped her by pressing a gentle finger to her lips.
“Nothing about this is a fluke. Give yourself some credit and celebrate a win.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right. Why are the negative voices so much louder than the positive ones?” She asked, her voice small and making my heart crack even more for this beautiful woman in front of me.
“I wish I knew,” I said, reaching up to brush away a tear that had escaped from underneath her sunglasses and was currently tracing its way down her cheek. “But I’m making it my personal mission to help you listen to those positive voices from here on out.”
Biting her lip for just a moment, Dani put down the books in her hands and pulled a pen from her purse before glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed a few of the books, quickly scribbling her signature in the fronts.
Once she was satisfied, she capped the pen and slipped it back in her purse, retrieving the small stack of books she’d been carrying from where she’d deposited them on the table.
“Just celebrating the win,” she said, giving me a small, private smile before heading back toward the checkout.
I watched her walk away. This woman was incredible, even if she didn’t see it. I hesitated before following her, snagging one of the copies she’d just signed, a small souvenir from this moment. I checked out behind Dani, making sure she didn’t see what I was buying.
It was the most sentimental thing I’d done in years, possibly since my dad passed away, and I told myself I bought it for research. If I was going to stand any chance of designing Dani’s second book cover, I needed to know what the book was about. But I knew better.
After everything she’d shared with me today, I knew if I wanted to continue getting to know Dani, I needed to read her book. The woman wore her heart on her sleeve, and I had a feeling she’d written a large part of herself into this novel as well.
The question was, if I read her book, would I fall even more in love with this woman who had changed my life in just a few short days? And if I did, would I survive the fallout when the truth about Allen finally came to light?