“I can’t ask you to do that,” she says, shaking her head fervently.“That’s like, way too much work to ask anyone that I’m not paying.”
“Oh, I’m not interested in your money.”I put my hands up in the air again, and she narrows her eyes at me, a shrewdness I haven’t seen yet on her face.
Unveiling each of these little expressions, these tiny bits of her personality, is endlessly entertaining.I want to take my time, learn them all, like they’re some handbook to understanding her.
“My body, then?”She looks as surprised as I am by the random question, and I blink at her for a few moments, trying and failing to regain my equilibrium.
I’m tempted to tell her yes, her body, that’s what I want—and maybe a part of that is true.But how many bodies have I had?Too many, and though I’m curious about her, though I definitely want her—that’s not what this is about.
“Sadly,” I drawl, “I am more interested in a business partnership than anything.I think that with the rise of Booktok and all the other book spaces right now—” I pulled that reference out of my ass and thank my lucky stars that Em is constantly on social media and keeping Jack, and me by extension, in the loop.
I clear my throat, getting back on track, all while she squirms in her seat.
“I think that a Salt Circle and To Be Read Bookstore team-up this fall could really help us draw a new audience.”I pause, letting my brain soak on the idea, which really is a pretty good one, if I do say so myself.“We could call it the Circle Back Book Club.”
“That is a horrible name.”
I lean forward, pressing my forearms against the table.Something creaks under the floorboards and I hastily sit back as she appears to stifle a laugh.“But you do like To Be Read Bookstore.”
She sighs, crossing her arms over her chest, her lower lip slightly poofed out as she mulls it over.“You know, I am afraid of stroking what appears to be a humongous ego, Aiden, but I actually really do like that name.”
“Oh, it’s not my ego I want you to stroke,” I tell her.
She pins her gaze on me, one eyebrow arched, either out of annoyance or daring me to keep going, I don’t know.
I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell having fun.
“It’s my bank account, Sylvie.Now.”I rub my hands together.“Let’s get a laptop and get this website shit sorted out.”
“I’m not stroking anything, but hey, if you want to set up my website, I’m not going to stop you.I have about eleventy-million things to do.”
“You just start getting settled in, and let me work my magic.”I lean back further, interlacing my fingers and stretching my arms in front of me.The leg of the chair wobbles, and I balance back upright.
“Is falling out of your chair part of the magic?”she asks drily.
“Only if you land on top of me,” I tell her.
This time, there’s no denying the red that rises up her throat, and I feel slightly guilty for flirting with her.
But mostly, I love all of her little responses to me.
Especially the ones that are out of her control.
This might be trouble, flirting with Sylvie might be trouble—but hell, I haven’t had this much fun in months.
Besides, she gets a new website out of it and I get a new business market.Bookstatokagram or whatever they’re calling it.
I might not be a big reader, but I can certainly appreciate untapped potential.
Sylvie stands up, stretching long in front of me, her eyes closed as she elegantly rolls a shoulder, her slight curves moving in all sorts of enticing ways.
Oh, I can appreciate untapped potential, alright.
9
Sylvie
The little nameless black cat settles on the cleared table next to where Aiden’s working, somehow pulling together a website for me almost instantly.
