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Instead, I lean down to whisper in my companion’s ear, earning a subtle scent of her floral perfume. “We’ve got company.”
Summer glances up, eyes immediately settling on the woman. Instead of hurriedly moving to pack her things, Summer grins wide.
“Jasmine! I thought you didn’t have a break today!”
The woman shifts her gaze between the two of us, eyes lingering just a touch longer on me even as a welcoming smile curves her lips. The stranger has on a dark purple lipstick that looks interesting against her mahogany skin. Summer only paints her lips brighter colors, and I wonder what she’d look like in a darker shade.
But I guess that’s me, wanting to draw her over to the dark side.
“Professor canceled our meeting last minute, so I figured I’d check if you still made it out here. You brought a friend?”
The woman, Jasmine, stands over our table, the sun lighting up the edges of her riotous curls. She makes no move to sit.
“I did. This is Cole Allemand. He’s one of my patrons at the public library. Cole…” Summer faces me with her sweet smile, but I’m barely able to appreciate the glow of it when I register that her hand has landed on my leg. “This is Jasmine Campbell. We were in the same master’s program for Library Science.”
Summer’s gesture is innocent. I bet she barely even notices the fact that her fingers are resting on my thigh. But I can barely concentrate on anything else.
“Nice to meet you, Cole.” Jasmine extends her hand for a shake. The polite thing to do would be to stand. But that means I lose Summer’s touch. So I just reach my long arm out to return her grip.
“And you.” My voice is rough, wanting only to whisper dirty things in the ear of my companion.
“So, you helping Summer with her mission to rid Wikipedia of misogyny?” Finally, the woman settles at our table, sitting on the bench across from us before steepling her fingers against her lips. She has purple nails, too.
“Nah,” Summer says. “I’m still on a solo mission. Cole just wanted help with some research, and I told him about all your lovely databases.” Her voice takes on a dreamy quality.
Jasmine chuckles. “You could have had regular access to them if you went the academic route.”
“You mean, Summer working at the university?” I ask. The thought sends a hint of panic through me.
Is she leaving her job? How can I casually woo her with my author status if she’s not around to hear about the achievement? What am I going to do if I can’t see her, talk to her, for even the scant time I allow myself now?
“We do have an open position.” Jasmine directs the comment at my librarian.
My hand acts on its own, covering Summer’s, gently pressing her palm into my jeans, silently begging her to stay with me. Just a little longer. Once I’ve convinced her to fall in love with me, she can work wherever. Because we’ll be connected already.
“Thanks, but no. You know I love public libraries.” Summer waves the offer away with her free hand, the motion easing my anxiety.
“I guess.” Jasmine appears skeptical, but she lets the matter drop. “So you two are researching together?”
The way the woman saysresearchingmakes the word sound dirty.
I like it.
“All the time. I can barely keep up.” I use a deadpan tone to respond, earning me a grin from Jasmine and a squeeze on my leg from Summer.
“Careful, Cole. Jasmine loves causing trouble. We’re nottogether.” Summer shoots the last word at the other woman like a scolding.
I don’t like that.
“Of course not.” Jasmine leans across the table toward me, lowering her voice as if we’re planning a conspiracy. “You look interesting. Summer only ever dates boring men.”
“Jasmine!”
I force a small smile, playing as if I find her comment amusing.
But it has me worried.
I’m not car-chase exciting or anything, but people don’t tend to categorize me as boring.
