7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
A s Stone and Sophie maneuvered—arm in arm—through the busy Manhattan streets, thunder rumbled all around them. Not that Sophie seemed to notice—she was busy chattering excitedly beside him about their next stop: a bookstore she claimed was a haven for every literary soul in the city.
Her enthusiasm was palpable, infectious even, but Stone kept his expression measured, his mind preoccupied with the task ahead. Keep their relationship strictly professional despite playing the part of her boyfriend.
“Did you hear me?” Sophie asked when they came to a stop at a crossing light.
“Um. No. Sorry. What was that?” he asked.
Sophie glanced up at him, her brows furrowing slightly. “Poppie will grill me the moment he sees me tomorrow. And he will interrogate you the moment I leave you two alone,” she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Which means we have to start to really get to know each other.”
Stone tensed. He understood the necessity of their ruse, but it had been a long time since he’d really gotten to know a woman. Why go to the trouble when you’re a two-dates-and-move-on guy? “All right, you come up with three questions,” he conceded. “We’ll both answer them.”
Sophie’s face lit up with the challenge, her mind obviously racing through possibilities.
The light turned, and he guided them across.
“How about we start with your I’d never —something you swear you’ll never do.”
“That’s a rather odd question. What prompted it?”
“It’s one of the things we talk about at book club. What is each book character’s I’d never statement, and do they end up doing it before their book life comes to an end? It’s a common plot device authors use.”
“I see. My I’d never is easy. I’ll never get married. And before you ask, it’s because in my line of work, the ability to focus is the difference between life and death. Love makes a man lose focus.” The last thing he’d ever tell Sophie was that the decision had originated in heartbreak and congealed in caution.
“Oh, my God. That’s such a sad I’d never ,” she exclaimed, stopping abruptly so she could put her hands on her hips and stare at him. “It could never be used in a romance because how could an author ever get around it? Unless, of course, the guy decides to change his career, but even then…he’d probably end up resenting her. Wow. Just wow. That’s a super sad I’d never .”
“It’s fine,” he said, continuing to walk. “As you’ve probably already figured out, I’m not much of a people person, anyway. And just because I’m not in search of love doesn’t mean I don’t have women in my life. Your turn. What is your I’d never ?”
“Easy. I’ll never settle for less than the fairytale.”
“What does that mean?” He scanned the crowd for danger as they walked and talked.
“My mom and dad died when I was five…boating accident. My mom did my nursery with a fairytale theme. On the wall above my bed, she wrote the words: Never settle for less than the fairytale, my darling Sophie .”
“As in the fairytale Prince Charming?” he asked. “Is that why you’re obsessed with book boyfriends?”
“Poppie said it meant never give up on my dreams, no matter what they are or how silly others might find them.”
“And what exactly is your dream?”
She gave him a mischievous grin. “To be a professional daydreamer…of course.”
“Of course. And what does a professional daydreamer do?”
“They find the magic in the world and share it with others. Which is one of the reasons I create and wear fanciful T-shirts.”
“I see. I’m glad to know there are those in this world who strive to embrace that career.” Little did she know just how much he could relate to that vocation. Life was funny sometimes in how it brought two people together. Not that he believed in serendipity, but still…
“Are you ready for the second question?” she asked.
“I am,” Stone said.
“What is one of your personal demons?”
At this rate, Sophie was going to know him better than he knew himself. “Is this another book club question?”
“Of course.”
Deciding there was no harm in responding honestly, he said, “The last gig I was on, things went haywire because our…intel was faulty, and a child almost died. I blame myself for all of it. I should have done a more thorough check of the situation and didn’t.”
“Is that how you injured your finger?” she asked. “The one that’s bandaged?”
“It is.”
“How long will you have to wear the bandage?”
“Not certain. Tell me about one of your personal demons.”
“Remember the guy Poppie talked about? My last boyfriend?”
“I do,” he said, an unexpected feeling of something close to jealousy hitting him in the gut.
“I met him when I put my daydreamer job hunt on hold and took a regular job to help pay some bills. Turns out, he was nothing but a con.”
Stone found it hard to imagine Sophie in a regular job. “What kind of con?”
“I asked him to stay at my place and keep an eye on Poppie for me while I was away at a readers’ retreat. Poppie thought he was staying there to retrieve a package for me when it came. Anyway, while I was gone, he tricked Poppie into giving him all the information he needed to steal his identity and drain his retirement funds. Among other things.”
“Did you report him to the police?”
She gave him a bright smile. “That’s a story for another day. We’re here.”
The shop’s quaint, inviting fa?ade mocked the churn of Stone’s thoughts. Just because Sophie presented as a woman capable of handling his secret did not mean a damn thing. He’d been fooled once. Never again.
“Are you ready for me to have my romantic way with you?” Sophie asked.
“Can’t wait to see what you bring to the table.”
“Just know, once I take your romance virginity, you’ll never be the same again.”
Stone raised a hand to tousle her riot of curls, only to lower it again. She wasn’t really flirting with him. She was practicing, pretending he was her boyfriend. He needed to keep that in mind. “Talk is cheap.”
She playfully nudged his shoulder.
Thunder boomed.
“Yes, but reading is priceless,” she said. “Let’s go pop your cherry.”
As Stone looked up at the cloudless sky, his gut told him the mere act of having met Sophie E. Clark had forever changed his life. He just wasn’t exactly sure yet how it would play out.