The Bookish Life of Nina Hill(29)

“Let’s try and stick to this book.” Nina sometimes let them ramble on about all the books they loved, because she enjoyed that conversation as much as they did, but she was trying to be more grown up about it.

“Sticky has parents, though.” Asha waved her copy of the book. “Right?”

Logan nodded. “He does, but he thinks they don’t want him anymore.”

“Which is worse than not having any,” said Annabel.

“Definitely,” said Ruby-Fern.

“And Kate has a dad, but she doesn’t know it.”

“What about Miss Perumal?” asked Nina. “Isn’t she like a mother to Reynie?”

There was a sudden knocking on the store’s front door, which scared the applesauce out of all of them. One of the girls actually squeaked.

From where they were on the floor, they couldn’t see the door, but Nina stood and saw a man standing outside. The early-evening sun was behind him, so she couldn’t get a good look at his face, but she started over to let him know the store was closed. The parents wouldn’t be here to pick up the kids for nearly another hour, but maybe it was one of them.

It wasn’t. It was Tom. From Quizzard. That Tom.

What. The. Actual. Heck?

“Is that a friend of yours?” asked Ruby-Fern, from a foot or two behind her. Nina turned and discovered the whole book group had followed her to the door, drawn helplessly by their adaptive need to stick their beaks into anything new.

“Not really,” replied Nina. She reached the door and smile-frowned at Tom, wondering why he was there.

Tom, who was wondering exactly the same thing, waited until the door was open and then held up the movie ticket. “This is yours. I was in the area, so I thought I’d bring it back.”

“Uh,” said Nina, “we’re closed.” Yes, Nina, let’s open a conversation with a non sequitur. Stylish.

Asha said, “Are you Nina’s boyfriend?” She was a tall, clear-eyed child who stuck to the point.

Tom, who was a little confused by the six girls who were now all staring avidly at him, shook his head.

“Are you a boy who is also a friend?” Ruby-Fern wasn’t going to let him slip by on a technicality.

“Uh . . .” said Tom.

“Maybe he wants to be her boyfriend,” suggested Logan. “And Nina doesn’t want him to be?”

“Or maybe she wants him to be, but hasn’t told him yet.” All the little heads swiveled to look up at Nina, who was approximately the color of a strawberry.

“Ladies,” she said in her firmest voice, “please return to the book club area and wait quietly. I won’t be a minute.”

“No, it’s OK,” said Nora. “We’re fine here.”

Nina looked at them with her best laser beam eyes, and they all backed away.

Tom was starting to lose focus. “Anyway . . . I thought you might want to go see another movie sometime.” He held out the ticket, and Nina took it, trying to decide if he had asked her to “go see another movie sometime with me” or had simply been making an observation: “I saw you at the movie theater, alone, so here’s a ticket you can use in the future, on your own.”

“Thanks. But this is really your friend’s ticket. She bought it.”

He shook his head. “No, she gave it to you, so I turned it in for a rain check.” He smiled suddenly, and Nina felt her hands start to prickle with a combination of anxiety and attraction. He appealed to her so much. He was very tall and strong, all bones and mass; he made her feel like she wouldn’t be up to the task of even holding his hand, let alone anything else. And why was she thinking of anything else?

He spoke again, slightly more hesitantly. “You left somewhat abruptly.”

She blushed. “Yeah, sorry about that. I, uh . . . had to leave.”

“Somewhat abruptly?”

“Yeah.” There was no way she was going to explain any further; it was bad enough already. “Anyway . . . thanks.” She smiled back at him and went to close the door. “I have to get back to my book club.” Before I start hyperventilating and have to breathe into a bag.

“Oh, they’re not all your children?” He tried a smile. He could smell her shampoo, honey and lemons. He was having trouble with this simple social transaction; her shiny hair, her tiny hands and feet, her very smallness made him feel clumsy and awkward, like he should be carrying a bale of hay with a straw between his teeth and saying things like “Shucks, ma’am, I have to move the she-cow back to pasture.” She was smiling at him. Keep your head in the game, Tom.

“I’d have to work pretty hard to have six kids the same age.” Her eyes were hazel, he saw; a warm brown with a darker ring around her iris. Distracting.

He said, “Modern science?” Really, Tom, you’re talking about fertility treatment? What’s next, asking her what brand of tampon she prefers?

“Well, sure.” They stood there smiling at each other, both frantically trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make them look as stupid and confused as they felt.

“See?” said Asha, from behind the bookcase. “They’re definitely flirting. My older sister looks like that when she’s texting sometimes.” She sounded gleeful. “Usually just before my mom takes her phone away.”