…
1. Agreed.
2. I promise to read. Every. Word.
3. I don’t do templates. I’ll wing it.
4. Oh, man!
Amy laughed when she read number four, Swiper the Fox’s standard response to Dora the Explorer, but she wasn’t sure about number three.
Amy: Interview preparation is important.
Toff: Trust me, I know how to improvise. That’s what surfing is.
Amy: I’m going to be very prepared. You’d better bring your best game, Clyde.
Toff: Challenge accepted, Bonnie.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Today was the day. Her on-screen debut. Well, not her debut, but the first time she’d actually be talking on camera instead of just holding up rating paddles while Viv did the talking.
And she’d chosen to do it live. Go big with the swagger or go home, right?
More like, she couldn’t chicken out in the middle of the recording. They were doing this, and there was no escaping until they were done.
After the bookstore closed, Amy and Viv set up the reading nook, displaying several of their favorite HeartRacer romances on the table. Toff was in the employee kitchen with Rose, polishing off the pizza she’d ordered for them.
Dallas adjusted his phone on a tripod. Amy was no social media influencer, so the likelihood of many people actually watching it live was so low. They planned to save the video and upload it to the Hunkalicious blog for later viewing.
“I’m so excited you’re doing this.” Viv bounced around like a kid at a birthday party. “I can’t wait to watch you give Flipper a smackdown.”
Dallas glanced up from the tripod. “It’s not a battle, Galdi,” he said, drawling her last name.
“Yes it is, Lang,” Viv said, “and Amy’s going to win.” She grinned. “Bet you a new Star Trek Discovery T-shirt.”
“You’re on.” Dallas pointed to the love seat. “Have a seat, Amy, so I can frame the shot.”
Amy sat. She wore jeans and her favorite Life’s Good T-shirt, with a drawing of a girl drinking coffee and reading a book, and had doubled up on the hair sparkles.
“Come on, Flipper!” Viv hollered. “It’s showtime!”
Toff emerged from the kitchen, laughing with Rose. Amy’s heart lifted. Maybe he was going to be okay with the wedding after all.
He flopped on the love seat next to her, stretched his arm out behind her, giving her hair a gentle tug. “Ready to bring our OTP game, babe?”
“We talked about this,” she warned. “We aren’t doing any fake ship stuff. We’re just being ourselves. No ‘babe’ business.” She made air quotes and he grinned, his gaze drifting down to her mouth.
Last night, he’d stopped by her house unexpectedly with an AceWare rashguard shirt for Brayden, who’d reacted like Toff gave him one of his trophies. Dad had insisted Toff stay for dinner—and dessert, of course.
After dinner, she’d walked Toff out to his van. He’d scary-coach-faced Brayden back to the house and then pushed her up against his van, kissing her so deeply and thoroughly, she couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t remember if they were fake or real or something in between.
“Let’s roll,” Dallas said, jarring her out of the kissing memory. Rose and Viv leaned against the counter to watch.
“You got this, Ames,” Toff said. “Remember how great we were at karaoke.”
She didn’t feel nervous like she had that night, but the bookstore was her safe space. She nodded to Dallas, who gave them a 3-2-1 countdown with his fingers.
“Hi. I’m Amy McIntyre, but you know me as @RedheadRecs. Today I’m here with my…friend Toff Nichols. You might have seen him in my #BookFaceFriday posts for HeartRacer Publishing’s second contest challenge.”
“Yo.” Toff leaned in, flicking a shaka wave. “Call me Clyde.” Amy slanted him a warning look, but he just grinned.
“Anyway,” she continued, “we’re here for HeartRacer’s third contest challenge—convincing a reluctant romance reader.”
“I’m very reluctant,” Toff interjected, grinning at the camera. “The first time Amy tried to get me to read this book, I refused.” He shot her a wink. “But she’s very persuasive.”
Amy elbowed him. They had a plan, for him to give a two-minute review, talking casually like he was chatting with readers, and she’d chime in and ask questions, then wrap it up. She really wished he’d written something like she’d asked.
“Toff read Redo in the Rockies by Millie Templeton.” She held up the book, then gestured to Toff. “Tell us what you thought, SurferGodCA.”
“You got it, babe.”
She lifted an eyebrow at the “babe,” and he blasted her with the double dimples. He was in full-on, flirtastic charmer mode. Distracting, but it would make good TV.
“So this book wasn’t terrible,” he said to the camera. “I can’t compare it to any romances because this was the first one I read. Reluctantly.
“My favorite parts were these scenes some people call ‘non-gratuitous,’ which is code for…you know.” He winked. Dallas ran his hand over his mouth, smothering a laugh. “At first I just skimmed the book and read those scenes,” Toff said, “but then I got a big lecture”—he side-eyed Amy—“on those scenes being there for a reason.”
“Because they are,” she huffed. She didn’t want him to go too far down that road. “How about the main characters? Did you like them?”
Toff smirked. “Not at first, but I guess they sort of grew on me.” He turned to the camera. “So this couple hooks up in high school and are still together at graduation, and they figure they’ll be together forever. Like that ever happens.” He stared straight at Dallas, who narrowed his eyes. Toff grinned and continued.
“But the hero ghosts the girl after high school, without telling her why.” He paused. “And I can’t tell you why because it’s a ‘spoiler.’” He did air quotes and slanted Amy another smirk. “Amy’s got a lot of bookworm rules. Like always use a bookmark. What is up with that?”
From across the room, Amy heard Rose and Viv laugh.
“Something to be aware of with reluctant readers,” Amy said. “You have to be patient and explain everything.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s like getting a new puppy. They’re cute but a lot of work.”
Toff’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re comparing me to a dog, Bonnie?”
Amy gave him a saccharine smile. “A cute dog, like my golden retriever.” She reached out to pat his head. “What a good boy.”
Dallas squinted at the comments coming in on the live video. His eyes went wide, but as he scrolled, a grin spread across his face. Viv scurried across the room and gasped at whatever they were looking at. But then Dallas pointed at something on the screen and their shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.
Great.
Amy turned back to Toff. He held her gaze, his blue eyes sparking. She knew that look. It was his bring-it competitive face. After a long beat, during which her heart rate tripled as his eyes flared with heat, he turned back to the camera.
“Anyway,” he said, “I didn’t get why this chick—”
“Heroine,” Amy interrupted, earning a side-eye with the tiniest hint of a smile.
“—was all freaked out when this jackass—”
“Hero,” Amy corrected, giving the camera an I-know-he’s-clueless shrug. Grinning, Viv waved the thumbs-up paddle.
“When the alpha hero”—Toff smirked at her—“showed up at their fifteen-year high school reunion.”
Amy held up ten fingers and mouthed, Ten years.
Toff side-eyed her but kept talking. “I’m like, just kick his ass to the curb, right? He had his chance but he blew it. So they do this whole do-we-or-don’t-we dance.” Toff gestured with his hands, getting more animated. “The dude does dumb stuff like, he comes by
to check on her after a big storm when her power goes out.” He shook his head in disgust. “I mean, come on.”
Amy’s mouth dropped open. “What’s wrong with you? That was sweet. Thoughtful.”
Toff rolled his eyes. “Ames, really. What he actually wanted was to hook up with her, which, okay fine, just hook up if you both want to, but it was all dramatic.”
He tossed his hair and spoke in a falsetto. “‘Oh, thank you for checking on me in this big scary storm!’” He dropped his voice low. “‘I guess we’ll have to light candles and sit here in the dark and think about how we couldn’t keep our hands off each other in high school.’”
Toff leaned back against the love seat, crossing his arms over his chest like he’d just made a great point. “Dumb stuff like that.”
“Stuff like that is what keeps people reading, Toff.” Amy was fired up, heat flashing through her like when she and Natasha argued at book club. “It’s called adhesion. Reasons for a couple to spend time together.” She glared. “So the reader keeps rooting for them, watching them fall for each other, hoping it will work out.”
“Doesn’t it always work out in these books?” Toff asked, his lips quirking. “Everybody gets their HEA, right? Or…what’s the other one? HFN?” He winked at the camera. “That’s Happy for Now, for you newbies.”
Amy gaped at him. Viv hovered next to Dallas, beaming at them and the screen and waving the thumbs-up paddle.
“Why do you look surprised?” Toff tossed Amy a lazy grin. “I told you I’d be ready for this.” He turned to the camera again. “Anyway, I can see why those non-gratuitous scenes are mixed in to keep people reading because I got tired of all the talking about feelings with her friends.”
“Omigod,” Amy said, “you read the chapters in order this time, right?”
“Yeah.” He pouted. “I told you I would.”
Rose wandered closer, her eyes as bright as Viv’s.
“I told you before, Toff, those scenes aren’t just mixed in. They change the relationship.” Was he really that clueless? “Anyway, let’s move away from those scenes.” She smiled at the camera. “A lot of readers like to read sweet romances, with just kissing.”
“Oh yeah?” Toff shifted on the couch to face her, his smile dangerously sexy. “I hope those kissing scenes are hot.”
“Sometimes.” Amy’s cheeks burned, but she couldn’t let him get the upper hand. “It depends on the book.”
“I can guess what type of kissing scenes you like.” He slanted a knowing grin at the camera. “Actually, it’s not a guess. I know.”
Viv gasped. Rose’s face lit up. Dallas glanced at the comments again and gave them two thumbs-up.
Omigod. She didn’t even want to think about what people were saying. Toff was going to pay. Big-time. She sucked in a breath, reminding herself she was the boss.
“Any thoughts about the other characters?” Amy asked, avoiding Viv’s what-have-you-been-hiding dagger eyes.
“Yeah,” Toff said. “That dog was awesome, always getting in trouble, like when he dug up the nosy neighbor’s flower garden.”
He held up the book. “Hey, if anyone at HeartRacer is watching this, you might want to have whoever makes your covers actually read the books.”
Amy’s hand flew to her mouth, horrified. Why was she doing this live? Someone from HeartRacer might be watching right now.
“What?” Toff turned to Amy, looking all innocent and angelic, which he was not. “The dog in the book was a black Lab and this one is yellow.”
“Yes but…” Amy struggled for words. She’d have to cut this whole part from the recording that she posted to Hunkalicious. Plus the kissing part.
“We need to wrap this interview up.” She hoped she sounded calm. In control. She sure didn’t feel like it. “One last question. Would you read another romance?”
He grinned. “With or without my favorite scenes?”
She wanted to throttle him. “You’re winding me up on purpose, aren’t you?”
“I like it when you get wound up, Bonnie. You know that.” His gaze roved over her face.
Amy flung her hands in the air and turned to her small audience. “Can I hit him with a book?”
“Yes! A really big one!” Viv exclaimed. “Get us that latest Stephen King,” she told her mom. “That one’s huge.”
Amy squeezed her eyes shut, then forced herself to talk to the camera. “So…this wasn’t quite what I expected, but I think it’s obvious this book inspired a lot of…passion in my reluctant reader. I’d call that a success.”
“Something’s inspiring passion,” Toff drawled. “And it’s not the book.”
Crap. She’d walked right into that. “You are the worst, Clyde.”
He laughed, then surprised her by leaning in close, going nose to nose just like they had for bookface.
“That’s not what you said last night, babe.”
Amy reared back and smacked him on the chest with the book, then pointed to Dallas. “Cut!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Rose and Dallas burst into applause, Toff stood up to take a bow, and Hiddles the cat streaked across the store, knocking over a display of graphic novels. Viv gaped at Amy, not moving. While the chaos continued, Amy slowly approached her.
“He’s just messing around,” she said. “Nothing happened last night.” She cleared her throat. “Well, just kissing, but that’s it.” Super-hot kissing that had shut down her brain cells.
Viv studied her closely. “Last night wasn’t the first time you kissed.”
“Um, no.” Amy blushed, glancing at Toff, who was grinning at Dallas’s phone screen. They must be watching the recording.
“I guess I’ve been in denial,” Viv said, surprising Amy with a grin instead of a glare. “But after watching you two just now…I can’t deny it anymore.”
“It’s nothing serious. We’re just having fun,” Amy said.
“You’re definitely having fun,” Viv said. “But are you sure it’s not more serious than that?”
Amy looked away, her gaze drifting down the romance aisle. She’d been telling herself they were just having fun, because what else could it be with Toff, the king of casual? Still, way deep down, underneath her own layers of denial, she was afraid her crush-with-kissing-benefits coaching deal was slowly turning into something more. At least for her.
She forced a laugh. “Serious with Toff? No way.”
Viv held her gaze, then nodded, but she didn’t look like she bought it. “Well, anyway, you were great on camera, Amy. No more silent paddle waving for you. From now on we take turns hosting the review shows.”
A warm rush of pride swept over Amy. “I’d love that.”
Toff appeared at her side, bright-eyed and grinning. “Damn. We killed that.”
Amy gave him her sweetest, fakest smile. Fun, she told herself. That’s what they did best. “You’re confused, Clyde. I’m going to kill you.”
Toff laughed and grabbed her hand. “Fine, but let’s celebrate first. We earned it.” Viv shrugged, grinning as Toff tugged her toward the door.
“I want to watch the v-video,” Amy sputtered.
“It’s awesome,” Toff said. “Dallas showed me some of it. You should see the comments. Everyone loved it. We had more than three hundred viewers!”
Amy blanched. Three…hundred?
Toff grinned. “My tweet telling everyone to watch our #BonnieandClyde showdown must’ve worked.”
“Don’t hurt him too much, Amy,” Dallas called as Rose unlocked the door. “He’s injured.”
“Remember what I said,” Rose whispered to Amy as they brushed past her. Was Rose joking about turning Amy in if she tried to kill Toff? Or did she mean the stuff about him being a sweet, lost boy?
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Toff said as they headed for his
van.
Amy’s stomach pitched, wondering if he meant a troublemaker surprise or a sweet one. “After what you just did, Clyde, I don’t know if I can handle any more surprises from you.”
He squeezed her hand, slanting her a secretive smile. “You’ll like this one, Bonnie. Promise.”
…
“Where are we going?” Amy asked Toff as they drove up the coastal highway, the breeze blowing through the windows, the stars winking overhead through the sunroof.
“You’ll see.”
“Please tell me we aren’t hopping the fence at The Lodge. I don’t want another run-in with the sheriff.”
The Lodge was a secret getaway outside of town that movie stars and other celebs stayed at when they needed a break from the paparazzi and Hollywood. From what Dallas told her, Toff liked to sneak in.
Toff grinned, accelerating as they rounded a curve. “I thought about it, but they have guard dogs. I didn’t think you were ready for that.”
Amy snorted. “You’d be right. I suppose you charmed the guard dogs.”
“Didn’t have to. All I needed was bacon.”
The anticipation to watch the video was killing her. She dug her phone from her bag, then watched in stunned silence as what she’d worried might be a disaster instead played out as funny, smart, and…um…wow.
No wonder Viv had said she couldn’t deny their chemistry. All the emojis and comments posted during their live session confirmed it.
“See?” Toff said, slanting her a smug and sexy grin. “Told you we killed it.”
“Um, yeah.” She scrolled through more of the comments, gasping when she saw the heart and applause emojis posted by @HeartRacer. “Omigod. HeartRacer watched it! And they liked it.”
“Of course they did.”
She ignored him, scanning more comments to see if the publisher had posted anything about Toff’s clueless smackdown of their cover artists. They hadn’t. She sighed with relief, closing her eyes and leaning back against the worn seat fabric.
“Time to chill, Ames,” Toff said. He turned up the volume on the radio, and she let the music wash over her. Amy was getting used to spending time in his van. Spending time with him. She couldn’t deny their chemistry, either, especially after watching it on-screen.
The Bookworm Crush Page 24