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“Lead the way.”
London couldn’t take his eyes off Alana. She looked completely at home in the book/record shop. It had an indie, homey feel. Just stepping into the establishment had him feeling as though he’d stepped back in time.
“You still have a record player?”
He couldn’t help but touch her. Her thick, dark hair was straightened, resting on her shoulders. When she looked up at him, her eyes were magnified by her pink and purple glasses.
Last night, they were a crisp white pair. Today’s were colorful, hinting at her quirky personality.
“I do,” she admitted. “There’s something about the sound of a record that you don’t get on digital.”
“What are you looking for?” he asked, moving in closer to take in her floral scent. Her perfume was driving him crazy. He wanted to bury his face in the crook of her neck and breathe it in.
“Just browsing.”
Picking up one, he chuckled. “Now this is a blast from the past.”
Peeking at his choice, she burst into a fit of laughter. “What do you know about that?”
“My mother loved all kinds of music. She always had her records playing while she cleaned the house.”
He ran his hand along the cover of the album, remembering his mother pulling her records out so she could put them on the turntable.
“Your mother played Bobby Caldwell?”
Feigning hurt, he placed his hand over his heart. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I don’t know. With that accent of yours…”
“Growing up in the country, sometimes all you did was listen to music. Even my father loved it. He’d bring out his guitar and play while we sat by the fire.
Memories of his youth surfaced, and it left him feeling a little homesick. His parents were his and Jaxon’s biggest supporters.
“Sounds like you had an amazing upbringing,” she breathed.
“I did. My record collection is at home in my old room, collecting dust,” he replied wistfully.
He made a promise to come back and take his time browsing, the smell of the records bringing back so many memories. He’d forgotten how much he loved just sitting around, listening to music.
He put back the album and followed her as she moved farther down the aisle.
“And what’s my accent got to do with anything?” he questioned, needing to hear her explanation as to what his accent had to do with music.
She spun around and walked backward, away from him, her face lit up with merriment. In the two days he’d now spent with her, he was learning her mannerisms, and now she was in a playful mood he was enjoying immensely.
London felt the most relaxed he’d ever been. Most of his encounters with women were that of the physical kind, having no desire to get to know them.
Alana was different.
He wanted to know everything about her. Her inner thoughts when he caught her staring at him. The nerdy side of her. He even wanted to know more about the books she loved to read and the movies she liked to watch.
He had a great time last night, and hadn’t wanted it to end.
But something happened. She had shut him down and sent him packing.
It had felt so good to have her tucked into his side. One second more on the couch, they would have kissed.
He didn’t know what he had done wrong. She’d rushed him out of her apartment, leaving him confused. He had wondered if he had done or said something he shouldn’t have, but after spending time with her today, he doubted it.
