NOT What I Was Expecting by Tallulah Anne Scott Page A

deep breath, turn on the charm, and use your words.  You can do
it.  Whatever you do, don’t pee yourself or drool.   Fortunately, that little
pep talk went on inside my head and didn’t leak out of my mouth.
    Before I knew it,
he was standing right in front of me.  I didn’t know how he could smile as if
he were glad to see me after the lovely impression I’d made earlier.  It must
be my imagination.
    “Hi,” he greeted
me warmly.
    Well, some people
can say ‘Hi’ more warmly that others, so I’m going to take his ‘Hi’ any way I
want.
    “Funny running
into you again today.  Well, not literally this time,” Luke said with a quick
little, quiet laugh.  “Are you feeling okay?  I didn’t hurt you this morning,
did I?”
    “Oh, no,” I
assured him.  “I’m tougher than I look.”  I managed to flash a smile, since I
was pretty proud of myself for using my words.  So far, so good.
    “Well, that’s a
good thing,” he said sweetly.  “So what are you looking for?” 
    “Nobody!” I
answered too quickly.  Then I remembered the cover story CeCe and I had dreamed
up just in case.  “I mean, we sell pregnancy books at the shop, so we’re here
scouting out new possibilities to add to our list.”
    “Oh, that’s
right.  Fry told me he works for you and CeCe at the Big and Blessed Maternity
Shop.  You’re very successful business women, the way he tells it,” Luke smiled
as he remembered. 
    Fry’s getting a big
fat raise for that one.  I opened my mouth to say something, but then I made
the mistake of looking him right in the eye.  Those brown eyes.  His warm,
sparkling pools of rich chocolate.  Holy crap!  I quickly looked away. 
    What was wrong
with me?  I know I was going to say something.  What was it?  When I looked
back, careful to avoid the chocolate pools – I mean eye area – he had his arms
folded, and he looked deep in thought as he stood there staring at me.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Huh?  Oh, sorry,
I was just thinking,” he said softly, because we were in a library, you know. 
“The pretty girls in high school don’t always become beautiful women, but I’d
say you were very successful in that area, also.”  He was still smiling
sweetly, and it certainly was getting awfully warm in here.
    No!  Don’t sweat,
Maggie!  I hoped my warning to myself would put my brain on notice, but mostly
it just made me feel a little weird to be threatening myself.  He was standing
about two feet away from me, but I could swear I felt the heat coming off his
skin.  I doubt that’s even possible.  Maybe it was coming from me?  I wonder if
he can feel heat coming from me.  I took a step back just in case.  It’s bad
enough to come off as a goober.  A goober in heat would be unbearable.  I very
calmly announced, “Life seems to have treated you well, also.”
    “Thanks,” he
responded a little shyly.
    Come on, Maggie!  I
forced myself to breathe deeply and focus on the conversation.  “Fry said you
were in charge of the expansion here,” I commented casually.  “How’s it
going?”  His face darkened a little at that.
    “Well,” he said,
“it’s going behind schedule, is how it’s going.  I hired a guy that I knew
really needed the money instead of the most qualified.  I figured I could take
up his slack.  Hopefully, I won’t end up regretting that decision.  Well, let
me rephrase that.  I hope the library won’t end up regretting my decision.  I’m
not sorry for helping someone who really needed the job, though.  You know how
it is.  Nature takes it course and pow.  Baby on the way.  Babies are damn
expensive.”
    “Hey, you should
send his wife over to the shop.  We can work her a deal,” I said.
    “Oh, that’s nice
of you, thanks,” Luke nodded.  “I’ll do that.”
    “It’s no problem,”
I assured him and tried to match his smile, but avoided looking directly into
the chocolate pools where his eyes should be, which were