“Open it.”
Inside the bag, she found five copies of The Little Engine That Could. Her throat tightened.
“You said there were kids, as in more than one, but I didn’t know how many. I figured five would be a good number to start with.”
“You bought me books?” The words barely squeezed out.
“What’s the name of the shelter you work at?”
The question had her looking up sharply. “Why?”
“My mother is always looking for a cause and I told her about you needing books. When I talked to her yesterday, she was ready to start working on a book drive. But I didn’t know the name of your shelter, so I couldn’t tell her.”
Sam studied his face.
“Is it a secret or something?”
“Not really.” She hesitated. “The thing is, the women come to us for shelter and safety. So while the name isn’t a secret, we don’t advertise where to find us.”
His face filled with confusion. “Then how do the women find you?”
“Word of mouth, social services, churches.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything. I can give you my mom’s number and you can explain to her.”
“No. I’m overreacting. It’s called the Hope Center.”
“Good name.” He drank another sip. “I have to get going to rehearsal.”
“Before you go, can you tell me why you’re dressed in a different costume every time I see you? This is obviously not A Christmas Carol.”
He pressed his lips together. “Last summer, my brother was warned by his doctor to lose weight or he’d end up having a stroke. He was embarrassed to go to a gym because he felt like everyone stared. I volunteered to go with him and dress up in costume to draw attention away from him.” He lifted a shoulder as if it was no big deal.
Sam’s heart gave a little lurch. She’d known after that first chance meeting that he was a sweet guy, albeit a little weird. This confirmed it. “That’s really cool of you.”
“He’s my big brother.” He stood to leave.
She reached into her bag, grabbed a scrap of paper, and scribbled on it. “Here’s my number. You can pass it on to your mom or whatever.” She sincerely hoped the “whatever” would include him calling her for a date.
He tucked it into his pocket. “See you next week?”
“Definitely.” Sam grabbed her phone and snapped another picture of him.
“What was that for?”
She didn’t know why she took the photo. But she’d looked at the one of him as Sherlock Holmes more than a few times since they first spoke. “I’ve never met Indiana Jones before. My friends will never believe me.”
“Had I known you wanted a photo op, I would’ve pulled out my whip.”
She laughed, sure he was kidding, but he swept aside his jacket and unfurled a whip. Her jaw dropped. He took his costumes seriously.
“Now I’m ready for a picture.” He winked at her.
She took another photo. This time, he posed with the whip over his head and he gave her that same cocky grin he had when he came in. “Thanks.”
“Any time.”
She watched as he rolled up his whip and left the shop. Then she texted the picture to Jess.
Isn’t that the same guy who was Sherlock Holmes?
Yep.
Of course, then her phone rang. Jess would want details, not a text. “Hi.”
“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t encourage the weirdos.”
“He’s not a weirdo. I got the whole story and it’s sweet.”
“I can’t wait to hear this.”
“His name is Free, short for Humphrey. He dresses in costume to help his brother. His brother needs to work out and is embarrassed when people stare at him, so Free dresses up to take the attention off his brother. Isn’t that sweet?” She slipped a copy of The Little Engine That Could from the bag.
“Still sounds weird.”
“When we talked the other day, I mentioned that we need books at the shelter. He asked me what my favorite book is and today he showed up with five copies for me to take to the shelter for the kids.”
“What’s his angle?”
“What?”
“You just met this guy, this weird guy who plays dress-up, and he’s bringing you presents. What does he want?”
Sam stared at the glossy cover of the book. “Why does he have to have an angle? Can’t he just like me?”
“Sure he can. You’re totally lovable, but I’m suspicious by nature.”
Jess’s words made her think. Could Free have ulterior motives?
“You got awful quiet. What aren’t you saying?”
“Nothing. I was thinking about whether Free might be after something. But I’ve got nothing. He’s nice guy. I like him.” She put the book back in the bag. “And I hope he calls me and asks me out.”
“Aw, man, you gave him your number?”
Sam imagined Jess’s eyes rolling back in her head, making her looked possessed. “Yes. He said his mom might be interested in doing a book drive for the shelter, so I gave him my number to pass on to her.”
“If it was just about a donation, why not give the shelter’s number?”
“He offered to give me his mom’s number, but I decided he could have mine. Plus, like I said, I’m hoping he’ll take the hint and call me.”
Jess’s sigh came rolling over the line. She’d known Jess since freshman year. They were roommates and Jess had constantly teased her about being too naïve about everything. She wasn’t naïve; she chose to see the good in people.
“I’m fine, Jess.”
“I want to meet this guy. Check him out myself.”
“Believe it or not, I’m capable of going out on a date without your approval.”
“And look how those have turned out.”
“Shut up.” She stood and bundled up for her walk to the el. “Besides, he might not even call me.”
“We’ll see. Drinks tomorrow night?”
“If I get my homework done, sure. Call me in the afternoon.”
Free had been restless since he left Samantha the previous afternoon. The little bits of time with her at the coffee shop had become his favorite parts of the week, but he wanted more. So he called the one guy who could help him. Hunter.
He’d called and woken Hunter up this morning and made lunch plans. Now he sat in his car outside the sub shop waiting. As usual.
Free ran through his lines for extra practice while he waited. Hunter tapped on the window as he walked by, not waiting for Free to get out of his car.
Inside the restaurant, Hunter pointed at Free’s hat. “Didn’t we outgrow that stuff about fifteen years ago?”
Free shrugged. “It’s warm.”
“So, what’s wrong?”
“Who said anything was wrong?”
“You called me at five thirty this morning to make lunch plans. What’s her name?”
Free pulled off his hat, bunching the pom-poms in his fist, and blew out a breath. He hated that Hunter knew him so well. “Let’s order first.”
“I knew it.”
They placed their orders for foot-long Italian subs, extra dressing. They grabbed a booth and as they unwrapped their sandwiches, Hunter said, “Shoot.”
Without looking up from his food, Free said, “There’s this girl, Samantha.”
“Knew it,” Hunter said with a smirk.
“I met her at the coffee shop near the gym where I meet Cary.”
“Have you talked to her yet?”
“Yeah. A couple of times.” He bit into his sandwich. “I even bought her a cup of coffee.”
“Wait a minute. You said you met her after the gym?”
Free nodded.
“So you were wearing one of your crazy costumes.”
“That’s just it. Every time I’ve seen her, I’ve been coming from the gym. She’s only seen me in costume.”
“Hmm . . . I don’t know if it’s a positive or negative. She
’s seen you at your craziest: plus. If she’s not weirded out by it: negative.”
Free shrugged. “I think she likes it. Even before I talked to her, I saw her watching me, like waiting to see how I’d be dressed. The last time, she asked to take my picture.”
“Are you sure she’s not a crazy?”
“She seems normal. She’s studying to be a social worker, so she’s in the area every day for volunteer work at some shelter.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“She’s only seen me in costume at the coffee shop. How do I move past that?”
“That’s your problem? Easy—ask her out.”
“Easy for you maybe.” Free picked at the lettuce on his sandwich.
Hunter set down his half-eaten sub and wiped his hands on a napkin. “When will you see her again?”
Free shrugged.
“Next time, tell her that although you like your brief meetings, you’d like to extend your time with her. Ask her if she’s free for dinner.”
“Just like that? Tell her I want to go out with her?” He’d asked girls out before and it was definitely a hit-or-miss thing. Usually miss.
“Yeah. Did you think there was some magic to it? I just ask. She has no way of knowing how you feel unless you tell her. Maybe she’s thinking you’re a strange guy who likes to chat over coffee. I’ve seen you flirt. You can’t throw out a line to save your life. You need the direct approach.” Hunter dove back into his sandwich. “The worst that happens is that she says no.”
He swallowed hard. The thought of being rejected by Samantha stung. He wasn’t ready to lose their short conversations. “Then what?”
“If you really want her, you try again. Some women appreciate persistence.”
“And some would call you a stalker.”
Hunter laughed. “Hopefully, you get the hint before that point.”
Free didn’t tell Hunter that he had Samantha’s phone number, because Hunter would pressure him to use it now. Free wasn’t sure if he’d have better luck over the phone or in person.
They finished their lunches and discussed more about New Year’s Eve. Hunter seemed to be quietly accepting that he couldn’t have the blowout he wanted because both Free and Adam were working on getting dates. As ridiculous as the deal seemed, Hunter had offered it. Not having an apartment full of strangers to wade through might be worth putting himself out there and asking Samantha for a date.
Last year’s party had been “epic” in Hunter’s words, but Free had been miserable. He hardly knew anyone and it was so loud, conversation had been impossible. He wanted this year to be different.
They separated after lunch and Free sat in his car again, this time holding his phone and the scrap of paper with Samantha’s number. He flipped the paper over in his fingers and attempted to gather the courage Hunter spoke so flippantly about.
Screw it. Hunter had said to just ask.
So Free sent a text, carefully crafting it so he wouldn’t come off like a stalker.
Hi, Samantha, it’s Free—I know you gave me your number for my mom, but I was wondering if you might be interested in going out tomorrow night. Dinner or drinks, or a movie if you prefer.
When he was finally content that it was okay, he hit SEND and waited. After staring at his phone for five minutes, he gave up, sensing defeat. She would probably avoid the coffee shop now in order to dodge him.
He pulled out of the lot and drove back to school. Although he didn’t have class this afternoon, he could get some studying in before rehearsal. As he walked through the doors to the library, his phone buzzed.
I’d love to.
His heart lurched into his throat. She hadn’t dodged him. She wanted to go out on a date. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
After checking the number to make sure it was, in fact, from Samantha, he responded: Brilliant!
She wouldn’t get the Doctor Who reference, but it was confident. Then he added, I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll figure out details.
Sitting down in a study nook, he realized that he wouldn’t be focusing on books at all. His brain raced with ideas for dates. He needed it to be perfect.
Chapter 4
Sam stood in front of the mirror and scooped her hair up, then let it fall again around her shoulders. She turned from side to side. Glancing down at her jeans, she had no idea if she was dressed okay for her date with Free. He’d said to dress casual, but then added something about wearing clothes she wouldn’t care about getting messy. He wouldn’t tell her what the date entailed, though.
He seemed really nervous the couple of times they talked, so she didn’t press him. She was happy that he’d used her number to ask her out. When they left each other at the coffee shop, she’d been worried that he wasn’t going to call. With a quick swipe of lip gloss, she decided that her outfit would have to do. If Free showed up wearing something fancier, she could change.
The phone rang, and the doorman let her know Free was here. She told him to send Free up. She snapped a hair tie on her wrist in case she needed to put her hair up later and waited nervously by the door. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this anxious over a date.
Maybe it was because Free seemed so different from the guys she usually dated. While Jess had been right in thinking she sometimes chose guys who would make her dad crazy, they had mostly been of the bad boy variety. Free didn’t fit that mold at all. Although she didn’t know much about him, she knew he was sweet.
Any guy who would dress up in crazy costumes to help his brother had to be nice. And given the costumes he’d chosen, he must’ve been a geek of the highest order. He dressed as characters she’d barely heard of.
When the elevator dinged, she opened her door to look for him. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but he managed to surprise her. He got off the elevator carrying a bouquet of roses. From what she could see under his plain jacket, he appeared to be wearing normal jeans, which didn’t tell her much because he also wore the same red Converses he’d worn when he was Doctor Who.
He looked up and when their eyes met, his face broke into a wide smile. “Hi.”
“Hi. I hope you didn’t have a hard time finding the place.”
“Nope. Your directions were excellent. I actually don’t live too far from here.” He held out the bouquet. “These are for you.”
She accepted them and brought them to her face for a deep sniff. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She took a step back into her apartment. “Come in.”
He followed her and closed the door behind him.
“I’ll put these in water.” As she moved around the kitchen, she continued to talk. “You still haven’t said where we’re going, so I hope I’m dressed okay.”
He strode into the kitchen with his jacket open. He, too, wore a T-shirt with his jeans. His dark blue T-shirt read HERMITS UNITE! in white letters.
“Interesting shirt. Are you sure it’s all right to leave your cave to be out in public?”
He ran a hand over the front of his shirt. “Uh, it’s another Doctor Who reference.”
She smiled at that. Even not in costume, he wore his geekhood. “Speaking of which, I watched a few episodes of the tenth doctor. You were quoting him.”
“Huh?”
“When we talked about books. You said something like books are the best weapons. I thought it was cool at the time, but then I learned you stole the line from Doctor Who.”
He blushed but took a step closer to her. “I tend to do that—use lines from the character I’m portraying. It’s the actor in me.”
“Is that all?”
“No. It also makes things easier when I’m nervous. If I use someone else’s words, I won’t embarrass myself.”
“Interesting tactic. I might have to give it a try.”
He laughed. “You? I can’t imagine you ever get nervous.”
“Maybe I’m a better actor than you are.” The air between them filled with tension, but it was good. She drew
nearer to him. “For instance, I’m extremely nervous right now.”
“Why?” His voice had dropped to a lower register, and it was sexy as hell.
“Because I want tonight to be good, and first dates tend to suck.”
“I’ll do my level best to make sure it doesn’t.”
She stood close enough that she watched his pulse thump in his neck. She had the urge to kiss him to see if his pulse would spike, but part of her feared it would scare him away.
She licked her lips, tasting her strawberry gloss, and asked, “Ready to go?”
He stepped back and swept out an arm. “As you wish.”
She pointed at him. “I know that one. Princess Bride, right?”
“Very good.”
“You won’t need quotes tonight. You already got me on a date. No need to be nervous.” She reached into the closet and tugged her coat off a hanger.
“Easier said than done.”
“I always thought that for a guy, asking was the hardest part.”
“True, it only takes about twenty seconds of insane courage.”
“Ha! I know that one too. We Bought a Zoo. Don’t you think it’s a little weird that you can pull out quotes throughout a conversation like it’s nothing?”
He took her coat and held it open for her to slide into. “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all.”
She turned, still standing close enough to brush against him as she pulled her coat closed. She stared and tried to decide whether that was another quote.
He slowly slid his hands under her hair and freed it where it had been trapped under her collar. In doing so, he was even closer. She smelled his cologne and wanted to bury her nose in his neck. His thumbs caressed her neck and he leaned close to her ear. “The Breakfast Club.”
His breath on her ear sent a zing through her body. Something about his quiet mannerisms made her want to rub up against him. She inhaled deeply, and her boobs brushed his chest.
“We better leave, or we’ll be late.” He took a step away from her.
“Hmm . . . if it’s something we’ll be late for, then it’s not just dinner. At least not someplace casual enough for T-shirts and jeans. Any other clues?”
His Dream Role Page 3
