yourself very well. A lot of people in your situation wouldn’t.”
“What, because I say hello to people?”
“Yes. That’s exactly right.”
“That’s nothing.”
She turned from the ice cream to face him. “No, it’s not nothing. I’ve seen people like you behave quite badly to people like her. Just because they can.”
“Well, then, some people you might think are like me, aren’t like me at all.”
Just then, before she could think how to respond to this latest little jolt to her ego, the door to the ice-cream parlor opened. A group of girls, seven of them, walked in. They all looked flushed, as if they’d been running. They probably had. Dani groaned. It was going to be another replay of this afternoon at the coffee shop. Janet hadn’t gone to compose herself in the back room; she’d gone to set the jungle drums in motion.
“I think you’re in for some company,” she whispered.
“Uh-oh.”
“Yeah. Wanna make a break for it?”
He shook his head, then looked fixedly at the Chocolate Chocolate Chip. “Not yet.”
“It’s up to you.”
The bell above the door jingled again, and Dani watched another three high school kids come in. The place wasn’t all that big, and now there were a lot of people here. Yet it was awfully quiet. No one needed to speak. They just needed to stare. At the Sexiest Man in the World.
Suddenly Dani felt sorry for Alex. She’d seen he was a person, not the picture on the magazine cover. This couldn’t be easy for him.
Janet came out from the back, and flushed again as she saw her friends lining the back wall. She tried to smile, but it wasn’t very convincing.
Dani ordered quickly, her tone a little accusatory. But when Alex asked for his double scoop of chocolate chip and jamoca, his voice held no bitterness.
Janet worked with shaky hands, and the cones were less than masterpieces. Dani was getting jumpy. More kids entered the parlor, but no one said one word. It was eerie and uncomfortable, and all she wanted to do was get out and apologize profusely to her guest. What were these kids thinking?
Alex took his cone, and grabbed a few napkins. “How much is it?” he asked.
“Four-twenty,” Janet said, her voice cracking a little at the end.
He gave her a five, and while they waited for the change, someone coughed. Not a big cough, but a “I’m going to say something” cough.
“Mr. Bradley?”
The voice came from a girl Dani didn’t know. She was the smallest one there. Cute, dark haired, wearing an “X-Files” T-shirt and very tight jeans.
Alex turned to face her. “Yes?”
“Could I have your autograph, you think?”
He nodded, smiling. “Sure. You have some paper?”
The girl shook her head. “Not on paper.” She held out her arm as she walked closer. “On here.”
Dani nearly dropped her ice cream.
Alex merely nodded. “Got a pen?”
The girl handed him a permanent marker. Blue. Dani watched in amazement as Alex put his ice cream in the holder on the counter, calmly uncapped the pen, took the teenager’s arm and wrote his name boldly.
He smiled at the girl, and she giggled. Then another girl, this one taller and blond, came to take her place. She held out her arm. “Me, too?”
Alex nodded. Smiled. Signed.
Dani licked her cone as she watched every one of the young women stand and wait their turn. He was patient, pleasant and even made some conversation with the starstruck girls.
She was truly amazed. Why anyone would want an autograph like this was beyond her, but she’d been a kid once, and remembered she’d done some crazy things. But more amazing was watching Alex. He simply couldn’t have surprised her more.
Finally the last girl stood in front of him. He reached for her arm, but she shook her head. Instead she pulled up her little crop-top T-shirt, baring a very slender, very tanned midriff.
Alex immediately turned to look at Dani, smiled and winked. It was a conspiratorial smile, meant just for her. A shared
“What, because I say hello to people?”
“Yes. That’s exactly right.”
“That’s nothing.”
She turned from the ice cream to face him. “No, it’s not nothing. I’ve seen people like you behave quite badly to people like her. Just because they can.”
“Well, then, some people you might think are like me, aren’t like me at all.”
Just then, before she could think how to respond to this latest little jolt to her ego, the door to the ice-cream parlor opened. A group of girls, seven of them, walked in. They all looked flushed, as if they’d been running. They probably had. Dani groaned. It was going to be another replay of this afternoon at the coffee shop. Janet hadn’t gone to compose herself in the back room; she’d gone to set the jungle drums in motion.
“I think you’re in for some company,” she whispered.
“Uh-oh.”
“Yeah. Wanna make a break for it?”
He shook his head, then looked fixedly at the Chocolate Chocolate Chip. “Not yet.”
“It’s up to you.”
The bell above the door jingled again, and Dani watched another three high school kids come in. The place wasn’t all that big, and now there were a lot of people here. Yet it was awfully quiet. No one needed to speak. They just needed to stare. At the Sexiest Man in the World.
Suddenly Dani felt sorry for Alex. She’d seen he was a person, not the picture on the magazine cover. This couldn’t be easy for him.
Janet came out from the back, and flushed again as she saw her friends lining the back wall. She tried to smile, but it wasn’t very convincing.
Dani ordered quickly, her tone a little accusatory. But when Alex asked for his double scoop of chocolate chip and jamoca, his voice held no bitterness.
Janet worked with shaky hands, and the cones were less than masterpieces. Dani was getting jumpy. More kids entered the parlor, but no one said one word. It was eerie and uncomfortable, and all she wanted to do was get out and apologize profusely to her guest. What were these kids thinking?
Alex took his cone, and grabbed a few napkins. “How much is it?” he asked.
“Four-twenty,” Janet said, her voice cracking a little at the end.
He gave her a five, and while they waited for the change, someone coughed. Not a big cough, but a “I’m going to say something” cough.
“Mr. Bradley?”
The voice came from a girl Dani didn’t know. She was the smallest one there. Cute, dark haired, wearing an “X-Files” T-shirt and very tight jeans.
Alex turned to face her. “Yes?”
“Could I have your autograph, you think?”
He nodded, smiling. “Sure. You have some paper?”
The girl shook her head. “Not on paper.” She held out her arm as she walked closer. “On here.”
Dani nearly dropped her ice cream.
Alex merely nodded. “Got a pen?”
The girl handed him a permanent marker. Blue. Dani watched in amazement as Alex put his ice cream in the holder on the counter, calmly uncapped the pen, took the teenager’s arm and wrote his name boldly.
He smiled at the girl, and she giggled. Then another girl, this one taller and blond, came to take her place. She held out her arm. “Me, too?”
Alex nodded. Smiled. Signed.
Dani licked her cone as she watched every one of the young women stand and wait their turn. He was patient, pleasant and even made some conversation with the starstruck girls.
She was truly amazed. Why anyone would want an autograph like this was beyond her, but she’d been a kid once, and remembered she’d done some crazy things. But more amazing was watching Alex. He simply couldn’t have surprised her more.
Finally the last girl stood in front of him. He reached for her arm, but she shook her head. Instead she pulled up her little crop-top T-shirt, baring a very slender, very tanned midriff.
Alex immediately turned to look at Dani, smiled and winked. It was a conspiratorial smile, meant just for her. A shared
Similar Books
