Free Unlucky In Love by Carmen DeSousa Page B

my
thoughts.”
    He narrowed his eyes across the table. “What
do you think you do when you write?”
    I bobbed my head from side to side. “Yeah …
I guess you’re right. So, what have you been writing?”
    This time he shook his
head rapidly. “I asked you first.”
    “Ahh … so you have been writing.” I drummed
my fingers on the table. “Tell you what. I’ll show you mine if you
show me yours.”
    Seth threw back his head. “ Ooh … it’s like we’re sitting beneath the bleachers in junior high. You got an old Coke
bottle in your backpack? Maybe we can play Spin the Bottle next. But okay …” He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out
a small laptop about half the size of mine. After he clicked on a few keys, he turned it around and pushed it
across the round table. “Here you go.”
    I blew out a long breath and then did the
same with my computer, but held it as I asked, “Did you do that in
junior high? The ‘underneath the bleachers’ thing?”
    Seth winked. “I’ll never tell.”
    I raked my teeth across my bottom lip as I
released my grip on my laptop. “Mine’s romantic suspense, though,
so don’t gag.”
    Seth grabbed the computer and turned it
around. “I happen to like romantic suspense, Jana.”
    I smiled, thinking again that this guy
couldn’t be true. I would have to ask Mak if she saw anyone sitting
with me. Or if I was just rambling on to myself. Maybe men had
driven me to the point that I had to create an imaginary boyfriend
— on paper and off.
    Regardless of whether Seth was real or not, I liked him. I ran my finger down the
page, positioning the cursor so I could just arrow down as I
read.
    I peeked up once to see that Seth had
already started. Evidently feeling my gaze, he waved me off as
though I should get to work.
    Smiling, I started to read.
    Twenty minutes later, I tore my eyes from
the page to see Seth staring at me. I’d been so engrossed in the
story that I’d forgotten he was here.
    He tilted his head as if to ask for my
opinion and then shrugged. “What do you think?”
    “It’s amazing. Has anyone read this
yet?”
    He smiled. “Not yet.”
    “Seth … this is fantastic. Really. Oh, my
God! You’re going to be famous.”
    He waved his hand at me, and if I wasn’t
mistaken, he might have even blushed. “You
think?”
    I lifted my hands. “I’m just a reader, but I
read a lot of books, and this is … I don’t know what to say. I do
know this … I read plenty of books that I couldn’t care less if I
read past the first chapter, but yours … When can I read it
all?”
    He grinned. “Really? You want to be a beta
reader?”
    “Well, I don’t know how good I’ll be as a
beta reader, but yeah. Is it finished?”
    “Almost. Write down your email, and you’ll
be the first one I send it to.” He moved his hand across the
keyboard of my computer, then pointed. “Jana, this is good. I love
how you started the story with a bang — literally. I’m pretty sure
I even teared up when she finally had the courage to leave him. Is
it finished?”
    I shook my head. “Not yet, but I hope to
have it finished next month. I’ve been managing about two thousand
words a day. After that, my brain shuts
down.”
    Seth reached into his computer bag as he
laughed. “Me too.” He pulled out a card and jotted something on the
back. He pushed the card across the table. “Here’s my personal
email. Email me when you can, and I’ll send you mine and then you
can send me yours.”
    I laughed. “Okay.” He still hadn’t asked me
out on a date — or mentioned the fact that I’d used his name — but
maybe this was even better. A writing partner, and a man’s point of
view at that. That would be great. Afterward, maybe we could get
together … as a male-and-female writing team. I’d never read a book
written like that, but I’d seen a few. It seemed like a great
idea.
    Seth scooped up his computer and shoved it
back into his satchel. “Well, I have to go.