"You'd be wise to pick up a copy. Isn't she your girlfriend?"
"And how would you know that?"he inquired as he whipped around from the soda machine.
"Brian told me,"he lied.
"Did he also tell you that she's the one on the cover?"
"No but she's very beautiful,"he continued his charade.
"She's okay."
"Women like this are not just okay Alex. She's beautiful."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you fallen in love with the heroine of the book."
"Maybe,"he shrugged as he returned to the pages of the paperback."And if you'd pick up a copy, you might fall in love with her too."
"Romance novels are a toy for women."
"A toy?"
"You know. When they need that little something extra."
"That is so sexist."
"What's so sexist about it? We have our methods, they have theirs. Everybody gets lonely once in awhile."
"I'm through with this conversation,"he sighed; rolling his eyes. He rose from the couch.
"Hold on."
"What?"he said as he turned at the doorway.
"What is so great about romance novels Kev?"
"It's a way to escape to a world far from your own."
"But the men in these stories. Please!"
"Even they know they don't exist Age. It's just a chance to leave the husband, the kids, boyfriend or whatever it may be that's troubling them for the day and get lost in the arms of a strong handsome stranger."
"So why are you reading it?"
"Because this one's so much more than romance. It's history just dying to repeat itself."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Read the book and find out for yourself,"Kevin returned and left the room.
AJ found his cell phone and dialed Simone's number."Simone?"
"Yes."
"It's Alex."
"Goodbye."
"Don't hang up,"he begged before she had a chance to cut him off.
"What do you want?"
"Look. I'm sorry about the other night. I don't know what came over me. It wasn't me."
"Next thing you're gonna tell me is that you were posessed."
"I can't ever do anything right for you can I?"
"If you loved me you could."
"I do love you, that's why I do the things I do."
"Somehow I don't think love's supposed to be quite this painful."
"I wanna make it up to you Simone. At least let me try."
" I don't know if I can."
"Please Simone. Sunday evening. Candlelight dinner at my place?"
She hesitated. It would be the perfect opportunity to let him down. She couldn't lie to him yet she couldn't tell him who the other party without it affecting their work and she didn't want to be responsible for that.
"Simone?"he inquired of her presence.
"I'm sorry. I'll see you Sunday night then,"she reluctantly agreed.
