My Blood Approves Read Free Page B

famous,” Jack replied quietly. He looked like he wanted to explain things more, but then the waitress appeared with three mugs and a pitcher of coffee.
    “Is there anything else I can get you?” the waitress batted her eyes at Jack, who continued to ignore her.
    “We’re fine, thanks,” Jane snapped. She had claimed him all for herself, and she had just noticed that everyone in the room was competition, so her claws were coming out.
    “Just let me know if there’s anything at all.” The waitress reluctantly walked away, and Jane glared at her the entire time.
    “Come on.” I rested my arms on the table and leaned in closer to him because I’d lowered my voice. “You had to have noticed that. You seem like a pretty observant guy.”
    “I don’t have an answer for it.” He picked up the pitcher of coffee and poured a cup for himself and me, and then as an afterthought, filled Jane’s too. “Do you take cream or sugar in yours?”
    “Both.” I was perfectly capable of doing it myself, but I think Jack wanted to occupy himself somehow so I would be less likely to notice him hedging the question. He dumped a creamer and two packets of sugar in my coffee, and stirred a creamer in his, then settled back in the booth.
    “I take cream and sugar too,” Jane added meekly, and Jack pushed the bowls of creamers and sugar packets toward her. Her face crumbled a bit, and she slowly added them to her coffee.
    “So you’re not famous?” I refused to let it go without a direct answer. “I can assure you that I’m not famous,” Jack smiled broadly. This one thing I would say about him; he had to have one of the greatest smiles of all time. It wasn’t particularly sexy or anything like that. It was just so natural and carefree, as if his face had been made to do only that.
    “You just look so familiar to me,” I admitted, growing exasperated. As soon as I said that, I knew that wasn’t exactly it either. I could almost guarantee that I’d never seen him before, but there was something undeniably familiar about him.
    “I know, right?” Jack gave me a perplexed look that I’m sure mirrored my own.
    “So do I know you from somewhere?” It didn’t sound right to me, but I couldn’t think of anything else. There was this strange non-sexual intimacy with him, so I had to know him, right?
    “That’s not possible,” Jack said simply, shaking his head.
    “How is it not possible?” I asked incredulously. “Did you just move here or something?”
    “It’s complicated.” He touched his coffee cup and made like he was going to drink it, but he never even lifted it off the table. Jane, for her part, seemed to have resigned herself to drinking her coffee and watching us talk. She finished one cup and poured herself another.
    “How is it complicated?” The whole issue of whether he was from the Twin Cities seemed like a very simple yes or no question, but he was hesitant to answer it, and I couldn’t imagine why.
    “It just is,” Jack replied, flashing me another one of his amazing smiles. “How old are you?” I asked pointedly. This would have to be a simple question, even though it was one that I couldn’t really decipher. Somehow, he managed to look very young, like he was fifteen or even younger, while simultaneously looking older than me. It was something about his eyes. They were very young and very old, at the same time.
    To my surprise, Jack laughed in response, and I found something even more incredible than his smile. Hands down, he had the greatest laugh in the universe. It was this completely perfect sound that I can’t even explain. When he laughed, it sounded so clear and perfect and hearty, and he laughed with everything in him. Somehow, it warmed me through and through, and I realized that I would trust him with anything.
    “How old are you?” Jack countered, grinning at me.
    “I asked you first.” I had finished my cup of coffee, so I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my