Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 30747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30747 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
The word friend left a sour feeling in my stomach when I thought about Tage. I was drawn to him. When he was touching my shoulder or hand, I knew he was just being a compassionate doctor, but I couldn’t help the way it made my skin warm and my heart beat faster; or how my mind raced with visions of being wrapped in his arms. I wanted to be close to him. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted…more. I never had a boyfriend before, but I knew Tage would be a good one.
But it was a silly thought. He wouldn’t want me. I was nothing special to look at, and I had nothing going for me. Besides, after speaking with Joey and Ian that morning, I knew that Tage had a mate waiting for him somewhere. That person would surely be better than me, and they would be very lucky.
"Check it out!" Joey said when we stepped inside a large room with orange walls and soft cream carpet.
"Wow," I whispered, in awe of the sight of toys piled up in every corner. I'd never seen so many in one place outside of the toy store.
"What do you want to play with first?"
Looking around at all of the options, I was a little overwhelmed. I didn't know where to begin, or what to ask for. Some of the toys were huge and had lots of parts, and I wasn't even sure how they worked.
I relaxed as soon as I heard Tage's voice ask, "Do you have any dolls?" He knew what I liked and wanted to help me.
"Hmm." Joey put his hands on his hips as he looked around. "Oh, I have action figures!" He hustled across the room and returned carrying a plastic figure dressed in a superhero costume. "Whatcha think?"
I wasn't sure; my thoughts were everywhere. I was excited to finally be able to play without the worry of being caught, but I couldn't help still feeling a little guilty. I was also worried that I might not play the way Joey liked.
I flinched when I felt something rest on my shoulder, but once I realized it was Tage's hand, I relaxed and took a step closer to him. A simple touch from him brought me comfort.
"I think he looks like a good friend for Barbie," Tage said into my ear. In all of the excitement, I forgot I had her with me. I slipped the doll out of my pocket and smiled; it was nice to see something familiar. "Does she want to say hello?"
When I took a deep breath and nodded, Joey beamed and held the heroes in front of his chest. I turned Barbie to face them and said in a high pitched voice, "Hello." It was a single word, but it brought me so much happiness that my eyes grew blurry. When Tage squeezed my shoulder, warmth and pride bloomed in my chest.
“Hello,” Joey answered in a deep, manly voice as he shook the figure. “I’m Superman. What’s your name?”
“Barbie.”
“What do you want to do today, Barbie?”
Oh no. Joey was leaving the game up to me, but I didn’t know where to take it. What did Barbie want to do? I’d waited so long to play, but I was blowing it, just standing there in silence and confusion.
Tage’s strong hand massaged my shoulder, instantly bringing down my racing heart rate. His mouth lowered to my ear once more and he suggested, “Superman is a hero; maybe he can help Barbie with something.” That’s good. But what could he help her with? As if he heard my mental question, Tage added, “Maybe she lost something.”
I nodded my agreement at his very good idea. “Superman, I’ve lost my…” My what? “Puppy!” I blurted out. I looked back at Tage, and he was smiling from ear to ear, making my chest even warmer. I turned back to Superman and asked, “Can you please help me find him? I miss him so much!”
“I’ll leave no stone unturned. Come with me!”
Barbie followed Superman on his quest; they searched the whole room, looking beneath cars, blocks, and books. Just when the mission seemed hopeless, Barbie spotted a tuft of white fur peeking out of a pile of stuffed animals.
“I think I see him!” She pointed at the pile, and they rushed over. “There! The white fur!”
“I’ll save him!” Superman assured, and then used his big muscles to scoop away the other animals safely, revealing a white, fluffy puppy.
“Oh, you found him!” She squealed before giving Superman a big hug. “Thank you, thank you!” Her tiny hands pet through the pup’s fur. “Snowball, are you okay?” The pup gave a yip, showing that it was unharmed.
“Your puppy is very big,” Superman pointed out. “Would he mind if we rode on him?”