by Jan Gordon
I really needed caffeine. I got up and dragged myself over to the little sink and cabinet in the office. On top of the cabinet I had a small microwave and a couple of mugs. I eyed the jar of instant coffee as if it had been made in Hell. I loathed instant coffee, but it was better than nothing. I placed a mug of water in the microwave, and as I waited for the water to heat up, I thought for perhaps the millionth time that I should buy a small coffee machine so I could drink the real McCoy at work, as well as at home.
I was rudely dragged out of my reverie about the delights of coffee makers by the sound of the bell on the front door. The chimes meant that my first customer had arrived and my day was starting without caffeine. With a longing look at the hated instant drink that masqueraded as coffee, I went out of my private room to face the world.
The sales area looked empty. I couldn’t see anyone amongst the shelves from where I stood. I’d definitely heard the door open but the bell hadn’t rung a second time so whoever had come in hadn’t gone out. I did a quick walk-through around the book cases. No one. That was strange. My mind registered a foreign smell and I looked around for the source of the tantalizing aroma. Then I saw it. Heaven in a cardboard cup. Sitting on the counter was an extra large cup of java. Who? Cole? It had to have been Cole. But where was he?
I shrugged and lifted the lid on the cup, breathed in the rich aroma of pure Columbian, and took a sip. The caffeine hit my system and I sighed.
“Am I forgiven for calling you ‘Mouse’?”
It was a sheer miracle that I didn’t spill the coffee because I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice. “Where did you come from?”
He gestured toward the shelves where I keep the paranormals and the thrillers. “Back there.”
“No you didn’t. I checked before I saw the coffee, the place was empty.”
“I wanted to surprise you, so I kept hiding from you, moving behind the shelves as you walked around them.”
“Well, you succeeded in surprising me.” I lifted the cup a little. “Thanks for this. All I have around here is some instant.”
“Am I forgiven?” He asked again. He looked so forlorn, and even though I knew it was an act for my benefit, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes, you’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again, okay?”
“I can’t promise that, but I will promise to ask for your permission before I use that name again.” And he smiled. A full smile, one that went all the way to his eyes and I almost melted on the spot. In fact, I think I did.
“I guess I can live with that.” Hell would freeze over before I gave my permission. He continued to stand there in front of the counter, looking totally at ease in his own skin. “Umm... I’ve got work to do, are you going to stand there and watch me all day?” I tried to keep the sharp edge out of my voice, I wasn’t sure if I’d been successful or not.
Not getting an answer, I picked up a pile of books and walked out from behind the counter toward the shelves. On top of the pile was the book about Gabriella and her werewolf. When I reached the paranormal section, I shifted the weight of the books to one arm and picked up the top book with the other hand in order to shelve it. Without warning Cole plucked the book out of my hand and looked at it before slotting it into the correct spot between the others on the shelf.
“Do you read any of this stuff?” He indicated the paranormal section.
“Yes, mostly. I like other genres as well, but this is my favorite.”
“Werewolves and witches?”
“Not just that, vampires, demons and fairies too. Some of them include old Greek or Norse legends. They’re fun, an escape from the daily routine of life.”
“Do you need to escape from life, Vic?” His voice was low, sexy and serious. He sounded like he really wanted to hear my answer.
“Everyone needs some escapism occasionally, some fun, some excitement.” Even to my own ears I sounded wistful.
I left him looking at a series of books about shape shifters while I shelved the rest of the pile I was holding. Coming back to him, my arms now empty, I leaned against one of the wooden uprights and he placed the book he’d been holding back on the shelf.
He gestured at the shelves. “Do you think there really are things like that in this world?”
I shrugged. “Just because I, personally, haven’t seen an alien or a UFO doesn’t mean that there isn’t life on other planets in other galaxies.” I thought that was a really good answer, without actually answering his question. I pushed away from the bookshelf and walked back to my chair behind the counter.
“Will you let me buy you dinner tonight?”
He had done that silent walking thing again. How was it possible that a man of his size could walk without making noise?
“Dinner?” He didn’t know how much I wanted to say yes, but I was too tired to be sociable. “Can I take a rain check? I really am tired.”
“I can come by when you close up for the day and we can make it an early dinner.”
I looked down at my jeans and sweater. Not messy, but not elegant either. “I’m not exactly dressed to go out to dinner. Perhaps tomorrow night?”
He was quiet for a beat, as if deciding whether to let me have my way or not. “Tomorrow night then, and no excuses. I’ll leave you to your work now and I’ll be in touch.”
I watched him walk out, actually I watched his butt. I couldn’t help but notice how good the view was.
The rest of the day was a trial. It seemed that news of my coffee date with Cole had spread like wildfire. Everyone wanted to know who the handsome stranger was. I couldn’t believe that no one had actually seen him for themselves; only Mindy at Dolly’s and obviously whoever had observed us while we were sitting there. Cole’s looks became more and more incredible with each retelling of the story. I had to hide my smiles at some of the descriptions of the breadth of his shoulders or the size of his muscles. Most of the gossips also bought books, so all in all Cole really had been good for business.
I was just finishing up my closing routine when Cole sauntered through the door. In one hand he held a large paper bag and in the other, a wine bottle. “I thought I’d told you I would take a rain check on the dinner invitation.”
“No, you said you wanted a rain check on going out to dinner. You said nothing against eating here.”
“That’s because the thought never even entered my mind.” Dinner? In the bag? Take out? Oh boy, he’d read my mind. I had been going to order pizza as soon as I got home. He strode straight past me to the room at the back. He left the bag in there before coming back out to the front door and turned over the ‘open’ sign so it read ‘closed’ from outside. He then flicked the latch on the lock and went back to the office.
What’s with that? He just walked in here as if he owned the place. Was I going to just accept that, after all this was my store. For dinner that I didn’t have to cook? Hell, yeah!
I turned off the lights in the main part of the store and followed him. He was already clearing the top of the small desk that I keep in the little room. I stood, bemusedly watching him, as he pulled container after container of Chinese food out of the bag. Without saying a word he returned to the sales area of the shop and came back with my chair from the counter. I’d been peeking into the containers to check out what he’d brought and started guiltily when he returned. He held the office chair out for me to sit in so that I had room for my legs. He sat to the side of the desk which meant he had to skew his body around to face the desk because he had no room for his long legs.
“I didn’t know what you liked so I ordered a selection. I probably overdid the order a little...”
“A little? More like a lot! There’s enough food here to feed half a block.” My stomach chose that moment to make its presence heard.
Obviously there was nothing wrong with his hearing because he grinned, handed me a pair of chopsticks and a napkin then started opening up containers “Let’s feed that beast, shall we?”
&n
bsp; As I started to open more containers, he rooted in the paper bag and came up with a corkscrew and began to open the wine. “It’s white and not very cold, hope that’s okay.” I nodded because I had a mouthful of eggroll. “Where do you keep your glasses?”
I swallowed quickly, “I don’t have any glasses here – just those two mugs.” I said, indicating the mugs by the sink. “It’s just me here usually, and I don’t bother with glasses. I think there are some paper cups and plates in the cabinet next to the sink. We could use the plates for the food.”
I stood up to get the plates, but he put out a hand to stop me and I got another display of his fine rear end as he turned and bent over to open the cabinet, he took out a couple of paper plates and handed them to me. He then brought over the mugs and poured a little wine into both giving one to me and putting the other at his place. I took a sip and smiled. The wine had a light, crisp, fruity flavor and I loved it. He sat back down at the desk and took one of the plates and began to help himself to some of the food.
We began to eat in silence. I didn’t know what to say to this man. I mean, I knew what I wanted to ask him but I didn’t know how. Mostly it was ‘why’, why out of all the women in this town did he decide to pay me attention? Was it because he tried to save me at the gas station? That had to be the reason because young, sexy men didn’t normally seek out my company. If I’m invited to any kind of social, it’s usually by men in their sixties or seventies who liked to talk to me.
Suddenly my thoughts spilled out of my mouth without getting permission from my brain. “Why me?”
Cole looked up at me and frowned. “Huh? Why you, what?”
I tried to rein in my thoughts in order to avoid further accidental spillage. I had to say something; I couldn’t just leave it like that. I took a deep breath, engaged my brain and attempted to explain myself. “Why are you here, now, with me? I can understand why you came by the shop yesterday, and I can put your inviting me for coffee down to good manners. But why did you come by this morning and why all this?” I swept my hand over the food.
“Because this morning you looked exhausted, and I wanted you to have some fun after your experience the other night at the gas station.” He reached out, took my hand and began to slowly rub his thumb across my knuckles. “I wanted to see you smile.”
I pulled my hand away from his grasp. “But why me? I’m nothing special, I’m not beautiful. I’m just ‘plain Vic, the woman who owns the used bookstore.’ I’m just...” My voice died away when I looked up at his face. The anger I saw there took me by surprise.
“Don’t you dare underestimate your worth or your charms.” His voice was like a snarl, the harshness almost made me fear him. Almost, but not quite. “When I noticed that you didn’t fall into hysterics after you saw the gunman at the gas station, I knew you were something special. Now that I’ve gotten to know you better, I know for sure that you’re worth a dozen of girls like that waitress at the diner. You are brave, bright and witty. You’re independent, and self-sufficient.” The anger ebbed away from his features and his voice softened. “And you are beautiful and sexy. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.”
“And you know all this about me on, what? Two hours of my company? Because that’s what the sum total of our ‘acquaintance’ has been.” I had no idea why I was angry. Perhaps it was because he saw me how I wanted to see myself but had always been unable to do so.
To my utter horror I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, and tried desperately to will them not to fall. I failed. As two fat tears spilled over onto my cheeks, Cole stood up so fast his chair fell backwards. He came over to me and pulled me up out of my seat. “Don’t cry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He dabbed at my cheeks with his napkin.
“I’m not upset. I’m angry. I always cry when I’m angry.” I tapped my head with a finger. “My wiring has always been a little messed up.”
“I think your wiring is perfect.”
I closed my eyes because he’d suddenly made me feel shy. A second later my eyes flew open because I’d felt his lips on my forehead. The kiss was the softest of touches, but it was enough to make almost all of my anger ebb away. I sighed and he gently pushed me back into my chair. He picked up his own chair and resumed his seat.
Automatically I picked up my chopsticks, but I was no longer hungry. I pushed some food around my plate but I thought I might choke if I tried to eat it. “I’m sorry, sometimes I speak without thinking and now I’ve spoiled the evening.” I looked up at Cole and noticed he wasn’t eating either. “Perhaps we should just pack all this away and you can take it home with you. You can heat it up later or eat it cold for breakfast. Back in college my roommate always ate left over cold Chinese for breakfast.”
“I’ll only agree to that if you promise to eat it with me.”
I gasped at the suggestion. I hadn’t meant to imply that we end up eating breakfast together.
He must have realized what he’d said and qualified it immediately. “I meant about heating it up later. I haven’t bought a microwave yet, so we’d have to eat at your place.”
Whoa! Had this been his plan all along, to get me alone at my place? Oh wait, we are alone and technically this was also my place. “You mean, take it back to my house now? Finish eating at my home?” My voice cracked a little, I cleared my throat and began again. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Yes, it’ll be more comfortable around a proper table. You do have a table don’t you?” He’d neatly sidestepped my comment about it not being a good idea, and I opted to follow his lead and make light of things.
I laughed and the laughter dispelled the final tendrils of anger that had been knotting my stomach. “Yes, I’ve got a table.”
“I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.” He held up his hands as if to show his innocence. “No ulterior motive other than wanting to eat and get to know you a bit better.” His ‘little boy’ look was definitely winning him points. “Plus I’d like to make up for being angry with you and for making you cry, thereby causing you to lose your appetite. Perhaps in your own home you’ll get your appetite back.” I gave him a skeptical look and he realized he’d put his foot in his mouth again. “For food. You’ll get your appetite back for food.”
I thought about it for all of five seconds before coming to a decision. “Okay, but no funny business.” I tried to look stern but I think the effect was spoiled because I couldn’t stop my lips from forming half a smile.
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman. Drink your wine and we’ll take the rest of the bottle with us.” He stood up and started to close all the containers, replacing them in the paper bag. I grabbed a garbage bag from the cabinet and swept the paper plates, napkins and chopsticks into it. Cole held out his hand for the garbage. “Tell me where the trash goes and I’ll take it out.”
Handing him the bag, I told him, “Right outside the back door there’s a large gray dumpster. Thank you.”
By the time he came back I’d washed the mugs and I had my coat on ready to leave. “Can you get the cork back in the bottle? I never can.” He squeezed the end of the cork and managed to get it into the neck of the bottle of wine. It didn’t completely seal the bottle but it would stop the wine from accidentally slopping out.
“I have to drop today’s earnings at the bank on the way, where are you parked?” I flicked on the alarm, followed him out of the store and locked the door.
“I got a ride into town earlier, and I’ll figure out something for later.”
We started walking toward my car and I wondered who he’d gotten a ride with, because the old Wicks’ place was kind of out of the way. I was just about to ask him when he turn to me and asked, “Was the white wine okay? Or do you prefer red?”
“Huh? Oh the white was lovely. But I like red too. In fact, I like most wine as long as it’s not too sweet.” When we reached my car I beeped it open and we got in. I pulled out of the parking spot and drove up the street to the bank; leaving the
engine running, I jumped out the car and deposited the day’s earnings. I quickly climbed back into the vehicle and drove toward my home. My appetite was coming back and I was hungry. Trouble was, I was also getting hungry for something other than food, and that was not an appetite I thought I was ready to feed any time soon.
Chapter Four
The journey to my house was accompanied by an awkward silence. At least it was awkward on my part. I was nervous. I was taking Cole to my home. What did I really know about this man who sat so comfortably in the seat next to me? Where was he from? How old was he? More importantly just who was he? He had an aura of mystery about him that I couldn’t explain. But there was one thing I was absolutely sure of, I knew I could trust him. I had no idea why that was, but I felt it deep down and knew I had to go with my instincts.
I wondered what he was thinking of. I stole a glance in his direction and his face seemed relaxed, as did his body, but I could sense an underlying awareness about him. He reminded me of Mister. When my pet slept or rested it was always with one eye open, his ears listening for the slightest sound.
I pulled into the driveway of my home and switched off the engine. “This is it. It’s not as exciting as a hundred year old homestead but it’s home.” I grabbed the bag of food and my purse, got out of the car and led him into my house. “Welcome to my home.”
We’d barely shut the door when a hissing and spitting noise startled me. I looked down at the source of the outburst. Mister had come to the door to welcome me as usual, but he’d stopped in front of Cole and was acting like a wildcat. Teeth bared, ears flat, back arched and tail completely fluffed. “Mister! Behave!”
Mister ignored me completely and continued spitting and hissing. Cole crouched down on his haunches and made a kind of growling sound that seemed to come from his chest rather than his throat. Then I heard him say in a gravelly voice, “Easy bro’, I just want to share your territory not take it over.” To my amazement Mister stopped making a fuss and sat down, keeping his tail fluffed just for good measure.