From then on, I could never look at the bookstore the same way again..

Rendezvous Unplanned

-.-.-.-.-.-

For Deb;

My Christmas present to you! :)

-.-.-.-.-.-

Constance flipped the light-colored wavy locks which made up her hair to a side, feeling agitated. The afternoon heat was making her sweat profusely despite the fact that the miserable excuse for air-conditioning was on full blast. Besides, it didn’t help that the bus was over-crowded as well which made the overall temperature even more unbearable. People jostled one another to get out or get in whenever the bus pulled up at a stop. And to top the most unpleasant ride she was on, the bus jerks violently on each halt and movement forward. She very nearly her balance not once, but three times during the ride.

She managed to snag herself a spot near the doors so she could get out of the bus as soon as possible when it stopped at her intended destination. She leaned her forehead against the cool steel pole she was holding on to, doing her best not to feel nauseous and pass out from the smell and feel of sardine packed human bodies, inane chatter and the whatnots. What a miserable thing this trip was turning out to be. How comforting. Not.

It was bustling Friday afternoon on the road to town. The roads were jammed with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Traffic was slow due to the lunch hour but at least they weren’t crawling along. Constance silently chided herself for not leaving her house earlier. Outside, the bright blue sky dotted with clouds looked promising. However at that moment, she felt it was mocking her plight of being stuck in an over-crowded bus on a sweltering afternoon. Tearing her eyes away from the mocking sky outside, she surveyed her surroundings. Today’s crowd was mostly made up of noisy teenagers fresh from school and a couple of miscellaneous-looking people. Apparently they were taking the advantage of the school holidays to hang out at the mall with friends. She recognized a few regular faces and smiled at them. She returned her sea gray gaze to the window.

Somewhere behind her, she felt a person shifted and pressed the buzzer. Unfortunately, Constance was standing right next to it. Before she could cover her ears (or do anything for that matter), the buzzer blared loudly just beside her left ear. She winced, her eardrums throbbing uncomfortably. Shifting slightly, she rubbed her ear to ease the throbbing sensation. As she did so, she glanced outside wondering when her stop will ever come. She side-stepped neatly as the bus finally jerked to a halt. She narrowly escaped from being squashed up against the window in the process. Sometimes being petite has its perks.

The crowd thinned gradually as they passed stop after stop. They were nearing to the center of town. She found breathing significantly easier and the air less stifling now that there were less people. Upon nearing her destination, she pressed the buzzer impatiently. Before the bus could stop completely, she was already on the steps and jumped out into the pavement. Ah, fresh air at last! She stretched her limbs and set off at a leisure pace down the block. Her trainers moved lightly on the sun-soaked pavement. Scenes of a typical Friday afternoon relayed all around her. Around the corner, she could spot Borders’ Store white sign in black, bold lettering underlined with red gleaming in the midday sun. A smile lit up her face and she eagerly quickened her pace.

Sort of desperate to escape the heat wave, she pushed the glass door and swiftly stepped inside. As she did so, a gentle sound of a bell tinkled somewhere above her head. How traditional. Cute, she thought. The cool blast of conditioned air felt like heaven after the intense heat. The store was sort of a cross of both quaint and modern. It wasn’t as humble as the other book shops on the street nor was it grand like the ones in the capital city. It sat comfortably between those two descriptions. That is partially the reason why it was her favorite store of all. Mostly, she loved the ambience and the selection of books they have there.

She strolled casually down the aisle towards her favorite section. Aren’t the festive decorations twenty eight days too early for Christmas though? Tinsel in red, green, silver and gold decorated almost every bookshelf in the store. Mobiles of the snowflakes, mistletoes, snowman and reindeers hung overhead in a tasteful fashion. Some of the staff was even sporting Santa hats on their heads as they go about with their work. The sound system boasted of Christmas tunes as well. She allowed a chuckle to escape her lips as she took in the entire scene.

Constance passed by some snug corners where comfy armchairs were strategically placed for the comfort of the customers. She lingered in the romance section browsing through the titles on the shelves. She fingered the spines of the books thoughtfully, stopping once in a while to read the synopsis on the back cover. She loved to spend her hours here and even took the courage to apply for a job. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any vacancy available for a part-timer. Needless to say, she was disappointed. That didn’t deter her though. At least if I can’t work here, I still can read. She consoled herself with that thought. It did cheer her up tremendously. After all, she can’t read while she’s working, can she?

She spent a good time idling around the romance section. At the end of the hour, she had already skimmed through the juicy parts of five books’ plot. Total bookworm personified indeed she was. Or rather, it was more like she enjoys spoiling plots for herself. Unhealthy, but who cares? After having her daily dose of romance, she decided to venture into the mystery and thriller section humming as she went along. She trailed her finger along the rows of books reading the titles as she went. She grinned widely upon spotting a few of her favorite literary works. Her delicate finger stopped at Michael Crichton’s latest novel Next. She squealed in delight when she saw the 30% discount sticker stuck on the cover of the said book. More’s the joy! She deftly grabbed it and tucked it under her arm smiling like a cat got cream.

Giddy with glee, she wandered down the aisle till it opened to the fantasy section. Lining the wall were shelves after shelves stacked-ceiling high with fantasy literature of every kind. Books were arranged by authors’ last name in alphabetical order. Working her way backwards parallel to the wall, she passed JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and the likes till she finally arrived at the ‘G’ division. Scanning the towering bookshelf, she finally saw what she had been looking for – Neil Gaiman’s books. She had read reviews on his books on the Net and decided to check it out. As she stared up at the shelf, she noted the books she was looking for – namely American Gods and Stardust, were unfortunately perched on the second highest shelf. A place she could hardly reach. She looked dubiously at the intimidating, towering bookshelf in front of her. The drawback of being petite becomes apparent when it comes to situations like these. Oh being petite sure does have plenty of setbacks. She sighed glumly.

As she was contemplating her options, a hand reached up above her head and easily grabbed the book. She belatedly sensed a rather masculine presence behind her. Turning around, round gray eyes clashed with slate blue ones. Constance found herself face to face; or rather face to chest, with a guy – a rather good-looking one to boot. She allowed her gaze to drift up to his face. Needless to say, what she saw of his countenance was most agreeable.

Curly blonde hair framed pleasant and amiable features. His eyes hovered between gray and blue; depending on the lighting. She silently concluded his gaze to be blue gray or would slate blue be more accurate? He was definitely taller than her by a good few inches. Alas, who wasn’t taller than her with her petite frame? Woe is she. Though he was decked in a plain t-shirt atop faded jeans and a well-worn pair of Converse, his physique screamed ‘fit’. He was the decent-looking type which falls between the total hottie and average guy categories – the perfect blend of both worlds. Oh gosh, what am I thinking? How disconcerting.

To summarize, this guy was exactly her cup of tea. And to think all of that happened in less than five seconds, Constance mentally shook her head and steadied herself. Plastering a small smile of gratitude, she held out her hand and relayed her thanks to the guy. The guy in question arched an eyebrow quizzically.

“Excuse me?” His voice was low and melodious. Constance felt her face flushed in embarrassment.

“Err... weren’t you taking it for me?”

The said guy chuckled. Blue gray eyes twinkled as realization dawned on him. “Oh no, you’re mistaken,” he grinned, “I had my eye on it before. Were you looking for this as well?”

“Well, yes…” she began uncertainly. If it was possible, her face flushed a deeper shade of red. He reached up above her head and took another copy of American Gods. He placed the book in her hands.

“All righty. There you go.” Face still warm from embarrassment, she mumbled, “Thank you…”

“Derrick,” he supplied. Constance looked up in surprise. She was immediately faced with the onslaught of his megawatt smile. Seriously, how could a guy’s smile be so blinding? It’s impossible.

“Thank you… Derrick.”

“You’re welcome. So…” he eyed the book tucked under her arm. “…you’re a fan of Crichton, I assume?”

“Kind of.” She turned and started down the aisle towards the cashier.

“Say, I didn’t get your name.”.

“Well, I didn’t give it, mister.”

“It’s Derrick. Well, it’s common courtesy to supply one’s name when the other party has said it.”

She was impressed by his smooth comeback. He didn’t seem nonplussed either. Score 1 for Team Derrick don’t-know-what’s-his-last-name-is. “Fair enough. I’m Constance.”

“Constance….” he murmured. “That’s a really nice name.”

“Thank you,” she replied demurely.

“What’s your favorite genre?” he grinned and ambled down the aisle beside her. She had to give him credit. This guy – Derrick, was too amiable a presence to shake off; strange as that may sound.

“Inquisitive aren’t you?” she chuckled. A corner of her lips tilted up in amusement.

“It’s the first time I’ve stumbled upon a girl in the fantasy section. Usually you girls love to hang around the romance section most of the time.” Oh, if he only knew.

“And what makes you think I’m any different?” she stopped and turned to face him. He nearly ran into her when she stopped. A lazy smile lit his face.

“Now that is what I want to find out… over a cup of coffee, perhaps?”

Score 2 points for Team Derrick! He went over to the neighboring counter. She placed her books on the smooth counter. As the cashier lady scanned her purchase, Constance contemplated. Their eyes met over the cashier lady’s head.

“So?” he mouthed.

“You pay,” she mouthed back.

“Deal.” He grinned.

The bell tinkled once again when the two of them stepped out onto the bustling street. Conversation led to a nearby café. It was a quaint little shop, boasting of an Asian menu with a definite ambience to go with it. From outside, she could hear a contemporary Chinese song crooned on the sound system.

“What, no Starbucks?” she asked, in mock disbelief.

“Not a fan of coffee or caffeine,” he shrugged. “Besides, this shop has the best tea around here. Affordable price too.” He held the door open for her. Score 3 more points for Team Derrick. “After you.”

“You continue to surprise me,” she said.

“I strive,” he smiled, stepping inside. Score 2 more points!

They sat at a small round table by the window. A petite Chinese girl with a cute hairstyle took their orders. Derrick sat dumbfounded as the girl and Constance chatted a little in a foreign language. When the girl wandered off to the kitchens, he regarded her in wonder.

“You speak Chinese?” he asked.

“I’m part Chinese,” she shrugged, his eyebrows went up. “My middle name’s Lee.”

“You continue to surprise me by the minute.”

“I needn’t strive,” she answered saucily.

Conversation from then on consisted of everything under the sun and they clicked almost immediately. She discovered his last name is Moretti. He lived downtown and studied while working part time. From there, it went on to people watching to books to dissing Britney Spears to and back to books. It was surprising to know that his favorites included The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Score 2 more points for Team Derrick! When asked why, she told him that most guys dislike reading books of that sort. He replied that he’s not most guys. They shared a good laugh. When the hour came, she found that she was reluctant to leave his company. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was getting late. Tentatively, she rose from her seat.

“Well, see you around… Derrick.”

He cast a quick glance at the clock as well. He looked surprised – like he didn’t expect time to fly by so fast. “Will you be here tomorrow as well?” Derrick asked, setting his cup down.

“Oh I don’t know… maybe?” she said, laughing as she left. Derrick allowed himself a grin.

“You will…!” he called back. Constance couldn’t help the silly grin spreading across her face. Derrick Moretti is proving himself to be rather infectious. And Team Derrick has a total of 10 points.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was a little after a week before Constance ventured to town again. By then, the whole town was in full swing for Christmas. The entire street was decked in the season’s decorations. Even she couldn’t help whistling carols under her breath as she wandered down the unfamiliar aisle of the horror section in the bookstore. Her cell phone held to her ear, she scanned the shelf in front of her for a particular title.

“What’s the title of the book again?” she asked her phone. She paused then went over to another shelf. “I have the right to whistle Ian, m’boy. It’s a free country.”

She scanned the titles lined on the shelf. “Sorry kiddo, they don’t have Andy McNab afterall.”

“Andy McNab’s works are mostly under the action or thriller section. Not horror.”

A low thrill tingled her being. She straightened her back and stared into laughing slate blue eyes which stood a head taller. For a split second she froze; struck by his mere presence. His blond hair was tousled and his blue jersey hung on his frame nicely. He was leaning over her and smelled really clean – like he’s fresh from a shower. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through her being. Seeing him aggravated and pleased her at the same time.

“Hi,” he grinned widely. She felt herself grinning in return.

“Yoohoo? You there?” Ian’s impatient voice on the side of the phone line snapped her back to reality.

“Yes, Ian. I’m here,” she hastily replied. Derrick inclined his head in greeting. As her friend – Ian me thinks, tattled on her phone, Derrick promptly steered her shoulders towards the thriller section. He scanned the higher shelves while she looked through the lower ones. It took less than a minute before Derrick halted their progress. Deftly, he plucked a few books from the upper shelves. He chuckled good-naturedly. The grudging look on her face seemed to say; What’s with books that I want being on the upper shelves? She resumed talking to her phone. “What was the title of the book you wanted again? 7 Troop?”

She looked at him. He sifted through the pile and shook his head.

“Dark Winter? Deep Black? Crossfire? Recoil?” Derrick sifted through the pile again and replaced the unnecessary ones back on the shelf. He held up three books.

“Hmm, only Recoil’s missing.” She told her phone. While she was busy talking, he placed the books in her free hand and waved goodbye. She glanced up in surprise and mouthed, “Wait, wait!”

“Gotta go. Bye!” he called and disappeared behind a stack of books on display.

“Gee, so much for not seeing him again,” she muttered to herself.

“What did you say?” Ian asked.

“Oh, nothing… wait, you want me to buy all his books??”

She stared dubiously at the bookshelf in front of her. She could’ve sworn she heard Derrick’s laughter as his footsteps faded away.

Derrick clambered up the steps of the bus that evening, his sports bag bouncing against his left hip with each step he took. He showed his student pass at the bus driver and paid the fare. Tiredly, he made his way to the bowels of the bus and plunked onto the old leather seat. He adjusted the air conditioning and slumped against the seat.

His soccer coach had been feeling sadistic lately and he was no kinder that afternoon. Twenty laps around the field after practice had been pure torture. All because he spent a little too much time at the bookstore before realizing he was late for practice. He hadn’t expected to bump into Constance whilst there. She didn’t return the next day as he hoped. Nor did she appear the following day. She hasn’t dropped by for over a week .Bumping into her was purely coincidental. The bus rumbled along jerking occasionally as it traveled downtown. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, staring at the window instead. Within minutes, he dozed off.

“BOO!”

The urge to scream like a girl gave way to a more dignified yelp. He shot up of his seat and looked around wildly. He whipped his head around at the sound of chortling behind him. His gaze narrowed when it spotted a familiar figure. He knew without seeing that her gray eyes were laughing at him. Despite his exhaustion, he found himself smiling. Constance is proving herself to be rather fetching. But that doesn’t mean I’m not annoyed.

“Bloody hell, you scared the living daylights out of me!” he snapped. She guffawed.

“I thought you were dead for a moment,” she sat back on her heels. The hand she had over her mouth did not do much to stifle her chortles. In fact, her petite frame was still shaking with suppressed laughter. Score 2 for Team Constance.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded. She burst into a new fit of chortles. He waited until her hysteria subsided a little. She had a cat-got-cream sort of grin on her face.

“You’re infectiously amusing.”

“Glad to know that,” he replied dryly.

“Here,” she showed him her cell. On the screen was a photo of him sleeping just a few seconds ago. His hair was sticking in all directions and… let’s just say it wasn’t him looking his best. Score 5 points for Team Constance.

“Evil, aren’t you,” he tried to grab her cell. She easily ducked and pocketed her cell. 1 more point awarded to Team Constance!

“It’s called retribution.”

“Whatever for?” he asked, confused. Constance, that cheeky girl, just chuckled.

“You should’ve sent the look on your face when you woke up. It’s priceless.”

“Don’t avoid the subject. What retribution?” Score 2 for Team Derrick.

“For laughing at me this afternoon.”

“I did not. I merely helped you find your books.”

“Yes and you laughed as you did.”

“Did not.”

“Did to.”

“Did not!”

“Did to!”

“Did not!”

“Did to!”

“DID NOT.”

“DID – gosh, I’m sorry. Gotta go!”

The bus jerked to an abrupt halt just as she leaped off the seat. She bounded gracefully down the steps as her light-colored wavy locks trailed behind her. He was momentarily mesmerized by her departing figure. The bus jerk forward as it resumed its journey sending him colliding headfirst against the front seat. Derrick rubbed his forehead gingerly in attempt to salvage the impending headache. His head throbbed as a result of the collision and arguing with a particular female.

“So much for–” he muttered. He glanced outside. “Oh crap, I missed my stop!”

Score 10 for Team Constance!

A week passed without much incidence – unless one counted imagining running into a certain cute, blonde guy at the bookstore every now and then. But then again, life isn’t a story book. Until that is, Constance decided to grab a drink at a coffee shop one lazy afternoon. It was an unusually hot day; there wasn’t a single cloud to be seen on the horizon. She strolled along and randomly entered a shop. She seated herself by the window and whipped out a book.

“If I didn’t know you, I’d say you’re the prettiest person today to walk in those doors, Miss Channing,” a melodious voice said.

She looked up into twinkling, slate blue eyes she came to know and secretly adore over the past two weeks. He wore a lopsided grin. All of a sudden, she felt breathless. She took in his dark blue shirt with the shop’s logo embroidered on it and the black apron wrapped around his jeans clad hips. It’s obvious that he worked here. So this is his part time job.

“So I’m the ugliest if you knew me?” she queried, an eyebrow arched.

“Naw, you’ll be the prettiest still,” Derrick grinned, unleashing the power of his megawatt charm.

“Is it your job to hit on people, Mr. Moretti?” she asked breezily.

“Naw, just dishing a compliment. It’s Complimenting Day here in Station Zero,” he said. He jerked his head in the direction of a blackboard hung on the opposite wall. Written in chalk was; ‘COMPLIMENTING DAY. Dish a compliment to every customer you serve today!’.

“Oh. So it is,” she agreed. “So this is where you work.”

“So it is.”

“How coincidental.”

“I second that.”

Constance blew off a strand of hair from her face. An amused smile played on her lips. She closed her book and leaned her elbows on the table. “If I didn’t know you, I’d say you’re stalking me.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” he replied with a grin. He wiped the glasses dry.

“It seems like we keep having unplanned rendezvous just about everywhere, huh? The bookstore was forgivable seeing it’s the first time.”

“Well said, my lady stalker,” Derrick watched her amused gray eyes narrowed. How adorable. No, wait. What am I thinking?

“And you know what, my lord stalker?” she replied saucily. Her eyes flashed a challenge at him. They locked gazes and thus began the staring contest which lasted several minutes before Derrick had to break contact to attend to a customer.

“Know what, my lady stalker?” he asked again, wiping her already clean table.

“I have a feeling that meeting you on the bus and today is just too coincidental. You sure you’re not stalking me or something? ‘Cause–”

“So it seems. I, too, second that. However, I’m not stalking you as you assume. I don’t stoop that low even if I like you.”

“–I won’t take no for an answer.”

“So I’ve learnt.” A hint of a smirk tugged at a corner of his lips. She stared blankly at him for a moment. It was pretty obvious she hadn’t heard his remark. He waited patiently for her to recover and stood poised with a notepad and pen in hand. I could lose myself in those twin gray depths of her gaze.

“I want to put an end to this endless and suspicious bumping-into-each-other thingy. It’s just too… creepy.”

“What do you suggest then?”

“We should, y’know, be like two normal people instead of just bumping into one another day after day.”

“Sure,” he said easily.

”Sure?” she repeated, skeptically.

“Say, would you – ”

“Moretti! There’s a dozen of other customers in case you failed to notice beyond that chit in front of you!” a rough voice bellowed. A fat man with a matching blue shirt and a bushy moustache appeared behind him. He glared at Derrick in a threatening matter. Plastering a bland smile on his handsome face, he turned towards her.

“You’re gonna order anything, my fair lady?” Her laughter sounded exactly like how he remembered when they met at the bus. He smiled at her infectious laughter deciding there and then he loved hearing her laugh. I’ve got to be crazy. No shit, Sherlock.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A week passed since then. In fact, she never saw him again after that. Whether at the bookstore or the Asian café down the street or at his part time working place, it seemed like he dropped off the face of the earth. It wasn’t like she visited those places for the sake of seeing him again. She chided herself whenever she thought of ‘stalking’ him. It was pure coincidence really. Somehow, her days felt kind of… uneventful. Boring, even. Maybe Lady Charm ran away after three times. Three times’ the charm, they say.

The familiar bell tinkled overhead as she stepped into the bookstore. The song ‘Twelve days of Christmas’ was playing on the speakers. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…” She wandered around the general section and plucked a random book. As she made her way toward the stuffed chairs at the readers’ corner, she glanced at the title. Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern. How ironic. Plunking herself on one of the chairs, she plugged her earphones on, curled her legs up and started to read. Two hours passed before she closed the book wearily. Now even reading has lost its charm.

The sun was dancing low in the sky as Constance made her way towards the Asian café where they first had an impromptu rendezvous. Her trusty converse thudded lightly on the sun baked pavement. While she sat by the window (again), she absently stirred her peach tea lost in thought. Thoughts of him were driving her nuts. She bumped into him three times within the last two weeks at three different places. What a coincidence too that she ran into him whenever she went to town – that’s three times in past fortnight. It was too coincidental to think of it as fate. The more she thought about it, the more puzzled she became

.

“Miss?” queried Mei Ann, the young waitress she came to befriend during all her visits to the shop. Her English was heavily accented with Chinese. Constance glanced at her quizzically. “You want to ta pau?”

She looked at her untouched drink and nodded sheepishly.

“Miss, you miss someone?” Mei Ann asked when she returned the packaged tea.

“Miss someone? Oh, definitely not!”

“But you look sad; like you missed someone dearly.”

“Thank you for your concern, Mei Ann. But–”

“Ah, Derrick no come here anymore is it?”

“Whaa-”

“He work very hard. He no come here a lot like last time. Work night time at shop nowadays.”

“Really?” Her interest piqued at that particular information.

“If you go now, you can see him. Finish work at–”

Constance was out of the door before Mei Ann could finish her sentence. She whistled softly to herself. “Well, will you look at that…”

Constance flew down the street with an urgency she couldn’t comprehend. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the row of buildings. She rounded the corner and skidded to a stop right on the doorstep of Station Zero. The neon sign blinked periodically in the evening gloom. She could hear the sound of cutlery clattering, innate chatter of the customers and pop music playing in the background. These inane sounds wafted out into the air. She peered inside the interior of the shop, looking for a certain blond among the patrons and servers but saw none. She rested her head against the cool glass pane, sighing as she did so.

“Miss me?” a voice breathed down her neck. She gasped and turned around, clutching a trembling hand at her heart. The fright nearly gave her a heart attack.

“Don’t you ever do that again, Derrick Moretti!” she snapped, her gray eyes livid. “And no I don’t miss you.”

“All is fair in love and war. Retribution for scaring me in the bus,” he winked. “And oh, quit denying it. You do miss me.”

“Oh, you’re conceited and you’re evil.”

“So are you, my dear. So you’ve finally conceded to stalk me?”

“Stalk you? I did no such thing!”

“Then why are you pressing your nose against the glass window at the place where I work?”

“I just happened to be in the area and thought I dropped to say hi,” she tilted her chin a little.

“And how did you know I’ve been working night shifts?”

“Err, Mei Ann told me.”

“Really? I do believe that stalking includes prying information out of unsuspecting individuals and hanging around the places frequented by the victim.”

“I did no such–”

“It’s okay, I forgive you.” She was caught by surprise at his words.

“Come on, let’s go to the park,” He laced his fingers with hers and led the way towards the park nearby. “Treat it as a date. Or should I say; a planned rendezvous.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “You planned this didn’t you?”

“Nope, not at all. I like spontaneous.”

He laughed. She decided then and there that it was her favorite laugh in the world.

“What book have you been hooked on lately? I just finished ‘Thanks for the Memories’ by Cecelia Ahern today. It was… oh wait, I forgot – you couldn’t care less for sappy fictions. Okay, um… oh yes, there’s this new one that was just released last week, I think–”

“Hush, my lady. You talk too much sometimes,” Derrick pressed his finger to her soft lips. Her gray eyes widened considerably. “Just enjoy the spontaneity of it.”

He lowered his mouth to hers and gave her the sweetest kiss of her life.

“Now that,” –she said breathily– “was so totally unplanned.”

He nuzzled his nose against hers.

“How apt… for once.”

“Hey!” she said indignantly. She ticked his forehead much to his amusement. “Did you know from that day on, I could never look at the bookstore the same way again?”

“And why is that?” he asked, as they strolled along in the evening sun.

“It’s because of some annoying and infuriatingly cute guy named Derrick Moretti.”

“Have I become say… too overwhelming for the oh-so-famous Constance Lee Channing to ignore?”

“You wish.”

“Oh I wish, fervently in fact.”

“Oh shut up.” She playfully smacked his arm. Before he could respond, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

“Two kisses in a row,” he whistled softly. “This has got to be my lucky day.”

“It’s just the first of many. Be forewarned!”

“I think I’ll like that.”

To think that it all started with a bookstore and the love for books... it’s pretty unbelievable. Sometimes, all it takes is just a little bit of spontaneity and a sense of openness to spur things. After all, who knew an unplanned rendezvous would come down to this?

-The End-