Hi there, this is the first part to a series about a character from a previous series. You can enjoy this series without having read the first one 🙂
Everybody in this story is over 18.
"You look like an owl chewed you up and puked you out again."
"Thanks mum."
I sigh. Since she got into the hospital she has become increasingly cynical. I put her magazines down on the table next to her bed and sit down on one of the weirdly comfortable hospital chairs. I didn't have a relaxing night, that's true, but I don't want to talk about it.
"How are you feeling? What did the doctor say this morning?" I try to change the topic.
"Nothing that gets me out of this bed. It's not healing properly. I will have to stay here until they make sure my leg doesn't pop right off again."
"It's just your joints, mum, the leg won't fall off."
"Well I hope so. Can you do me a favour honey?"
"Depends."
"Oh is your day so busy?"
"Dark Souls won't finish itself."
"You're a nerd."
"Thanks, I assume you don't need the favour then?"
She rolls her eyes. "Of course you're not a nerd, my prettiest, smartest, most favorite child."
"Can I have a voice recording of that, just in case the others ever wonder…"
"No." She hands me a note, which appears to be a list.
I frown. " 'The other Lover'? And I am the nerd, huh? I'm not buying you smut, if that's what you're asking."
She tries to reach for my arm to give me a playful slap but thankfully can't reach me. I giggle.
"Who raised you, you foul child?" She replies. "It's three books, since I need to accept my fate here I thought I might as well treat myself. You can get them at the little shop towards the end of…"
"I know. Your book place. But do I have to? Why can't Liv do it?"
"Alexander Jonathan." She says. I make a face at the mention of my entire name. Not a good sign.
"Your sister is out of her mind with the preparation for her final exams, have some respect. It will be on your way back home anyways."
I sigh. She raises an eyebrow and I nod, folding the note and putting it in my pocket.
We chat some more before I fill her water back up and decide to get going.
It's a nice, sunny day, maybe a little to warm already, but the wind while riding my bike back into town is quite refreshing. Even though it's a small town, on a day like this, lots of people are strolling in the streets around the park, enjoying the good weather.
I get off my bike in front of the book shop. It doesn't look like much, I would never stop here if I was just looking for a book, but my mum is friends with the elderly owner and always comes here. Usually my sister Liv would come here and get the books, since she also borrows her books here, but now I gotta help out. I take the note out of my pocket and enter the shop, while rereading it.
Immediately the scent of paper and coffee hits me. The shop is small, a long aisle on the left side, leading into small aisles on the right, coated by bookshelves. Also on the right, next to the door, there is a big desk, serving as a counter. I wonder how this shop even holds up. Probably through the regulars, I think and look up from the note.
I stop in surprise. Behind the desk is not the elderly Mrs. Smith, but a young man. Really young, especially for a job like this. He must be around my age, maybe a little older. But maybe I only get that impression by his unusual clothes. He's wearing a dark brown button down shirt, paired with light brown pants, suspenders and one of these Peaky Blinders hats which I can never recall the name of.
It's safe to say he is dressed for the job. It even looks elegant in a way, well styled. Overdressed? Sure. But the clothes make a nice contrast with his light brown skin and his black hair, showing under the cap. He looks up at me from a paper in front of him and gives me a wide smile, showing two rows of perfectly straight, white teeth and his dark eyes glow. I feel immediately irritated.
"Hi, how may I help you?" He asks. Even his voice is soft and velvety, I feel like I'm looking at a character from a video game. This can't be a real person. He also has a pretty dominant accent, though I can't really identify it…Spanish, Italian maybe? I stare at him awkwardly for a second.
"Uhh…am I in the right shop…?" I say and look over my shoulder.
"If you're looking for Mrs. Smith, yes. A few months ago she decided she couldn't keep up the business, so she hired me."
"Uh..huh." Why are my hands sweaty? I put the note down on the desk before him and he picks it up.
"I'm the son of Patricia…"
"I see." He says. "I was wondering, how is her leg?"
He knows about that? Damn it mum, you could have warned me about this, I think. Instead you let me walk in here and look at this guy as if he's an alien, not awkward at all.
"Not really well." I reply. "She'll have to stay in the hospital for some time. That's why she sent me to get the books."
"Tell her to get well soon, I have some new arrivals for her and your sister that they would love." He winks friendly but somehow it makes me nervous. His entire presence somehow makes me nervous.
Then he frowns at the list. He writes something down on it and then says: "I have the first two here, I'd just put them down as borrowed, it's much cheaper and I can easily extend that for her. I would have to order the last one though, you could come and get it in a few days. I assume you will, since Pat can't?"
He looks up at me again and I can't really decipher the look in his eyes. It feels like he's testing me, or playing with me. Does he know how nervous I am? It's not like I was hiding it well.
I nod. 'Pat' I think, they are on first name basis. I will kill her for this.
"Great." He says and gets up. He squeezes past me to go and get the books. His chest brushes up against my back and I can feel my heart beat faster. What is going on? As he walks by his scent finds a way into my nose. It's quite strong, but not pushy. He smells sweet and a little spicy.
Like his clothes, his scent is nothing like the usual.
He whistles behind the bookshelves and brushes up against me again as he comes back. My heart skipt a beat again. Why do strangers make me so nervous?
He puts the books in a little bag and hands it to me.
"So." He says and gives me another of these undefined looks. "I'll see you soon…what was your name again?"
"A-Alex." I studder and stand there with the bag like a little school child.
"Well Alex, I'll see you soon." He smiles.