Ethereal

The Bookstore

"What do you mean, 3PO is the best droid in the saga!"

Spencer is looking at you, eyes wide with his hands out of his pockets and a smile. He's angry- not really, it's just a heated debate. It makes you laugh.

"But R2 has that sarcastic spunk that makes him and 3PO's relationship better." You say in retaliation.

"R2 may have an amusing personality, but 3PO is funny in his own way. And I can relate to him, being the smart one with substandard social skills isn't easy." He says. It makes you laugh again, causing him to gaze at you with that look. You stare into each other's eyes, and you notice him glance down at your lips. Does he want to kiss you?

"Well, um- here we are." He says as you arrive at a small building. He opens the door for you and you walk inside. It smells like new books and sandalwood. There's an orange and white cat sitting on the windowsill, and an old lady with brown hair and dark blue reading glasses stands at the front of the store reading.

"Welcome to the Raconteur." She says, looking up from her book and smiling.

"That's an odd name." You say. You like the way it sounds, but you've never heard it before.

"A raconteur a talented or amusing storyteller." Says Spencer. "It derives from the 19th century french word raconter, which means to relate or recount."

"What an interesting word." You say. You enjoy listening to Spencer ramble random facts about things, you find it super cute. And the way he moves his hands around when he does is a plus.

Spencer makes his way towards the medieval section and you go to the young adults section. You scan the bookshelf and your eyes lay on a copy of "The Fault In Our Stars". You've never read it, but you've heard it's really good. You start to read the back when you see Spencer walk up from behind you.

"What caught your eye?" He asks.

"The Fault In Our Stars. I've never read it but I've heard really good things about it." You flip to the first page.

"Does it look like something you would read?" He asks.

"Yeah, it actually looks really good." You place it back on the shelf. "I have enough books though, maybe next time." You look down at Spencers hand and notice him holding three books.

"What are those, all the books you've read since we got here?" He laughs at your little joke.

"No, I've actually read them already. I don't have my own copies, so I thought I'd take them home."

"Well if you're ready to go, I am too." You smile and walk towards the front of the store.

You stand by the counter until Spencer appears from behind a bookshelf. He places his books on the counter and pays, and the woman prepares to wrap them in some beige paper.

"That's ok, I can carry them."

She smiles and you walk out of the door. Spencer follows about a minute after. You turn back towards the coffee shop and start your walk back.

"I got you something." Says Spencer. He grabs something from under his arm and hands it to you. It's a copy of "The Fault In Our Stars". You laugh and gently grab it from him. Your hand brushes against his, that being the first time you've touched him. You swear there was a spark of electricity.

"Spencer, you shouldn't have." You say.

"It's my way of saying thank you for a good time. I haven't met anyone who I can just talk to in a long time."

That makes you smile super wide. You try to dial it down but you can't help it. He smiles too and you look at his perfect teeth. He starts to blush as he looks down at his converse.

"I haven't met a guy as genuine as you since college." You say. "Thank you for being yourself."

"I don't know how to be anybody else." He says. There's that big cheesy smile again.

The walk back is even more magical than the walk there. You talk about star wars some more, and Spencer rambles about Star Trek at one point. You've never seen the movies but you don't mind him talking about it. Listening to his voice is all you need. You tell him about your love of picnics, your job, and sunny days. He tells you he loves learning and teaching, sleeping in, and his mom. You love learning more about him. Everything about him is perfect. That's why your mood drops when you arrive at your car.

"So I guess this is where our time together ends." He says. Hearing him say that makes you really sad. You look up at him and give a subtle grin. He gives one in return and looks at your lips again.

"Thank you for the coffee and the book." You say.

"Anytime." He looks a little sad too. Or maybe you're just making that up in your head.

You reach up and wrap your arms around his neck. You pull him down a little, and he hesitates for a second until he wraps his arms around your waist. You didn't expect it, but he puts his face in the crook of your neck. You feel his hot breath on your skin. You hold him, letting him take as long as he needs. He pulls away and you almost groan as his soft touch leaves you.

"Do you want to exchange numbers? I would love to do this again." He asks.

"Yeah, me too."

You put his number in your phone and he memorizes yours. You give him a wave goodbye as you step into your car. You head back to your hotel, beaming the whole way there.

•••••

Yaaaaaay the first "date" went super well! The next chapter is a little short, but I'll be posting it later this evening.
I hope you guys liked this one!
Love you guys 💕