Baking Love

New Book Smell and Hot Coffee

Early in the morning, David woke up with a fresh start. His fist met with a shaking alarm on his nightstand, turning it off with a light slam! A groan soon followed as he shook his hand with a grimace. The redhead sat up in his bed and pulled the chain that turned on his tableside lamp, squinting his eyes at the sudden change of brightness in his room.

He took a glance at the clock on the alarm, the numbers reading 9:42 AM. David had slept in late again- during the night, Jasper occupied his mind with every waking thought. It was hard to get any sleep.

He let out a sigh and got out of bed, throwing on a brown and beige striped knit sweater, black jeans, and black boots. He took the time to take a small watering can by his windowsill and watered the plants in his room. He put the can back in its place and finally left his bedroom.

He entered the kitchen and opened the pantry, grabbing 2 croissants. A picture of Jasper flashed through his mind, and he shook his head- he just couldn't understand what was going on! He brushed it off, taking a deep breath, and grabbed a water bottle, filling it with hot tea. He drank some of it and ate the croissants. An expression of satisfaction spreading across his face as he went to the door, slipping on a brown beanie, grabbing his keys, and strolling out of the house.

The car ride was short and quiet as David took in the scenery around him. Red, yellow, and orange leaves were scattered all about as autumn made its way into the small town of Cedar Creek. People with cardigans and scarves and steaming coffee roamed along the sidewalk. Children gathered piles of fallen leaves and threw them up in the air, and the redhead could hear their cheerful laughs and giggles even from where he sat in the car. He loved the fall- it was his favorite season. The colors never ceased to amaze him every year, and the town always had a warm and cozy atmosphere around this time.

He soon arrived at his destination: Writ and Wisdom Books. It was Cedar Creek's beloved bookstore. He was a regular here, as he came in every month searching for a new book to read whenever he had the time.

He got out of his car, the summer camp's vehicle that he and Gwen used during time off. As he walked into the bookstore, he was greeted with a wave and a smile from a tall girl. She had platinum blonde hair and tanned skin, and striking teal eyes. Her name was Jen, and she saw David every month as he walked in to find a book.

The redhead waved back and started to wander around the store. Occasionally, he would find a book that interested him and take it out of its spot on the shelf, read the back, and look at the cover before placing it back.

He picked up a book that caught his eye- The Pocket Guide to Camping. A small, green book with a camping tent on the cover. He smiled and flipped the book over to its back, reading the contents of what it was about (even though the title shows that much). 'Pitch your tent, build a cozy campfire, cook up some dinner, and tell some rollicking good campfire tales...' David skimmed through the pages before putting the book back into its place.

Or- that's what David would have done. As he reached over to place the book back into its rightful spot, a hand grazed over his. A hand that looked familiar. One that had been paging through a red wallet for cash at Pine Tree.

Both hands jerked away from the shelf, and David's surprise caused him to drop the tiny book. He glanced over to the person who caused the ordeal, his heartbeat pacing even faster as he recognized the man. Sandy blonde hair. Deep teal eyes that seemed to bore into his own green ones. A lightly sunkissed complexion. David could feel the blood rush to his face.

"J-Jasper??" He meant to apologize, but the words never left his mouth. The poor guy could only manage to stutter out the blonde's name. Pathetic, knowing he was known around town for being friendly and talkative.