The Magic of Stories | ONC 2024 shortlist

27 - The visitor

Without the haunted look and the unnatural paleness I knew to expect on this face, the surprise visitor was more attractive than anyone I knew. There was no doubt this young man was made of flesh and bone and as alive as I, though. My heart skipped a beat and heat flushed my cheeks as he stepped up to my desk with a dazzling smile.

"Hey." He bent forward and squinted his bright blue eyes to read my name tag. "Hey, Lynn. I'm new in town and would like to apply for a library card."

"Sure, and welcome." My hand trembled as I pulled an application form from the desk drawer and passed it over to him. "Please, fill in the part above the line and sign here." He took the form and patted his pockets for a pen. It took several seconds until my brain kicked in and I offered him mine.

Another brain-and-bone-melting smile hit me like lightning. "Thank you."

I couldn't take my eyes from his hand as he wrote out his name. Wenger, Lucas. No way this could be a coincidence. Or could it? He added a flourishing signature to the form, placed the pen on top, and pushed both over the desk. Still dizzy, I picked them up and sat down at my keyboard to feed his information into our system. Since I couldn't resist looking up at him from time to time, I knew he never took his eyes from me until I pressed enter and sent my request to the printer.

Relieved I could flee from his undivided attention for a moment, I stood up. "Just a moment, please—I will be right back with your card."

My gesture towards the office was jittery, and with wobbly legs from the lingering shock, I stumbled around Marjorie and Conny to the printer in the corner. My colleagues were busy putting the final touches on the spreadsheet for the financial report due next week, not looking up from Conny's screen. For a second, I steadied myself on the tabletop next to the printer, but since I didn't want to give the impression of being about to faint, I straightened my back, retrieved the new library card, and was proud I made it back to my desk without stumbling over my own feet.

"Here you go, Mister Wenger." My knuckles were white, but my fingers remained almost steady while I handed him his card.

He pulled a face. "Just Luke will be fine. Mister Wenger is my father, and Lucas sounds so old-fashioned." Warm fingertips brushed over mine and sent an electric bolt through my veins as he picked up the card. "Thank you, Lynn."

"You're welcome, Luke." I still hadn't recovered and was tempted to ask him if he was sure his surname wasn't Skywalker. Aware this would be too awkward, I handed him the leaflet with the library layout instead and pointed to the right. "The online catalogue is over there, or you can browse the shelves, if you prefer. Enjoy your stay, and if you have questions, I'll be at your service."

He glanced at the flyer, then at me, and placed it back on the stack with a wink. "If I don't find my way around, I'll just come back and ask."

Butterflies soared in my stomach as he strolled down the central aisle, stopped after a few metres, turned around, and walked back to me with determined steps. "Would you care for a coffee after work, perhaps? My neighbour recommended a new coffee shop that should be just around the corner. He insists it is an experience. We could check it out together."

"Oh, your neighbour is right, they serve excellent coffee over there." I couldn't help grinning at the thought Luke might live nearby. "If you don't mind waiting for me, I'll be happy to introduce you. We close at six thirty, but I'll have to tidy away the returns before I leave."

"Are you kidding? There is an entire library to help me pass the time. Perhaps the torrent from the sky even stops until then—six thirty or whenever you're ready. Just don't sneak out without me."

"I won't, promise. Besides, I'm the one with the key. If you stick around, I'll be the one to throw you out. Can't have you staying overnight."

He grinned before he turned on his heel, and I stared after him as he steered towards the science fiction section, sending me a wink over his shoulder before he disappeared between the shelves. A hand touched my arm, and I jumped. Wasn't Marjorie in the office moments ago, discussing finances with Conny? I hadn't heard her sneaking up and wondered how much of our interaction she had witnessed.