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Tring, tring, tring! My alarm clock screamed in my ear, jolting me awake. "Ah!!!!! Why does morning come so fast?" I groggily screamed back, burying my face in the pillow.
Just as I was about to drift off again, my phone rang, shrill and insistent. Who could be calling me at this ungodly hour? I hesitantly picked up, and Charlotte's voice assaulted my eardrums.
"Where are you, bitch? I've been calling for 30 minutes! Don't tell me you forgot about our plan?"
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess. "Why would I forget? I'm getting ready. I'll meet you in 20 minutes," I lied, already knowing I'd need more time.
With that, I cut the call and swung my legs over the side of the bed, planting my feet firmly on the ground. Last week, Charlotte and I had made plans to hit the new bookstore and do some shopping before college started again. I quickly got dressed in my usual casuals – jeans, top, and a jacket to ward off the chill.
After hours of shopping, our hands were full of bags, and our stomachs were growling. Despite our exhaustion, we still had to visit the bookstore, which offered a huge discount to its first-day visitors. Who wouldn't love a good deal, right? Even with our wealthy backgrounds, we couldn't resist the allure of savings.
We devoured two Whopper burgers, loads of French fries, and cold drinks, finally exiting the restaurant. "Should we drop off our stuff at our room first?" I suggested it to Charlotte.
"But we'll be late, and what if they close early today?" she countered. I quickly called Stephen, our trusted driver, to take us to the store and handle our bags.
Thirty minutes later, we arrived at the store, and oh boy, the crowd was massive! I had no idea Kazan's book lovers were so dedicated. After another 30 minutes, we finally entered the store, and I was blown away. The interior was a bookworm's paradise, with cosy seating areas, coffee tables, and paid services. Hundreds of people were engrossed in their books, and we joined the crowd, picking up a few titles. I grabbed the new edition of "Spanish Love Deception" by Elena Armas, which I'd been waiting for. We settled into a two-seater table, sipped coffee, and got lost in our books.
As I read, I made annotations and doodled hearts around Aaron's name – he was just so charming! But my reverie was interrupted by an announcement: "Hello readers, thank you for visiting us today. We hope you enjoyed your time here. Please note that we'll close at 7 pm today, but from tomorrow, we'll be open 24/7." Reality set back in, and I realised I'd spent 1.5 hours absorbed in my book.
As people gathered their belongings, I clutched my book, feeling content with the time I'd spent in the store. College life rarely allowed such luxuries, and I longed to spend the next week devouring books and sleeping before diving into my second year of master's in business analytics. Lost in thought, I was startled when a gentle push on my shoulder sent my book tumbling to the floor.
