Holidays - Conan Gray

Chapter One - Bookstore Girl

I walked into the Barnes & Noble, taking in a deep breath. I can hear Taylor Swift playing in the background as I walk towards the coffee. "Hi! What can I get for ya?" the barista says cheerfully. "Uh, hi! Can I just get a grande white chocolate mocha please?" I respond. "Sure thing! Will that be all for you?" "Yes!" "Alright, that total will be $4.65 for ya" I reach into my tote and pull out my wallet, handing her my card. After thanking her and tipping, I walk over to the counter to wait on my drink. 

Drink in hand, I walk towards the books. I skim through the isles while slowly taking sips of my coffee. My finger stops on one book in particular, The Selection. I pull it out, looking at the cover. My friend had recently told me to read this book, and I was looking for a new one anyways. I took it in my hand and walked towards the back of the store.

Finally, I arrived at the records. This was my favorite part about coming here. I skimmed my fingers through each record carefully, finding multiple albums I was interested in buying. Finally, I stop on the album Grace  by Jeff Buckley. I grab it, carrying it with me to the counter. 

I hand my record and book to the man behind the counter and he looks at me with a blank face. "Will that be all?" he asks in a monotoned voice. "Uh...yes, yes!" I reply, trying my best not to stutter. He lets out a sigh, scanning my items and handing them to me in a bag. I give him a warm smile, not getting one in return. 

Walking out of the store, I walk to a small table outside with two chairs. It's quiet out here; there's no one else here to be bothersome. I take out my book and start to read. After about thirty minutes and forty pages in, I notice a man sit down at the table next to me. That's when I noticed my coffee was empty.

I looked up from my book for a moment, being careful he doesn't see me looking at him. He was a somewhat tall man, his skin a light vanilla shade. His hair was a dark brownish-black color and fell just above his shoulders in perfect curls. He was wearing an 80's style t-shirt with a brown jacket and denim jeans. 

He was rather attractive, and looked about my age. He set down his coffee before sitting down himself and pulled out a book. I looked at the cover and read, The Lucky Ones. I had read that one before. It was a sad and tragic book, but also so good. "That book is really good" I say, his head turning towards me. "Oh...really?" he asks politely. "Yeah! Although it's a really sad one" I respond.

He looks down at my bag, and I see his eyes light up a little. "Jeff Buckley?" "Yeah, this album is so good" "It really is" He looks back at me. "Would it bother you if I came and sat over there? This chair is a little dirty" he notices, looking down at it. "Not at all!" I reply. He gets up and walks towards my table before taking the chair across from me.

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After about two hours of sitting and reading, I looked up, realizing how late it was. "Oh gosh!" I said, looking at the darkening sky. "Oh, sorry! It's just that I have to go, I walked here" I say, packing my book into my tote bag and throwing my coffee in the trash before grabbing my things. "Oh, well it was nice to meet you!" he replies, giving me a warm smile. "I'm Conan, by the way" he says as he reaches out a hand for mine. "I'm Ivy" I say, taking his hand. "Your name suits you well" he says, and I feel my cheeks get hot.

"Thank you...my friends call me 'summer child'" I reply, laughing a little. He seems a little taken aback by this for some reason, but then he smiles once more. "It fits" he says. "I'll let you go though, don't want you to be walking in the dark" "Yeah. Hey, maybe I'll see you again?" I respond, my voice filled with hope.

"Maybe...hey, would you want to exchange numbers? M...maybe we could um...get coffee sometime?" he says, stuttering a little. He looks nervous. "Yes, that would be nice!" I say. I hand him my phone and he types in his number, making a contact for himself. Conan.

"Alright, I hope to see you soon Conan" I say, the name flowing through my lips. "See you Ivy" he says, giving me a smile. I smile back, and then turn to walk towards my apartment. I can't believe I got a guys number, and at a bookstore! I felt my heart flutter a bit thinking about him. He was very sweet. I'm glad I got to meet him today.

I finally reach my apartment door as the darkness starts to close the sky. I unlock it and open it, walking in. As I shut it behind me I take a deep breath, happy to be home. I hang my bag on the back of my door and lock it back. I take a mug out of the counter and make myself some peppermint tea, carefully holding the hot cup. I turn on the TV and watch Gilmore Girls  for a while before deciding I'm tired.

I yawn as I get ready to go to bed, turning off all of my lights and changing into a pair of pajama pants and a light tank top. I think back on today, and everything I did. My mind stops when I get to him. Conan. I couldn't move my thinking forward. He was just some random guy I met at the bookstore...or was he? 

I couldn't help myself from fantasizing about him. His perfect curls and bright smile, each beauty mark dotting his face perfectly. He had deep brown eyes too...ones that reminded me of hot chocolate and warm coziness. I drifted off into sleep, my mind filled with thoughts of him. 

Conan.