365 Days- Book I

6. Eye Contact

July 6, 2018

"Write about two people seeing each other for the first time."

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"Peek-a-boo, I see you!"

She wondered why she could hear that childish refrain sound in her head. Maybe it was because she was in a public reading library and was using her book to cover her face while she peered at the dark brown head buried into the large book, who sat at a table across her own. A book which seemed too big for that head but the reader was engrossed in the glossy pages and was intently reading and carefully turning the pages.

She sighed; she really had to control her urge to peek at him, however cute he looked and however irresistible he appeared, it would not do to go over and hug him. She turned her attention to her own book, a hot romance which somehow no longer captivated her, not as much as the brown haired reader sitting in front of her.

Unable to resist, she looked up again, only to find him staring at her; an unblinking pair of large brown eyes met her grey ones and she let out a small guilty sigh. But now that she had seen his face, she realised that he was even cuter than she had imagined; his brown eyes framed by long eyelashes and brown bangs that fell over his forehead. He needed a hair cut but it only enhanced his cuteness. Not wanting to appear rude or intimidating, she gave a soft smile and a friendly wave. He did not respond, he gazed at her for a few more seconds and went back to his book.

That eye contact, however, initiated a reciprocatory 'peek-a-boo' response from him; she could now feel his curious eyes on her while she read, though he would clumsily look away when she looked at him. She started to enjoy the whole game, wondering how an intermittent eye contact with a cute stranger could give her so much joy and make her forget her hot romance, as well as the passage of time.

She only realised that it was closing time when she heard a woman say, "Enough, James, you will have to stop now. You can come back tomorrow to read the book, nobody is going to take it away," and looked up to see him with a woman of her age. He, however, had a stubborn expression on his face and sensing that he was ready to get into a teary argument, she stepped up to that table.

"Hi, I am Alison. I am work here and I afraid that you would have to leave now as it is the time to close the library, but I can reserve this book for you so that when you come back again, it will be waiting for you. Is that alright?

Ten year old James nodded, his teary face slowly creased into a shy smile while his brown eyes lit up at her promise. He handed the book to her, slipped his hand into his mother's outstretched one and walked out of the library, all the while glancing back at her. 

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Word count: 503 words