Lillian Perkins is having a horrible day from start to finish and a clueless Dakota Thornton waltzing into her workplace in need of a book for his sister doesn't exactly bring her stress level down. Not to mention getting stuck in an elevator with h...
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After Amelia is out of sight and, quite frankly, out of mind, my fingers reach for my book as discreetly as possible. My eyes scan my surroundings in paranoia even though there's no one to be seen.
I even give a quick glance to the security cameras to make sure their pointed away from me. Just in case you're wondering, they are. They always are. I'm just so completely overcome by boredom that it's heightening my anxiety. If I can read this book, then I will be sitting her on this stool with a sore butt for the next five and a half hours.
Not to mention I'm starving to death and Amelia won't let me eat at the book store's coffee shop on credit. Probably because I eat when I'm anxious and I'm anxious about eighty percent of the time.
Feeling pretty certain that I won't get caught, I grasp the spine of the hardcover book and place it on counter in front of me, my finger finding the dead lily I've been using as I a bookmark that my dad got for my on my eighteenth birthday in April. Gently placing the flower aside, I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose and continue where I left off yesterday.
Being close to the end of a book and getting distracted by something else or, in my case, being forced to put it down is one of the most aggravating things to ever occur. I have about fifteen pages left until I find out who poisoned her sister and why. So far, I've been stopped every couple of pages by paranoia of being caught or by literally being caught.
My eyes scan the small print letters greedily and quickly as I try to finish as fast as I can and move on to the next novel. Just as I begin the last chapter, the bell on the door jingles, alerting me of a customer.
Closing my eyes and releasing a breath of brutal frustration, my lips spread in a smile and my lily is placed in its new spot, the book closing hard as I set it aside.
My anger immediately dissipates at the sight of the elderly couple that shuffles in, their arms linked together at the elbow. I smile fondly at them, my heart warming.
"Hello, welcome to Books and Bagels." I chirp my usual mantra, earning a slow lift of their heads, a squint of the eyes, and finally a smile.
"Thank you..." She women peers at my name tag, "Lillian."
"My pleasure. Let me know if there's anything I can help you find." My smile widens in relief when they shake their head in reply, making it clear they don't need help, and thanking me all the same. As soon as they step on the elevator to ascend to another floor of the large store, I open my book hungrily and begin where I left off.
My mouth drops open in shock as I continue, the plot pulling me in as I get closer and closer to the end. The noise of the bell on the door sounds so distant to me that I barely hear it, my mind reeled into the story in front of me.
