short romance stories collection

La Vie En Rose

La Vie En Rose; a story where a book can bring two people together.

The sun beating down on my back, I race up the steps to the bookstore. One step, two step, up the stairs, gripping the handrail and pushing myself up. I already missed the meet and greet, but maybe I can at least get the last signed copy of La Vie En Rose. I'm about to reach the top of the stone staircase when a guy around my age with inky black hair pushes past me and whizzes to the door, throwing me off balance. I fall back onto the metal railing. Rude.

I look up as the guy (who is actually really cute) momentarily turns on his heel to look at me and mouth sorry with no hint of guilt in his eyes, then uses his whole body to push the glass door out of the way. I push off of the railing and run into the open doorway as he disappears inside. There it is, the last copy of La Vie En Rose, sitting alone in all its glory, perfectly unintentionally in highlighted by the light pouring in from the glass door. I push off the door and bump into the tall figure of the same guy who is reaching for the copy. I shift around him to grasp the book. His hand touches mine as we both curl our hands around the book. He shifts his head sideways to look me in the eye. Up closed his eyes are a deep rich brown, with hints of an even darker brown behind them.

"Well?" I ask, gripping the book harder, as if he will let go if I squeeze hard enough. I NEED this copy. It is my LIFE. He cocks his right eyebrow, turning his entire body to face me, swapping hands on the book swiftly and quickly in the process. His fingers shift on mine. My breath catches in my throat as my eyes drink in his figure. He's quite tall, about a head taller than me. He's asian, like me. He has on a grey Pink Floyd shirt, clinging to his torso with sweat, covered with a faux leather jacket. My eyes slowly climb up his figure up to his face. He has long eyelashes and full crimson lips. He notices and the corner of his lip quirks up.

"Well?" He asks me in a rich australian accent. His hands grip tighter onto the book as well. His fingers press on mine.

"Let. Go." I say through my best fake smile. I look straight into his deep eyes. He takes a step closer to me, pulling at the book so that my arm has to extend farther towards him, which pulls me towards him as well. My face ends up inches away from his face. I feel my cheeks flush.

"Nah. I don't think so." He smirks. I narrow my eyes to seem intimidating. I pull the book towards my side but it doesn't budge too much. Suddenly a pigeon flies straight into the glass door, causing a loud BANG. The surprise makes me lose grip of the book before I can react. The guy leans next to my face. "Thanks." He whispers into my ear and slips away with the book to the cashier. I'm still standing in shock. Crap. My hands sweaty from gripping onto that book, I wipe them on my pink and white cotton shorts. I finally get to take a look at the price for that book. $19.95. I take a peek into my wallet. I only have 15 dollars. I wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway.

I slump down the steps in defeat to go back to my college dorm when I feel a warm hand grip my shoulder. It's him. My shoulders tense up as he breathes on my neck warm air.

"For you." His familiar voice dances into my ear as he slips a laminated book into my hand. I look down to see the signed copy of La Vie En Rose. I feel him smile next to my ear and he lets go of my shoulder. I see him get onto a black motorcycle and wind down the avenue, dumb-founded. This is the last copy that's being made for a while and he gives it to me? I grip the book in both hands and feel the plastic around it. I flip the cover open and find a pink sticky note stuck to the inside with his number in blue pen.