Emma

Chapter 17

Emma let out a slightly satisfied sigh, at least she was done with one part of her day, now she had to go to the most annoying one, work.

She caught up on most of her sleep in some classes so she wasn't as tired as she was before, but that didn't reduce the fact that she badly didn't want to go to work. 

"Mi amiga!" A voice exclaimed from behind her.

Emma sighed not really in the mode to put up with any complains about Spanish. Caleb stepped by her side and noticed her tired look. 

"What happened to you?" He said genuinely concerned. Emma sighed and shook her head. "Not much really, just my lack of appetite for work." Caleb laughed and ruffled her hair. 

"Don't worry. You'll be done before you know it." Emma nodded and waved him goodbye as he jogged off to the rest of his friends. She walked down the street and finally spotted a cab, stating her location as she got in.

Some minutes passed and she finally reached her destination. She let out a sigh as she looked at the building in front of her, paying the bill and slowly stepping out of the cab, she stood there staring it at, as though stalling enough would make the building disappear.

It didn't.

She walked into the semi big bookshop and braced herself for the welcome of her coworker, as though scripted and on cue, a tall, slender, purple haired girl, stepped out from behind the counter.

"Emma!!! Welcome back!!!" Emma heard the high pitched voice that she was now used to, causing her to nod and pat the back of the girl who was now holding her in a tight embrace.

"Hi Rita. It's nice to see you to." As though that was an encouragement, Rita squeezed harder on Emma before finally letting her go. 

"Ok so enough of the pleasantries. You have to get to work 'cause I'm on my lunch break."

Rita said skipping back behind the counter. Emma sighed and picked up one of the green employee face caps that they forced them to wear, mentally preparing herself for the rest of her day.

Minutes after minutes passed and hardly anyone came. A bookshop isn't a fun place for most people and Emma couldn't blame them. She sighed and flipped through the fashion magazine for the tenth time.

All of a sudden, chattering of two people arguing was heard as the bell rang indicating someone had entered the shop. This better not be one of those couples coming to disturb me on which book to choose for their marriage. 

Sure she wanted to be a psychologist, but even they had breaks sometimes.

She could hear Rita squirm from behind her and she wondered what was up this time, as though reading her mind, Rita appeared beside her, gushing on and on about whoever had entered the shop.

"OMG. He is so hot. Emma you should see this guy." Emma just kept reading on, her brain already programmed with all the responses to each of Rita's daily quotes. 

"Yeah he's so cute." Emma said not even bothering to look up from her magazine.

"I know right." Rita responded, still not aware that Emma wasn't at the least bit paying attention. 

"He's coming over!!" Rita whisper screamed. Emma sighed and closed the magazine. She put on her fake smile getting ready to say the routine greeting. 

"Welcome to Green Field Bookshop how can I-" Emma paused in mid sentence as her eyes met with a pair of deep grey. He's face turned into a coy smirk as he looked down at her.

"For a person who doesn't like books you seem to stay around them a lot." Cole said, causing Emma's astonished face to finally melt into a smile as she looked up at him. She shook her head and was about to say something before being cut off.

"Hey church rat. Didn't know you where a nerd also..... Wait I did." Derrick said from behind Cole, interrupting Emma's train of speech. Rose chuckled at his remark causing Emma's face to fall immediately and Cole's to turn into a deadly snarl as he turned and glared at both of them.

"Go read a book." Derrick was about to protest but stopped as Cole's face fell even more. 

"Or do you need me to teach you?" At that, Derrick and Rose practically flew down one of the isles and Cole turned back to Emma his face immediately lightening up as he spotted her amused look.

"Hello stranger. How can I help you?" Emma said in a business like accent. Cole chuckled at her demeanor and was about to say something until another voice interrupted.

"Hi! I'm Rita but you can call me Ri-Ri if you want." She said in attempt to start up a flirt only drawing a sigh from Cole as he fought to maintain his patience.

He shot her his signature smile causing her to almost melt right on the spot. "Hi Rita. I was wondering if I could speak to Emma here....alone." He said, his deep voice alluring enough as Rita nodded, looking as though she was ready to do anything he said just then as she slowly walked away in a daze, leaving Emma and Cole.

"So what brings you here? I hope it's not only to turn my coworkers into jelly...or are you stalking me." Emma said, the smile still playing on her lips. Cole laughed at the last part and placed both his arms on the counter, leaning on them as he inched closer towards her.

"Well if you must know, I came here to buy a very important book." He said as though he was telling her a secret. Emma laughed at his response. 

"Seriously! I had no clue you were coming here to buy a book since this is clearly an ice-cream shop." Cole laughed at her sarcasm, drawing another giggle from her. 

"Well, you did ask. Where can I find the history section?" He finally said, Emma pointed to the last isle indicating the spot and causing him to wink at her before heading for it.

She shook her head in wonder. 

How Ironic. 

She honestly didn't think work would be one of the places that she actually felt happy, especially when books surrounded her. She couldn't fathom on how he made her happy with just a few words when other's thousands of words hadn't shifted her mood.

Cole finally came back with two bulky books in his arm and Derrick and Rose behind him, they seemed to have lost their mouths and that only amused Emma more.

"Here you go Twix." Emma looked at him in confusion at the nickname. 

"Twix?" She questioned raising one eyebrow as she put the books in a bag. A nervous look washed over Cole's face and he bit his bottom lip as though it would help him explain.

"Well I was thinking about chocolate one day then I remembered M&M's and it like reminded me of you, so I thought it would be a nice nickname , then I figured out everyone would have already been calling you that so I choose Twix so I'd be the only one." He said practically rapping it, not really intending for her to know the details.

Emma's smile grew softer as she took in his unusually nervous state. 

"I like it." Cole's eyes locked with hers at that statement, he didn't know why those words had an impact on him, but they did.

The moment was cut short as a cough was heard. 

"Dude we gotta go." Derrick said, annoyed by their exchange. 

Cole flashed Emma one last smile before dropping the money on the counter and leaving, her smile increased as she looked down at the money to see a golden rap with a piece of chocolate in it along with something that made her smile to widen even more: 

For Twix.