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He excused himself when he realized I had noticed his change in expression, his explanation tinged with a hint of sadness. “My father died recently, so I’ve been busy with several preparations,” he shared, his voice carrying a weight that seemed to settle around us.
I offered my condolences and wished him the best. As he left, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Salva was someone I could easily relate to, someone who shared a similar appreciation for the worlds that words could create.
I wandered through the aisles, my fingers trailing over the spines of books as I searched for the perfect choice. And then, I found the perfect choice for my lit rookie. It felt like a piece of my heart, a token of the connection we were forging.
With the book in hand, I made my way back to Diego. The encounter with Salva had added a touch of magic to the day, a reminder that connections could be formed in the most unexpected of places.
As we left the bookstore, the sun’s rays lingered on my skin, a silent promise of new beginnings. With each step, I carried not only a novel but a memory too.
***
We met more often in the bookstore as the days passed, Salva and I only growing closer. He was really nice and kind, but I noticed his life was shrouded in mystery, completely unknown to me.
“Do you smoke?” He asked one day.
“No, why?”
“Just curious, that’s all.” He shrugged.
“What about you?”
“Nope.”
“You know, I just realized I don’t know that much about you. What exactly is it you do?” I asked Salva as he perused the classic mystery section of the bookstore, pondering whether he should pick between a collection ofArsene Lupinshort stories by Maurice Leblanc andThe Mystery of the Yellow Roomby Gaston Leroux. His fingers danced, then paused on each of them, playing around with both until he finally picked the second volume of the complete collection ofSherlock Holmesshort stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.
“What do I do?” he repeated the question, walking leisurely away as he carefully regarded the rest of the books in the section.
“Yeah.”
“I’m almost tempted to play the mysterious card right now.” His lips curved into a sarcastic smile. “Use the whole ‘wouldn’t you like to know?’ line again, but given the fact that you disappeared immediately after I did it the last time, I don’t think I’ll be doing that.”
“Wise choice.” I nodded, wearing a smug smile as I said, “Very wise choice.”
He chuckled lightly and replied, “Well, if you must know, I’m something of a collector. I collect a range of things, from artworks to perfumes.”
“Nice, that’s cool. So what are you collecting these days?”
“Well, I’m currently focused on collecting books and cigars,” he said with confidence. He fell silent, dropping theSherlock Holmesbook he had chosen at the counter and paying for it.
The attendant stole stealthy glances at him. I could visibly sense the jealousy in her eyes as they darted from me to him, and back to me again. There was something almost condescending about the way she looked at me. Seeing us together, talking and laughing with each other, she must’ve assumed we were in some kind of relationship. Salva was nice, but I had grown to love and anticipate the touch of Ivan. How far from the truth the attendant was.
“Sorry about that. That attendant always seems to have her eyes out for me and, I don’t know, I usually never feel that comfortable around her,” Salvatore said to me after we left the store.
I laughed at his statement. I had thought she was invisible to him but it seemed he was more perceptive than I thought.
“She’s cute.” I tried not to paint her in too bad of a light in his eyes. “She probably likes you a lot but is too shy to say anything about it.”
Salva wasn’t listening. His eyes stared at a coffee shop before he immediately said, “Say, Audrey, would like to get a cup of coffee or iced tea—not really sure which you prefer—today?”
I hesitated, ruminating on the question.
“It doesn’t have to be today. Some other time works too,” he added, almost apologetically, like he was trying not to force anything on me.
I sighed.
“Oh no. No good response comes from a sigh.” He stepped back with an air of defeat.
“You know I’m engaged to someone else and it wouldn’t be proper for us to go on dates like that,” I told him.
