AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She pulled into the parking lot and eased into an open spot. The bright sign above the store illuminated the whole area, bathing the world around her in a white glow. Birgitta sat in her seat for a moment, staring up at the sign. A wave of disappointment washed over her thinking about her life. When had she become so miserable? When had everything fallen apart? Why hadn’t she noticed sooner?
With nothing else to do, Birgitta got out of the car and headed toward the store. The inside was practically empty. Only a couple of cashiers were working. Even fewer customers roamed the aisles. Birgitta was free to walk as slowly as she wanted, perusing the shelves for things she wanted.
It didn’t take long for her to find her way to the book section at the back of the store. Rows and rows of glossy books stood on the shelves waiting and calling to her. Birgitta was instantly drawn in. Almost all of the romance books displayed half-naked men, their muscles bulging.
Birgitta let her eyes drift over their bodies, drinking in their appearances. There was no way she needed another book. She already had a pile at home waiting to be read. It would take her months to get through them all. Adding more to her collection wasn’t the smartest idea.
Still, she found herself reaching for one of the most striking of the books. With the spine in her hand, she flipped it over to the back and read the blurb. This one sounded interesting. She dropped it into the basket clutched in her left hand, then continued scanning at the shelves.
No,she thought.One is enough.
“Birgitta!” A voice called from across the store.
Heat flushed her cheeks as she turned around to see who was calling her. Being so loud and obnoxious in public wasn’t something people often did unless they were drunk. Her eyes searched the aisles around her but she couldn’t see anyone. Frowning, she turned around.
“Birgitta!” The voice called again.
Finally, she saw someone coming toward her. He had a mop of thick, black hair on his head. It fell in thick curled tendrils over his forehead. He waved his hand in the air enthusiastically. He was wearing an aged denim jacket with a black t-shirt beneath.
Her breath caught in her throat, this man was stunning. Whoever he was, he looked like a model. The way he styled his hair, the way he strutted, even his clothes. Birgitta tried to think of where she knew this man from but nothing came to mind.
He was too clean and stylish to be someone from her group of friends and he was so loud and outgoing that he certainly wasn’t Swedish. There was something about him that made him stand out from the crowd. Birgitta instantly liked that about him—it drew her to him, like a moth to a flame.
“Birgitta,” he said, quieter now as he approached.
There was a harsh accent in his voice, one that Birgitta couldn’t quite recognize. He was at least six feet tall; she had to crane her head to look up at his face. Birgitta smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. Her heart fluttered inside her chest as she looked at his glittering brown eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to be as polite as possible, “do I know you?”
“My name is Malik,” he said, smiling and revealing crooked teeth behind his lips. “You helped my family when we came here, just a couple of months ago.”
Birgitta frowned trying to remember his face. She’d seen so many people at her job it was hard to pick a face out from the crowd. Something in the back of her mind twinged telling her that she knew him.
“I’m sorry,” Birgitta smiled. “I’m having some trouble remembering you.”
The smile plastered on his face didn’t falter. “My mother’s name is Samira,” he said. “You helped us when our application was denied. Because of you, we were able to stay.”
Birgitta recognized their names and the situation, but that could’ve been any number of people she’d seen. Applications were denied all the time. There was nothing special about that.
“I’m glad I was able to help,” Birgitta said carefully. “How are things for your family now?”
“Better,” Malik said. “I’m doing an internship at a mechanic shop. My mother is learning Swedish slowly.”
“That’s so great,” Birgitta said.
She couldn’t help but wonder why he’d bothered to talk to her at all. Did he find her attractive, or was he just being nice? Birgitta tried to tell herself that he wanted her, that he was lusting after her like those men in the books she always read.
“We should get fika,” he said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
Her heart thumped harder in her chest. Why was this gorgeous young man asking her for fika? While she knew it was probably just his way of trying to thank her, she couldn’t help but wonder if something else was going to happen. Did he want more from her? Was this her chance for an affair?
Birgitta’s mind started to daydream as she thought about all the possibilities. The romance novels eating into her thoughts. The intricate, sordid storylines could so easily be applied to her own life. Was he interested in her? Was she going to live out her wildest dream and have a dark-skinned man in her arms?
You’re married,Birgitta reminded herself.You can’t do such things.
“What do you say?” Malik asked, brows raised.
The sound of his voice brought Birgitta back to the real world. As her eyes focused on his full lips, his bushy eyebrows, and his strong jaw, she gulped involuntarily.
