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There was a flicker of shock on her face. She hadn't expected me to ask her to dinner. However, she quickly regained her composure. She buried her initial surprise under that disarming bright smile that she always seemed to flash at me.
"No, Mr. Aiden. I won't be available to go to dinner with you."
"Why?" I asked, leaning forward on the counter. I could see that my being close was having an effect on her, and I liked it.
"I…I need to rest," she blurted.
I let out a loud laugh, throwing back my head for effect. "You said you're all good, no need for rest. Now, you're turning down my offer of dinner on the basis that you need rest? That's funny."
Kayla was silent for a moment, but the gentle smile on her face convinced me that she hadn't taken offense to what I said to her. The smile reassured me that we were gradually getting on the same page.
CHAPTER THREE
Ididn't go to dinner with Aiden as much as I was tempted to give in to his request. It was all too overwhelming for me to have that kind of man asking me to go out with him that evening. He was the kind of man I'd only dreamt of in the past, but now that I had one near me, it was hard to imagine myself being with him.
I heaved a sigh as I cleaned the dust off one of the books at the rear of the store. That part held books that people didn't look at much. Most people usually bought what they wanted before getting that far into the store.
I had once suggested to Mr. Wilkes, my boss, that we should move the books around on the shelves, so they can all get a fair number of engagements by the shoppers who came in. Unfortunately, Mr. Wilkes was not interested in changing anything. Instead, he instructed me to keep the books the way Lauren, the girl who worked here before me, had arranged them.
After I had dusted the covers of a few more books, I walked back to my seat at the counter, waiting for people to come in and buy something. I was bothered with the way sales were dwindling in recent weeks. Mr. Wilkes hadn't mentioned it, but there was a chance that the bookstore would close down if that happened.
He was the type of man who would do that. He was in it only for the business and the money, not for the love of bringing books closer to people. I was the opposite; she understood it was a business, but she thrived on helping readers, especially young ones, connect with the words written by masters of their craft.
I stifled a yawn as I stared at the entrance, hoping that the two blonde girls who had left here not long ago would not be my last customers for the day. My mind drifted to Aiden, the man who'd just appeared out of nowhere, threatening to ruin the balance of my sane, boring world.
I'd been trying not to think about him, but it was futile. I couldn't get his green eyes, clean-shaven face, well-built frame, and…just everything I'd seen about him out of my mind. I didn't like to be absorbed by the thoughts of a man in this way. It made me feel weak, helpless.
But I just could not help thinking about him.
He had stayed for a while after I told him I needed to rest that evening. We talked about random things, but I still didn't know much about him, and I didn't think that was going to change anytime soon. I remembered the look on his face just before he left. There was that confidence in his face that he'd eventually wear me down and get me to go out with him when he wanted. It was the confidence of a man who knew his way with women, who knew how to get them in his bed.
The thought of being in Aiden’s bed set my pulse racing. How would it be to have those strong arms wrapped around me, holding me tight against him? To feel his lips against mine?
I slammed my fist on the counter as I attempted to break free of my musings about Aiden. How could I fantasize about a man whose last name I didn't even know yet? It was crazy.
“This is not you, Kayla,” I muttered. I was always more cautious, more guarded with men. I knew I was not ready for anything serious, and if I was going to do something casual with a man, it would be on my own terms. But in this case, it felt like my heart had conspired against my head. As much as I tried to push Aiden away from my mind, I still found myself thinking about him.
I looked at the big clock at one end of the room. It read 4:35. I had less than thirty minutes before I handed over responsibility to Sasha, the girl who worked the next shift. Usually, she'd arrive just before her scheduled start time, with only a few minutes to spare. She and I were not close. We barely exchanged words beyond greetings, except when I needed to inform her of something important that had happened during my shift.
We were the three that worked in this bookstore—Lucy, Sasha, and I. I was closer to Lucy because she showed me the ropes when I was hired here. My mind went to those days when I was looking for jobs anywhere in town. It was super tricky because it was a small town with few employment opportunities available. That was why I prayed that we'd get more customers here and that the bookstore didn’t close. I was not ready for another job hunt.
The whole thought of losing this job completely flew out of my mind when I saw Aiden at the door again. I was both surprised and excited to see him. I had hoped he would come around today, but there was the lingering doubt that a man like him might have too much on his plate to care about what was going on with a lowly bookstore salesgirl.
He had that aura about him that made the whole place seem smaller the moment he came inside. I could feel my insides churning as he walked closer. What in God’s name is wrong with me? Why was I getting this excited about a man who was just being nice?
“Kayla,” he called. “How are you? I can tell you're better. Your face has that radiance I saw on the day I first came here.”
“I…umm…I’m fine,” I squeaked. Why do I always have to stutter whenever I start speaking to him? I couldn't explain why I still struggled to get my words out.
“That’s great,” Aiden said. “So, your shift is ending soon, right?”
How did he know that? I didn't remember telling him that I worked this shift or ended at five. What kind of man was this?
“Sorry, how did you know I'm off at—”
He didn't allow me to finish asking the question before he pointed to a piece of paper showing a highlighted table with some names on it. It was the schedule of our shifts. He had seen it on one of his previous visits and already knew what time I ended my shift today.
“Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll soon be off, so I can go home,” I confirmed.
