Eddie Hawk (CMW)

Ugh, come on. Isn’t this what libraries were for? Books to help ya with shit. It wasn’t that complicated. I didn’t need to own it, just borrow it. Hmm.

Urk.

The freaking thing hit me in the back of the neck. Who did that that? Looking around though. No one? Next isle? Huh? It was a library, so it was quiet enough that I think I would have heard someone running away. Well, I guess a book falling isn’t that strange.

It was a big ass book too. Heavier than it looked. Looked expensive, like the kind of thing that would be in a reference section. The letters seemed engraved or something they rose above the book. Souris Triste? Hmm. Seems exotic.

If I was being honest, the picture looked like one of those tramp stamps that some nerd Japanese porn. The ones that was like, a womans overies or something? Not really my thing, cartoon bullshit. But it wasn’t like I was having any other luck. Plus, I mean, it was just a book, what was the worst that could happen?

It seemed a bit too expensive to be just that kind of nerd bullshit. Huh, flipping through it, no pictures… or. Oh wait. Well. Not really. Occasionally a picture but not like a girl or anything. Symbols, and other marks, many of which that were in the shape of a circle and what not. Well. I dunno. It gave me a good feeling. Even the text seemed, different.

Rubbing my fingers over it, it wasn’t like ink, but almost like thread. I could feel the texture and my fingertip felt warm touching it. Hmm. I read a few sentences and I felt myself getting a bit hard. Wow. Okay, that settled it. I definitely wanted this book. I was really hoping it wasn’t going to be one of these, read online in the library. That would be such a mood killer.

I brought it up to the counter. The library seemed… so empty. It was a small branch. So I guess that wasn’t surprising.

“Can I check this out?” I asked.

“What is,” she paused and took a deep breath as she touched it. She set it down. She seemed confused.

“Uh, something wrong?” I asked.

“I… uh. Sorry, I just. Do you see the barcode?” she asked.

Hmm. good question. I guess I didn’t? Hmm. I flipped it around looking for it. Maybe inside? It was a nice book, it would be a shame to mark it in a bad place. I paused and looked at her. She was sweating a bit. Hmm, it wasn’t that hot in here. Her breathing too, it was quick and shallow. Had she been like that when I walked in?

“Are you doing-”

You should show her that line, on page 147. It was a good line.

I… I shook my head. I mean. I was flipping through the pages. “While I am looking for the barcode. What do you think of this?”

“I…”

She read the line and her eyes seemed to glaze over. Had I looked like that, I wondered? “It is good isn’t it?”

She reached out and touched my arm. I was pretty fit considering my position on the football team. It was nice to be recognized. “It is. I… there is a bedroom in the backroom.”

Ah! Brown hair, that classic librarian charm. Oh! She was undoing a button! That just wasn’t fair! I was already in the mood cuz of this freaking book! I shook my head. “Sorry, but no. I got a girlfriend. And, I may be no angel, but there are just some line you don’t cross.”

She squeezed her arms together and bit her lip. “But you showed me…”

Strange. She said the line. From the book. The “...” Hmm. It was like. I remembered it being nice. I remembered reading it, I remembered her lips moving, but the words alluded me.

I took a step back. “Sorry, but like I said. I don’t cross some lines. About the book?”

She puffed up her lips. “Fine,” she said as she pushed a pen and paper over to me.

“Huh?” I asked.

“Your number please?” she said.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

She squeezed her legs together. “I need to take a break. So I will check the book out later. If I can’t log it, then I will call you in three weeks if you are bad boy and don’t bring it back. I’m trusting you. A man that doesn’t cross some lines won’t break a girls heart right?”

“Oh, yeah. I can do that,” I said writing down my number.

She handed me a piece of paper immediately after I did. Huh? I unfolded it. Her number and a lipstick kiss. Well… fuck me lady! Anymore and I was gonna be at risk of walking home with a fuckin tent! Like there was flirting and then… this?

“If your and your girlfriend don’t work out,” she said as she put up her back in ten minutes sign and walked to her back room.

Well. Huh. Okay then. I pulled out my phone. Chrissy! Please don’t be busy!