The sound of the bell chiming over the door pulled a reluctant Emily from the depths of her book.  She surfaced groggily, her eyes adjusting to the change in light as she smiled up at the new customer.  He was bundled tightly against the day’s chill, a scarf wrapped around his neck, his coat buttoned to the collar, and a hat pulled low over his brow.

“Hey, welcome to Bee’s Book Stop.  Let me know if you need any help.”  She smiled at the man, but if he responded she didn’t hear him.  After a moment of making sure he was all set, Emily let her eyes stray back to the pages in her hands.

His warm grasp moved from the soft flesh of her thighs, upward, and the squeal that followed brought a grin to his lips.  Deftly, his fingers found her –

“Excuse me?”  The voice made Emily jump in her seat, blush instantly painting her cheeks. 

“Yes?”

“Do you have any more copies of ‘The Great Gatsby’?  I can’t seem to find it on the shelves.”  The scarf had been loosened, the hat was now clutched between his hands, and Emily couldn’t help but stare into the piercing blue eyes looking back at her.

She glanced at the book in her hands, certain the character that she’d just been reading about had somehow slipped into her store.  Her cheeks flamed at the thought.

“Yeah, right this way.”  She gingerly stepped from behind the counter, hesitating as she stepped around him and made her way toward the back of the store.  As she passed him, the smell of his cologne invaded her senses, and Emily was happy he could no longer see her face.  “Right here.”  She pointed out the section, trying to distance herself from his physical presence.  “There are some other classics, too, in case you want to check those out.”

“Thank you.”  He smiled at her, but his attention was taken by the books on the shelf and Emily slipped away without saying anything else.  When she reached the safety of the counter, she grasped her book in shaking hands and flipped to an earlier chapter.

He was tall and lanky, but the muscles beneath his clothing were obvious to the casual observer.  His hands were rough from years of working with them.  What was most striking, though, were his eyes.  Deep, ocean blue orbs with emotions storming and swimming beneath the surface of his cool façade. 

Emily swallowed thickly, glancing back up to find the man standing before her again.  She could feel her palms get sticky with sweat and it took her a moment to find her voice.  “Can I help you?”

He placed two books down on the counter, eyeing the book in her hands suspiciously.  She blushed harder, feeling as if he could read her thoughts.

“That a good book?”  He nodded toward the novel now set aside on the counter, a wary look still on his face.  When his blue eyes met hers, she felt as if they were piercing directly through her.

“It’s pretty interesting, year.”  She glanced at the book, worried that it was flashing the contents of her mind from him to read.  “It’s not my favorite…but it helps pass the time.”

He managed a tight smile, handing over his money when she told him the total.  Emily was feeling completely disoriented by this man, and she kept trying to convince herself that she was imagining things.  Really, it couldn’t be anything else.  She let out a deep breath, plastering on a smile as she bagged his books and handed them over the counter.

“Thanks for coming in.” 

When he stood there for a moment, eyes locked with hers, Emily started to panic slightly.  Thankfully, the phone in the back room started to ring, ending the strange staring contest they’d fallen into.  “You should probably get that,” he prompted, his words propelling her into action.

When she returned from the back room, he was gone.  Strangely enough, so was her book.

Rain poured steadily, like the tears of the book shop cascading down the windows.  Emily could relate to the shop, bored to tears herself by the quietness of the day.  She had been working for the past six hours, and there were still two hours left of her shift.  No one had come into the store.  The phone hadn’t once made a peep.

She was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

What’s worse, she’d searched every place she could think of and she still hadn’t been able to find her missing book.  It hadn’t fallen under the counter, it wasn’t stuffed in her back pack, and no one had seen it in days.  Stranger still, she hadn’t been able to locate another copy.  She’d called other book stores in the area, searched the internet, and even called up some friends, and no one else had heard of the book she’d been reading.  It was as if it hadn’t ever existed.

She was baffled, and now she was bored.

The mysterious man had been slightly creepy, but she had been intrigued nonetheless.  It was impossible that he was the man in her book, she knew that.  But the similarities were too strange for her to ignore.  She’d planned on investigating further when he’d left, but now her book was missing.  Frustrating.

Emily let out an exasperated sigh, settling her head on the counter and closing her eyes.  A little cat-nap wouldn’t hurt, especially since no one would know.  She was the only one working, which was usually the case, and she was her own boss, too.   Emily had inherited the book shop from her grandfather when he’d passed a year ago.  She’d grown up in this shop, fading into the bookshelves and staying there for hours.  Gramps had decided she was the only family member worthy of honoring his life’s work.  So, as a college student, Emily owned her own book store.  An accomplishment she was very proud of.

Something in the atmosphere around her changed, and she sat up with a start, blearily looking around the room.  She jumped and yelped as her eyes crashed into the blue orbs that had been haunting her thoughts for the past few days.

“Hey,” his grin was easy this time, his eyes sparkling with mischief and something else she couldn’t place.  “Sorry to interrupt your nap.”

Emily patted down her hair, hoping she didn’t have creases on her face from her sleeves.  “Oh, no.  You’re fine.”  She could feel the color rising to her cheeks.  This man must think she’s crazy.  “Can I help you find something?”

He leaned his elbows on the counter, bringing his face closer to hers.  She could smell the spicy sent of his cologne, and for moment she felt dizzy.  “Actually, I have something for you.”  He reached toward his back pocket, producing a book and setting it before her.  Emily’s eyes widened.

“My book.”  She picked it up, feeling the softness of the worn cover beneath her fingers.  “Where did you find it?”

His eyes were smiling as she looked back at him.  “I think you accidentally put it in my bag with the books I purchased.  I found it there when I got home.”  He grinned lazily, sending a strange heat through Emily’s limbs.  She flushed again, feeling like an idiot.

“Well, thanks.  Sorry about that.”

Again, his grin warmed her skin.  “No worries.  It gave me a reason to come see you again.”  He leaned a little closer, the spicy sent of him intoxicating the air between them.  Emily had to stop herself from taking a long, slow breath.  “I thought you might like that back, too.  It looks rare.”

Emily’s eyes wandered back to the book, almost forgetting it was there.  “Oh, I don’t know.  It belonged to my grandfather and he gave it to me right before he died.  I guess I just feel attached to it.”  She ran her fingers over the cover again, seemingly lost in her thoughts.  She remembered the day she’d stumbled across her Gramps, thumbing through the care-worn pages, mumbling about changing pages and lost contact.  It was near the end of his illness, and he was prone to strange utterances.  It had broken Emily’s heart to watch him deteriorate, but right before he’d died, in a moment of clarity, he’d asked her to keep the book and make sure it was safe.  He’d made her promise, and Emily couldn’t bear to go back on her word.  Not now, not when he couldn’t come back to her.

“Have I lost you?”  Emily jumped, startled by the voice invading her thoughts.  The smirk on the stranger’s face was small, but it was obvious he enjoyed her reaction.  “Sorry.  Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Emily forced a shaky smile, running her hands through her tangled locks and taking a deep breath.  The scent of him again invaded her senses and the dizziness returned for a moment.  “It’s okay.  I think I might be coming down with a cold or something.  I feel a little light headed.”

Subtly, he stepped back from the counter, widening the distance between them by fractions.  Emily tried not to notice the fact that she was feeling clearer, but she did.  Of course, she reminded herself, one can’t have anything to do with the other.

“So…Miss Bookkeeper.  Do you have a name?” 

Emily’s eyes found his icy blues, and she mentally chided herself for being so rude.  “I’m sorry.  My name is Emily.”  She outstretched her hand, not ready for the shock of actually touching his skin.  He was warm, incredibly so, and the dizziness returned ten-fold as his larger hand encompassed her own.

“Justin,” was his reply, and as he moved his hand from her the lightheadedness left with the swiftness it had come.  “You’re looking a little pale, maybe you should sit down.”

Emily stepped back from the counter; completely unsure of what was happening to her.  A fairly attractive man walks into her store and she’s instantly reduced to a puddle of goo.  What was wrong with her?  Her eyes flickered around the shop, noting the still driving rain and the lack of customers.  Boldness overtook her, and she stood squarely, meeting Justin’s worried gaze with her determined stare.

“Would you like to get some coffee with me?  I think I just need to put some food in my stomach.”  His thoughts were unreadable as he pondered her offer, but a grin slid easily over his features, lighting up his face. 

“Are you sure you can leave?”  He, too, glanced around the empty store.

Emily waved him off.  “I should lock up anyway.  You’re the first customer I’ve had all day.”  She started to gather her things, picking up the book and hesitating.  She thought on it a moment, unsure of what to do, and then she shook her head at her silliness.  “It’s just a book.”  She mumbled, stuffing it into her purse so she could continue reading when she returned home.

Justin’s eyes followed the book, too, but he kept silent as she finished packing her things.  “Ready?”  He asked, offering her his arm and leading her to the door.  “Wait a second,” he said, reaching over to grab an umbrella that Emily hadn’t seen until now.  “It’s still pouring out there.”  He smiled down at her, his eyes flashing with something that made Emily’s stomach dip toward her toes. 

This was going to be interesting, she could just tell.

The coffee shop was almost as deserted as her book store had been.  Two sodden girls sat in the back corner, chatting over cups of hot cocoa, and the barista moved around the room wiping down tables.  Other than that, the place was empty.

Emily let Justin lead her to a table nestled in the corner, taking her jacket and pulling out her chair.  Emily was surprised at his chivalry.  She didn’t think men like this existed anymore except in the books she poured over.  She smiled up at him as he took his own seat, feeling the chill of the day fade as his own smile warmed her skin.  She was blushing like a little girl and she couldn’t figure out why.

Picking up the menu, Emily browsed her options, aware of Justin’s eyes on her as she read.  It was unnerving, but she ignored it for the moment, intent on finding something to put in her stomach.

After they’d ordered, Emily sat back in her chair and met Justin’s gaze.  She didn’t know why she was letting this man get under her skin.  But she was.

“So, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.  Where are you from?”  It was her intention to put him on the spot, but if her question had fazed him, he didn’t show it.

Instead, he shrugged.  “I’ve lived in town for a while now.  But before that, I’ve lived all over.  Sort of a nomad, if you will.”  He balled tiny pieces of napkin between his fingers, pulling and rolling in a slightly nervous gesture.  “I knew your grandfather.”

The comment startled Emily, who was caught off guard at the mention of her Gramps.  “Really?”  She didn’t get to as anything further because they food arrived.  She hadn’t realize how famished she’d been.  Conversation halted as she ate, Justin casually sipping his coffee, watching the rain slide down the shop window.

After she’d finished most of her sandwich, Emily sat back in her seat, slightly embarrassed.  “Sorry.  I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”  Justin’s eyes moved from the window back to her, a small smile touching his lips.

“No problem.”

“So, Justin, other than being a Fitzgerald fan, who are you?”

His eyes traced her features for a while, and Emily didn’t think he was going to answer.  “I’m just Justin.  I like books, movies…coffee.” 

“That’s not an answer.  Just Justin?  I mean…where are you from?  What do you do?”  She was becoming frustrated with the mystery surrounding this man, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away and forget about him.

Justin sighed, sipping his coffee.  “My mom was born in England, and I grew up in a small town outside of London.  I moved to American when I was…younger…and I’ve spent some time on the West Coast, but I like it better here.”  He pointed to the window, its view marred by the rain still pouring from above.  “The seasons here remind me of home.  So I’ve lived in New England for the past few years.”

Emily had almost expected him to avoid her answer again.  She was surprised, though, and even more intrigued by this man.  “England?  You don’t have an accent.”  She almost kicked herself for that remark.

Justin smirked.  “Well, the longer I spend here, the less of an accent I have.”

Here was a small coastal town in New Hampshire, filled with antique shops and tourist traps.  Emily had lived here her entire life, and she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.  She could understand why Justin was hesitant to leave.  “What was your mom like?”  She didn’t know why she’d asked, but she was curious.  She wanted to get underneath his skin and figure out what made him tick.

This question made him uncomfortable, but he answered anyway.  “She was…she was Mom.  She had this terrible habit of humming and making a song out of everything.  I mean she’d cook dinner and sing about the ingredients.  She’d wash clothing and sing about folding it.”  She smiled, and this time it was different than all the others Emily had seen on his face.  He suddenly looked older and younger at the same time.  “I fell in love with music because of my Mom.”

Emily found herself smiling along with him, imagining the woman who’d molded this mysterious man.  His gaze caught hers, and Emily felt her breath catch in her throat.  “I…I should get going.”  She stuttered.  Heat had blazed up her spine as he watched her, and Emily needed to step back and get away.  She needed to clear her head.  “Thank you, for coming to coffee with me.”  She fumbled inside her bag, looking for her wallet.  Justin waved her away, setting a few bills on the table.

“My treat.”

“Thank you.”  She blushed again, feeling clumsy and childish as she hastily retreated from the coffee shop. 

It was still pouring outside as she left, instantly getting drenched as she ran for her car.  Why she felt the sudden urge to run, she didn’t know, but there was something nagging at the back of her mind and she couldn’t place it.  The look on his face or the way he’d talked about his mother…something was familiar about what had just transpired between them.

Steam still fogged the glass in her bathroom as Emily towel dried her hair.  She was clad in her fleece pants and old sweatshirt, much warmer and drier than she’d been before.

Her meeting with Justin was still on her mind, but she’d been forcing herself not to think about him.  Now, she just wanted to curl up with her book and forget about the world for a while.  She wanted to slip between the pages and let them become her life. 

Curling up on the window ledge with a blanket, Emily opened her book to the dog-eared page.  She unfolded the flap, smoothing the paper and searching for the spot she’d left off.

Her eyes scanned the page, confusion knitting her brow.

The words were not what she remembered.  She flipped back a few pages, searching for her spot and not finding what she was looking for.  She flipped forward, hoping maybe the book mark had been wrong.  She still couldn’t find where she’d left off.  The words were all different, the story not what she remembered.

Emily closed the book and stared at the cover.  It was the book she’d been reading.  She knew the creases in the cover, the worn spots from her hands and years of being held, opened, and read.  She decided to try one last time, hoping to clear up her confusion.  She must’ve forgotten what had been happening in the book.  It was impossible that it had changed.  Completely impossible.

She found a chapter she remembered well.  With a sigh, Emily sat back and read.

The boy laughed in spite of his embarrassment.  His blushed cheeks ached from smiling, but he was trying to pretend that he was aggravated with this whole situation.  His mother was swaying around the room, humming a tune he didn’t know and making up words as she went.  The broom in her hands became a microphone as she danced around her son, nudging him and signing loudly.

“Come on,” she prodded.  “It’s fun.”

Emily could feel her stomach sinking.  This scene…this story was exactly the story that Justin had told her at coffee today.  The description of the silly songs, the image of his mother.

He’d lied.

He’d sat there and told her a story that’d he had read in the book and he’d lied.

She couldn’t believe she’d fallen for it.  She’d been a puddle in his presence, and he’d been playing her all along.  She ignored the voice in her head that whispered maybe he wasn’t lying.  It wasn’t possible that this was his story.  It wasn’t possible that the book had changed.  She must’ve been getting sick.  She must’ve been coming down with a cold and she wasn’t remembering things correctly.

There was a logical explanation for this. 

Right?