that or she had a sudden bout of constipation.
“Was that a statement or a question?” she asked.
He knew he needed to ask her out quickly, before the voices returned. “Neither. Both.”
Crap.
She stared at him and had to be thinking he was an idiot.
Obviously she must have felt the uncomfortable silence between his acts of stupidity, because she pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to him. “This is a great book. I highly recommend it.”
Cedric analyzed the cover. “ Excuses Begone by Wayne Dyer.” Cedric turned the book over to see the back cover and then flipped through a few pages.
Ellie pointed to the book. “You don’t have an excuse not to read it.”
Cedric read the title again, closed the book, and grinned. “Clever.”
She smiled. “I try.”
“The font isn’t the most exciting, but the book looks interesting. I’ll check it out. Literally.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.” She turned to leave.
“Hey.” Cedric took his eyes off her ass before she caught him, but holy hell, it was a work of art that belonged in the Guggenheim Museum.
She stopped and turned around, but didn’t answer.
Cedric’s heart raced and he forced a smile to try and hide his jitters. “Let me buy you a cup of coffee … to show my appreciation.”
“So, now we’re back to the coffee again, are we?”
Cedric nodded. “It’s the least I can do.”
“For finding you the book?”
“For saving my life.”
“Uh huh …”
“We can go to the Starbucks on the corner.”
“I just got here and I need to at least work for a couple of hours before I can take a break.”
“Not a problem.” He raised the book and smiled. “I have Wayne Dyer to keep me company. I’ll just find a seat and you can let me know when you are ready.”
*****
Three hours later at Starbucks, Cedric and Ellie grabbed their drinks and chose a table near the window overlooking Lincoln Avenue. Cedric immediately noticed an older man eating a scone. “Crap.”
Ellie sat up in her chair. “What?”
He mentally slapped himself in the head for being an idiot. “Sorry. I should have asked you if you wanted a snack or something to go with that coffee. Can I get you something? I don’t mind getting back in line.”
“No, no. Thanks. There’s going to be some food at the library later. We’re celebrating a co-worker’s birthday today. Well, actually, it’s the Branch Manager.”
“Peggy Fleming?”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “Yes. You know her?”
Cedric tried to keep a straight face. “Oh yeah, we go way back.”
“Wow. Small world. How long have you known her?”
“Well, let’s see … I met her, oh, when was it? Oh, that’s right. About three and a half hours ago when I entered the library.”
Ellie hit Cedric playfully on the arm. “You’re bad.”
“Thanks,” he said, laughing. “Glad you noticed.”
He enjoyed the smile on Ellie’s face. She was playful and he liked that. They sat there for a few moments in silence, people-watching, exchanging smiles, sipping coffee, not saying much at all. But the silence didn’t feel uncomfortable. It was like they were just hanging out together, passing time with a good cup of coffee, without a care in the world. It felt good.
No. It felt great.
Cedric took another sip of his coffee. “So.”
“So.”
“You’re a librarian.”
Ellie nodded. “For the last eight years.”
“Very cool. What do you like about it?”
“Hmm. Well, for starters, no two days are alike. One moment I’m helping a child with a picture book, or a senior citizen with a hobby, and the next I’m showing someone tools for learning a new language. I like helping people find answers.”
Cedric smiled again and nodded. “Did you always know you wanted to be a librarian?”
Ellie shrugged. “I was a total bookworm in middle school and high school. But I think it was when I became a library aide in my junior year of high school that
“Was that a statement or a question?” she asked.
He knew he needed to ask her out quickly, before the voices returned. “Neither. Both.”
Crap.
She stared at him and had to be thinking he was an idiot.
Obviously she must have felt the uncomfortable silence between his acts of stupidity, because she pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to him. “This is a great book. I highly recommend it.”
Cedric analyzed the cover. “ Excuses Begone by Wayne Dyer.” Cedric turned the book over to see the back cover and then flipped through a few pages.
Ellie pointed to the book. “You don’t have an excuse not to read it.”
Cedric read the title again, closed the book, and grinned. “Clever.”
She smiled. “I try.”
“The font isn’t the most exciting, but the book looks interesting. I’ll check it out. Literally.”
“Let me know if you need anything else.” She turned to leave.
“Hey.” Cedric took his eyes off her ass before she caught him, but holy hell, it was a work of art that belonged in the Guggenheim Museum.
She stopped and turned around, but didn’t answer.
Cedric’s heart raced and he forced a smile to try and hide his jitters. “Let me buy you a cup of coffee … to show my appreciation.”
“So, now we’re back to the coffee again, are we?”
Cedric nodded. “It’s the least I can do.”
“For finding you the book?”
“For saving my life.”
“Uh huh …”
“We can go to the Starbucks on the corner.”
“I just got here and I need to at least work for a couple of hours before I can take a break.”
“Not a problem.” He raised the book and smiled. “I have Wayne Dyer to keep me company. I’ll just find a seat and you can let me know when you are ready.”
*****
Three hours later at Starbucks, Cedric and Ellie grabbed their drinks and chose a table near the window overlooking Lincoln Avenue. Cedric immediately noticed an older man eating a scone. “Crap.”
Ellie sat up in her chair. “What?”
He mentally slapped himself in the head for being an idiot. “Sorry. I should have asked you if you wanted a snack or something to go with that coffee. Can I get you something? I don’t mind getting back in line.”
“No, no. Thanks. There’s going to be some food at the library later. We’re celebrating a co-worker’s birthday today. Well, actually, it’s the Branch Manager.”
“Peggy Fleming?”
Ellie’s eyes widened. “Yes. You know her?”
Cedric tried to keep a straight face. “Oh yeah, we go way back.”
“Wow. Small world. How long have you known her?”
“Well, let’s see … I met her, oh, when was it? Oh, that’s right. About three and a half hours ago when I entered the library.”
Ellie hit Cedric playfully on the arm. “You’re bad.”
“Thanks,” he said, laughing. “Glad you noticed.”
He enjoyed the smile on Ellie’s face. She was playful and he liked that. They sat there for a few moments in silence, people-watching, exchanging smiles, sipping coffee, not saying much at all. But the silence didn’t feel uncomfortable. It was like they were just hanging out together, passing time with a good cup of coffee, without a care in the world. It felt good.
No. It felt great.
Cedric took another sip of his coffee. “So.”
“So.”
“You’re a librarian.”
Ellie nodded. “For the last eight years.”
“Very cool. What do you like about it?”
“Hmm. Well, for starters, no two days are alike. One moment I’m helping a child with a picture book, or a senior citizen with a hobby, and the next I’m showing someone tools for learning a new language. I like helping people find answers.”
Cedric smiled again and nodded. “Did you always know you wanted to be a librarian?”
Ellie shrugged. “I was a total bookworm in middle school and high school. But I think it was when I became a library aide in my junior year of high school that
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