“It wouldn’t surprise me if they did get banned.”
“Ah, the wonders of being young and in love. You know, my husband and I never tried anything in a library, but we were almost caught getting busy in a movie theatre once.” Her eyes are cast upward with a faraway look in them.
“The movie theatre? Really?” I ask laughing
Claire is in her late sixties and has worked at the Riverdale Library for over thirty years. With her long curly blond hair, clear blue eyes, athletic build, and the prominent laugh lines around the corners of her eyes she looks much younger. She was the first person I met when I started working here a little over a year ago and she is easily the coworker I talk to the most.
“Oh yeah. There are so many stories I could tell you from back in the day.”
“Shhh!” Looking to my right I see Walter glaring at us over the top of his cubicle with a finger pressed to his lips.
Claire rolls her eyes and whispers, “I’ll tell you about it later.”
I nod before going back to my current project. Working around books has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Reading helped me through some of the toughest times in my life. When you grow up in the foster care system, like I did, it’s easy to feel invisible and forgotten. The kids I lived with found different avenues to release whatever emotions they were feeling.
I found books.
Of the three foster homes I lived in, I always made it a priority to find a library. Anytime I needed an escape, which was often, I would go to the closest library to me.
The smell of books, old and new. The texture of the pages. The feeling of holding a paperback or hardback in my hands, it became like home to me. More of a home than anyone I’d ever lived in up until I turned eighteen and was able to go away to college.
That’s why it was a no brainer for me to major in library science and take a cataloging position at The Riverdale Library.
The large two-story brick building can be easy to get lost in if you don’t know where you’re going. Before I started working here full-time, I volunteered for two years while they upgraded the entire building. Even though the construction has been done for over a year now the place still fills new. The circulation desk sits in the middle of the floor when you first walk in. Behind the circulation desk is a wood partition that separates the staff work area and the breakroom.
To the right of the circulation desk are where several large and small study rooms are gathered. Some have glass windows and others have none to give people extra privacy. Next to the study rooms sits the nonfiction section, magazines, music, CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks. On the left side of the circulation desk is the children’s section, teen section and an area for all the different programs, including the children’s program I run here every Wednesday.
I’ve just finished cataloguing another book when my phone vibrates with a notification. Hastily picking it up, I go to put it on silent when the message on the screen makes me pause. My blood runs cold and my heart skips a beat.
Matthew King has sent you a private message.
What the hell does he want? I thought I’d blocked his number after…everything happened, but I guess I didn’t block him on social media. Shock is swiftly followed by anger. How dare he contact me after everything that happened?
I still remember that day like it was yesterday.
The stares.
The laughs.
The pointing.
The humiliation.
It all slams into me simultaneously.
No. My hand tightens around my phone as I quickly delete the message without reading it. I will not give him another thought.
I left that part of my life behind in college and I refuse to go back there. Grabbing the stack of books on my desk, I get up leaving my desk and that message behind.
***
Want more of the Trace Brothers? Check out LIAM now!
Amazon US
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Also Available is LEVI. He’s finally met his match. Find out what happens when he develops feelings for his best friend.
He's a control freak used to getting what he wants. She's a good girl who's not looking for love.
Liam Trace thinks he has everything figured out. As the CEO of several successful businesses, work has always been his first love. His family and the occasional hook up are all he needs in life.
Or so he thinks.
Then Ava comes bursting into his life and everything changes for this former playboy.
Ava Richards thinks she has everything figured out. As a librarian she's surrounded daily by her one true love, the written word. Disillusioned after a failed relationship, she's vowed to steer clear of them. Everything is going according to plan.
Until she meets him.
Her carefully constructed world is about to be turned upside down…
***
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Also by Simone Grey
Trace Brothers Series
At First Glance
LIAM
LEVI
GRAYSON (Coming May 7th, 2020)
LINCOLN (Coming Soon)
GABE (Coming Soon)
About the Author
Simone is a small-town girl, living in a big city. After spending years getting lost in other author’s novels, she began crafting her own before finally deciding to take the leap into self-publishing. She strives to breathe life into new characters through the pages of her books. If you are look for sweet, sexy short stories filled with strong heroines and swoon worthy alpha males then give her books a try.
