“It’s always better to share, Veronica. Makes life much more fun,” he volleyed, with a twinkle in his eye before he retreated down the back stairs.
He was incorrigible. I clearly had a challenge ahead of me.
Ronnie
The library was getting steadily busier as the semester marched on. Joseph was loving the influx of young beauties beginning their quest for knowledge. This morning he was busy hawking his wares to the latest petite blonde. Poor thing probably just wanted to know where to find the photocopiers.
My head was in such a jumble after last night’s events. I had to search for the correct reference numbers rather than spouting them from memory. I thanked my lucky stars that I chose to specialise in cataloguing rather than something like research or faculty librarian. Something that required more human interaction. Keeping my distance … it was what I’d always done. What I’d had to do to protect myself. So, why did it feel so wrong?
I decided to walk it off and wound up stuck at the help desk.
“Excuse me?” My eyes lowered to a short, young woman with her red hair in plaits. She stood at the desk, tightly clutching the strap of her messenger bag across her chest. A quick scan of the area told me Joseph was nowhere to be found, and neither was a library officer.
“I—I’ve booked a study pod, and the guy who’s in there won’t leave.”
My eyebrows, currently in the frown position, danced upwards in exasperation. I let out a sigh. “Which room did you book?”
“Six H.”
“No problem. I’ll just be a second.”
I ran up the stairs across from the desk, and followed the glass dividing walls until I reached my destination. The guy sitting in the room was on his laptop, surfing the web. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pretty boy. Dressed in jeans and a polo shirt—clearly both designer brands—he was the picture of privilege.
Taking out my phone, I opened the camera app and held it up ready to snap a photo.
“Hey,” I barked out. He turned his head. Click. Instantly, a cocky demeanour slid into place.
“Well, hello. Did you need proof to show your friends you weren’t lying about how hot the guy in the library was?”
My eyes rolled. What a dick. “This pod is booked. You need to leave.”
“Pfft. Did Pippi Longstocking send you? There are plenty of rooms to choose from.” His cocky grin remained in place. I wanted to smack it off.
“All the rooms are booked. That’s the procedure if you want these work spaces.” I breathed in slowly, trying to calm the rising storm within. We were attracting an audience.
His smile changed to a look of annoyance, making me feel slightly better. “I’ve been here all morning. I’m not moving if there are other empty spaces where she can go.”
“They may be empty, but they’re booked. Those people could be searching the stacks or running late. You need to get out, or I’ll email your photo to the library staff with the word banned in the subject line, so they’ll all know you’re an inconsiderate twit. Last warning. Please move.”
His face turned red as his mouth tightened. “Relax …” He stood to collect his stuff. I was pretty sure he mumbled ‘bitch’ at the end.
I stood to the side of the pod’s entrance and watched him go. The sour expression he wore made him look like the spoiled little boy that he was.
“Thank you.”
I turned around to see the timid redhead smiling. I sincerely hoped she wasn’t a law student. She’d never survive the shark tank. Nodding, I walked back to the stairs. My heels clicked loudly on the wooden laminate. When I reached the second last step, I froze. With her back to me, Flick watched Lindstrom retreat through the doors. She turned, and her wide-eyed look of panic morphed instantly into a hateful sneer when she spotted me.
What is it with all the arseholes today? Lifting my chin, I stomped down the last two steps and towered over her, toe to toe. “What is your deal? Because there is no way I deserved all the vitriol you have spewed my way. And what is going on between you and Lindstrom?”
“Shh, keep your voice down,” she hissed. She latched onto my arm, pulling me behind the help desk, and down the hallway. I could fight her, but I agreed that this should be done in private.
“Nothing is going on between us, don’t be absurd. He is a friend and associate of my father.” Her voice was indignant, but she radiated despair in the way she trembled. There were shadows under her eyes. I couldn’t figure out what she was really saying. “You deserved everything I threw at you. Keep your nose out of my business. I’m warning you, don’t go poking the beast.”
“That’s a fitting analogy. You are definitely a beast.” I poked her on the shoulder and she burst into tears.
O … kay. I was totally confused. She could give it—I mean, she named me after a stick insect—but she couldn’t take it. Her shoulders jerked as each sob wrenched out. Mascara ran down her cheeks, ruining her carefully constructed mask. The breath she gasped between cries of pain seemed so hard won, I felt compelled to comfort her. Not gonna happen. She didn’t deserve it. This woman reawakened all my worst nightmares from childhood. She treated me like I was less than the mould in her shower. My bitterness towards her told my instincts to shut up, and my feet to walk away.
Ignoring both of them, I stayed put, waiting to see if she had anything more to say. An apology would’ve been nice.
“You talk to yourself.” She broke into
