𝐑𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞

     "Firstly, Don't call me that Lex." I arranged the books onto the shelf properly, cursing the idiot who placed them in there incorrectly. "Secondly it wouldn't make sense to have it behind my eyes. It would need to be placed on the inside of my eyelids." I corrected, turning my attention back to him for the second time. "Now what do you want hm? I should start taking all of this wasted time off of your bloody pay." I picked up a stack of books, holding them close to my chest.

     "My haircut, Irene. I got a haircut and I just wanted your opinion on it." My eyes wandered to his newly cut hair, looking at the wet black coils that had shrunken against his head. It was indeed a very attractive hairstyle. His hairline had been cleanly shaped, along with a well cut fade towards the back of his head. "So? What do you think?" His accent hung thickly over his words, English wasn't his first language but he spoke it so well it could have been.

     "It looks very nice Lex, now go work would you? I don't pay you to flaunt your hair." I shoved the book back against the shelf, a sigh escaping past my lips. Keeping him at bay was harder than imagined. Keeping my own sexual urges at bay had become a greater challenge for myself than first proven to be. Two years was a long time to go without having sex.

     "You're just mad because you wear a wig." he snatched at the fake blonde hair, to which I quickly kicked him in the shin for. "Ow! Irene what the hell?" He bent down to rub his shin with a groan.

     "How long have you known about that you little punk? You mean to tell me I've spent movie nights with you wearing this thing and you knew?" He laughed, nudging my arm a bit too hard for my liking as a way to get back at me.

     "After the second month of working here I saw a full strand of black hair poking out from the bottom, that was when I knew for sure. Though it looks pretty real, I don't get why you'd be so dedicated to being blonde. Personally I think you'd look great with black hair." My heart fluttered at the comment, but my brain quickly shut it down.

     The ding of the bell caught our attentions, and Alexei moved away to assist the person at the door. "Do you have a copy of the Quran? I left my copy back home and it has been making my prayers very difficult." A female said, catching my attention by the not-so-Russian accent. A turn around the corner revealed a girl wearing a hijab, likely around my age. She was dressed in heavy clothing, clearly not used to the cold weather in Russia.

     "I uh.. Irene? Do we have any um, Qurans?" I didn't believe in god, so it was understandable that he'd be unsure of the stock. However I did believe in money, and not having bibles and other holy books was a failure on the whole 'I'm supposed to be a bookstore owner' look.

     "Right back there, next to the fiction section." I pointed in the direction and moved behind the counter. She looked a bit familiar, but at the same time I couldn't tell you if I had actually met her or if it was just someone I had passed in the streets.

     After a few minutes she came up to the counter, and placed the book down gently. "How are you today ma'am?" The girl adjusted her hijab to make sure there were no spare fly aways. the wind and snow was awful outside, and I could only imagine how hard it may have been to try and keep it on while carrying around her bag.

     "As good as I can be, I suppose. I am just a bit tired of all this snow, though who can say that the aren't? Why don't you take the book for free? I've bought a few too many and you could use the money towards buying hand warmers." She clearly wasn't used to the cold weather, her face was red and blue. Her eyes kept locked on my face, perhaps I had met her before?