The Flynn Effect

06 | study date

"Speaking of, Otis, get your ass over here and take over for me," she demands and he gives her a look before she walks out of the counter after giving him one of her own.

"I'm always lonely," she sadly tells me as she steers me towards a room. "And tired because Otis is the laziest boy to ever exist. Talia isn't here that much and we don't frequently get so many customers so it's really just me and Otis most of the time," she says as she pushes the door open and switches on the light from the wall.

"And well, Talia's son. But he's rarely ever here."

The illuminated room contains a small table and chair, a desktop computer, a couple of papers here and there and three opened brown cardboard boxes filled with books. The walls are decorated with a light blue wallpaper and one of the set of lights above blinks repeatedly.

"But don't worry, it doesn't affect your pay," she tells me and I nod. I like the green sundress she's putting on and I tell her it's beautiful. She says, "Thanks," with a small laugh and gestures towards the office.

"Well, you could start with the inventory. Most of what you need is in the computer but these two boxes arrived this morning and they contain antiquarian literature while the last one has a couple of books that are in a really bad shape and can't be resold. You just need to take stock of them and yeah. That's pretty much it," she explains and I nod.

"Alright."

"Oh and we get a pizza break at six, so yeah, if you're interested, just come out and join us."

Surprise is definitely evident in my eyes from the way she laughs at my expression but then I hesitate a bit. "Free?"

"Free. Talia."

"Just pizza?" I ask hoping I don't sound too needy or anything. Ever since my diagnosis, I had to reduce the number of carbs I consumed and I've gotten so used to it that it's actually being a while since I had pizza.

Eloise shakes her head. "Nah. Not really. It can be anything, really. It's just called pizza break because we mostly order pizza."

"Okay," I smile. "Cool."

Because it is cool. A job at a bookstore and a boss who buys food for the employees every evening? It really is cool.

"Cool," Eloise smiles before leaving me to myself.

I take a seat on the chair and take out my bottle of water before staring at the computer. This job might not have the best pay, but I've barely spent thirty minutes in here and I already feel like I fit in. Like I belong. And there's nothing as satisfying as that tingling feeling that rushes through my veins when I place my fingers on the keyboard. I liken it to what organisms feel when they've found their niche.

Relaxed and at home.

∞

FLYNN STRETCHES HIS legs beneath the table and the sole of his shoe occasionally brushes my leg and linger there, wiggling back and forth. I withdraw my legs from his and glare at him.

"Can you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" he asks innocently. His lips are grazed with sugar from the glazed doughnut he'd been eating earlier and he rolls the paper into a ball and aims for the trashcan that's pretty far from where we're seated in the library.

I stare at the crumpled paper towel in his hands to the trashcan and then I feel his eyes on my face for a split second but I don't look at him. He tosses the ball. It moves in a parabolic plane and then it lands right in the middle of the trash. He scores.