Juliet's Tryst

Chapter 1: The Bookstore

Juliet walked as quickly as she could whilst wrapping a thin coat around herself. The Seattle air was biting and unforgiving. She did not notice that fall was descending. Well, she learned her lesson now. Her frozen tailbone would never forgive her for this.

The nearest bookstore was five blocks away, to be exact. The drop in temperature made it feel like an impossible distance. She scrunched her teeth and pushed forward. Next time, she would make sure to dress appropriately.

A coupon was scrunched in her fist for a textbook she needed terribly. Hopefully, it would save her money. Pirating was impossible, and other sources were inferior. The overpriced textbook it was.

The little bell over the door rang daintily. She breathed in, bathing herself in the smell of old books. An elderly lady smiled at her from behind the cash register. Making a beeline for the textbook aisle, she flashed a timid smile in return. Why did she take that stupid class with a stupid teacher who forced his students to spend so much on textbooks? The annoyance built up as she realized that someone took the last copy of the exact textbook she wanted. It was time to speak with the lady at the cash register.

"Do you, by any chance, have a copy of this book?" Juliet pushed forward the small coupon whilst trying to smooth it out as best as she could. The elderly lady laughed before calming down to respond.

"Why, yes, I did. However, someone else bought my copy a few minutes ago. I believe that young lady is even still here. If so, would you like to speak with her?" Juliet could not help visibly rolling her eyes. Who the hell would even want 'An Introduction to Forensic Anthropology' at this very moment, on this very day, and from this bookstore?

"No, that's okay." She pulled out her phone to search for another bookstore. She should give up and order it online, but the next test was looming over her head like a vicious storm cloud. Juliet did not want to give up her scholarship over a class as stupid as Professor Dansen's.

Her typing skidded to a stop when she felt a presence behind her. Someone was standing behind her, a little too close. A light tap on Juliet's shoulder made her jump causing her to spin around abruptly.

"May I help you?" Juliet exclaimed, angrily.

Her jaw muscles went slack and it took lots of effort to stop them from swinging open. Behind her stood a specimen of pure beauty and power. To call her a young lady was more than clear to be a complete understatement. Juliet liked to think of herself as a normal height with a 5'2" stature, but the six foot tall woman put that to shame. The woman wore jeans with a light flannel despite the September chill. High cheekbones and long cascading brown hair made the perfect frame for a powerful yet soft square jaw. Her stature, lean and muscular, was proven by the fact that her outfit did her little to no justice in trying to hide the factual truth.

"You are displaying annoyance. How interesting." The woman cocked her head to the side while her lips curved into a small smile. At this Juliet gritted her teeth thinking that she was being made fun of. She did not like being made fun of.

The textbook was held almost in line with her nose. "I am not annoyed," Juliet couldn't help, but stare at the individual while she spoke. The woman's breasts were stretching the shirt in the most perfect way, "simply looking for a solution to a problem."

The woman held out the book to her though this time only inches from her eyes. "This is your solution, no?" The accent heard while she spoke was unidentifiable, unlike anything Juliet had heard.

"Yes." Juliet responded without reaching for it as her inner alarm went off. This woman was dangerous and her body knew it. She made Juliet feel weird in both ways of good and bad. Although conflicted, something in her knew that nothing about how this stranger made her feel could possibly be good news.

The tall woman chuckled before responding. "A gift, now take it." She accepted the book and began to make her way out of the bookstore in a rather hurried manner.

Just as she was about to open the door, she semi yelled a thank you into the air that was loud enough to be heard by the stranger yet quiet enough to not disturb others. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she reached for the door where she simultaneously cursed the bite of frost that greeted her the moment it was opened.

Graciously edited by -MissElle