The Bookstore

The Bookstore - 7

M A I S I E

Maisie has a smile on her face for the rest of the day. Soon enough, she has the key in the door and twisted to lock it. She flipped the sign on the door and made her way to the somewhat hidden stairs all the way in the back of her bookstore. She's been smiling ever since that door closed behind Oscar. The young woman fell onto her couch and closed her eyes.

She instantly saw the tall, about 6'4, man with leafy green eyes and a body that anyone would die for. She saw the slightly curly, blonde hair that was opposite of her own. She thought about the sharp jawline and his perfectly sculptured nose. She thought about his deep yet smooth voice. As cliche as it sounds, this man is literally a god in Maisie's eyes.

'Stop thinking about him.' She scolded herself inside her head as she popped her eyes back open quickly. The image of Oscar not fading away at all. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. They met not even two weeks ago, and she's already thinking about him non-stop.

"Stop it, Maisie." She slapped her cheek gently and tried to compose herself before standing up from her seat on the couch and then sort of speed-walking towards her bedroom door. Once she got to her bathroom she changed and completed her nightly routine. For the second time today, she gazed at her cell phone for a bit and read the missed texts from her mother.

'Are you coming down here or not?'
'Will you text me back?'
'Answer me right now young lady.'
'Whatever.'
'Do whatever the hell you want.'

There were more texts that she sent, but Maisie chose to call her instead of reading them.

"What?" Her moms brutal voice cut through from the other line to Maisie's ears and she winced. "I've literally been at work all day and you know I rarely go on my phone. If you really want me to come see you guys you would be treating me much different." She sighed into the phone and heard silence.

"I'm so sick and tired of you and dad trying to control me. It's not your life to live and I am very happy where I am at right now and I'm going to be even better in the future. It's honestly not your place to be telling me what I can and cannot do when I am very much capable of choosing my own decisions as I am twenty-five." Maisie ranted upon hearing the silence. The call was dead, it's like her mom muted herself.

"I'm sorry we're controlling you but if you hadn't taken the path you did we wouldn't be like this." She came out with a snarky voice and Maisie scoffed. "You guys never even cared for me and quite frankly still don't! All you wanted me to do was become a doctor. I was probably an accident when you got pregnant with me." Maisie shouted into the phone aggressively. Her mom gasped of shock. Maisie almost never stands up for herself to her parents. She knows she won't win so what's the point?

"You were not an accident. We just want what's best for you." Her mom lied into the phone. Maisie scoffed once again and chuckled humorlessly. "What's best for me is my happiness and if you'd act like civilized parents you would realize that I am extremely happy." Her voice was rough and Maisie didn't bother saying goodbye before hanging up the phone.

That really got her mind off of Oscar and she wasn't thinking about him at all by the time she fell asleep.

Maisie woke up at seven o'clock in the morning and saw the sun rising from outside her bedroom window as she forgot to shut the blinds before falling into a deep sleep. She smiled and laid back down for a minute tops before slowing gliding out of her bed and into her bathroom. Brushed teeth, hair, and a change of clothes was all it took to get Maisie's morning going a little more smoothly than last night.

The bookstore was soon opened and in came many customers throughout the day. Maisie never saw Oscar and by six o'clock she gave up and frowned. She feels disappointed and sad. Would he just ghost her like that?

About ten minutes after the last person left the building, the bell on the top of the intricate, mahogany door rang through the young woman's ears. She peered through her long eyelashes and saw the silhouette of a tall man with a nice body. She figured who it was but continued to read her book. He finally set his hands on the counter which made Maisie look up into the light green eyes of Oscar Stone.

"I'm sorry I was late, I got caught up in work. I really wanted to come earlier, believe me." She smiled softly. "I understand, it's not big deal." Oscar held a look of an unknown emotion to Maisie's eyes as he looked down at the counter.

"You alright?" She asked him, standing out of her large swivel chair and making her way to side of the counter where he stands at. He nodded and feigned a smile. "What happened?" She demanded in a soft tone, taking his hand in hers. He almost chuckled at the caring words coming from a girl he doesn't really even know.

"I actually got a call from my mother earlier, she wanted me to go down and see her but I don't know if I can." He shrugged like it was nothing and looked down at his black work shoes. "That's funny." Maisie commented leaving his hand to be cold and alone and walk-in grackles to her chair. Oscar raised his eyebrows in a slightly angered but shocked way.

"My mom has been calling me for that too. Though, I don't know if I want to either." She sighed as she explained herself. Her head snapped up to meet his in a gentle manner and she slightly smiled. "Where do they live?" Oscar asked politely, going around the counter and standing in front of Maisie. "Michigan." She shortly stated. By now, all the customers had left to probably go eat and be with their families. Oscar widened his eyes, his parents live there too!

"What?" Maisie asked, smiling. All he did was shake his head and let out a small sigh. "That's a coincidence. My parents live there too, I actually grew up there until I turned nineteen." Maisie gasped, let out a small 'no way', laughed shortly.

"Yes, way. I told them that I wanted to do things on my own and I moved here. They were beyond angry because I didn't want to keep the 'family tradition' going by working at my dad's company, but I'm happy now." Oscar shrugged after his short speech-like back story. Maisie smiled at the handsome man in from of her and tapped the arms on the chair restlessly. She doesn't know what to do with herself because her socially skills in front of very attractive male specimens usually go down the drain. She kept a straight face, though. "What about you? Any hard family decisions?" Maisie sighed at his question. She nodded her head and went on to speak.