My shift is over around six so I gather my bag and load it and myself into my small car. The drive home is nearly as short as it's always been, being that I didn't stay too far away from my place of work. I take my bag inside of my tiny apartment, throwing it and myself onto the couch as I fetch for my phone. I dial my mother. She has got to hear this shit.
"Sienna?" Her voice is soft and soothing as she answers the other line.
I only roll my eyes. "Guess who appeared at my job today" I could hear her sigh in unknowness as she tried to guess a bit.
"Hmm. Johnny Depp?" I giggle a bit at her words. Although this would be nice, someone else appeared.
"The owner from the restaurant" I tell her and she lets out an audible gasp. "Yep" I confirm. "Says he was there to see me".
"How did he know that's where you worked?".
Her question takes me back for a second. How did he know that's where I worked? "I didn't ask. Although maybe I should have. It's a bit weird" I tell her.
"Maybe it's not. I mean you're a simple woman Sienna".
"So all women work at bookstores?" I ask and she tells me no, an answer I already knew. "It was weird. I was stocking and he just appeared out of nowhere" I say.
"And what did he want?".
"Said he wanted to go for coffee tomorrow. But I didn't quite get the part where we would go because someone called him. He is a busy man" I repeat his words from earlier.
She hums. "Well is there any way you can get in touch with him? Did he give you a number or anything" I sigh at her question and it's as if she already knows. "Well if you don't show up tomorrow he'll maybe come to your job again?" She talks with slight uncertainty but I only assure her.
"It's what he said. But a busy guy like him doesn't have that kind of time? I'm sure he has plenty of things to do" I say, standing up and bringing myself into my room where I free myself of my shoes, placing them neatly into the closet.
"Maybe he does if he made time to come to your job. How long was he there?".
"Maybe short of five minutes" I tell her and she hums.
"I'm sure he'll turn up. Any coffee shop near the place where you work? Try going there" she tells me and I shake my head.
"The next coffee shop is maybe half a mile away, and I don't think it's anything he'll go to. He seems too rich to want to go to some small place" I try my hardest not to make assumptions about him but it's difficult not to.
Why would someone like him even bother going near a place like the ones surrounding us?
"Well if you flake he may get the wrong idea" I sigh as the ends come to a mean. Of course.
"I'll just need some time to think about this all. Maybe when I wake up tomorrow I'll have my mind made up".
"I hope so. He is a very handsome man. He may need someone like you" I roll my eyes and hang the phone up before tossing it onto my bed.
X
My alarm suddenly wakes me-the hard sound of buzzing being very apparent on top of my nightstand. I grab my phone and turn it off, looking at the time to be eight am. Great. Even if I did decide to meet with Mr. Rianchi my plans would have been defeated anyways. Curse myself for not setting a better alarm.
I fight to get out of bed, my body feeling sluggishly tired as I make my way into my bathroom, brushing my teeth and washing my face as I do each morning. I comb and brush my hair a bit before going into my closet to grab something casual to wear for today. Since it's a bit hot out I settled for a blouse and jeans, nothing too much. I'm not doing a fashion show, although I do aspire to look nice on some days when I'm feeling it.
By the time I am all set it's eight forty so I make my way into my car, the next stop being Anarvrin. "About time you got here. Shipment just came. Have a bunch of things to do today" are the first words Paul speaks to me.
I nod as I slip my phone into my back pocket, following behind him as he leads me to the large section that has little to no books on the shelf. "Need for you to organize these books, do a count, and sort them alphabetically" my eyes slightly widen at his list of instructions. Nearly nothing in this store is ever sorted that way.
"Care to tell me about Marnicco Rianchi" he tries to speak casually but it doesn't work. His cheeks redden a bit, he almost looks a bit flushed. But what do I know.
I shrug. "It was nothing".
"Wanting you to specifically help him find a book he never paid for doesn't seem like nothing".
"Are you quizzing me?" I ask and he lets out a small chuckle, only frowning when he sees that I'm not laughing one bit.
"No, definitely not. I was just a bit curious. I asked if he needed help and he refused, only wanting your help".
I shrug. "Well maybe he wanted my help because I was already helping him instead of wanting the help of someone who nearly ambushed him." My mouth speaks before I can actually process the words.
He scoffs. "What?".
I nod. "Yeah. You don't act well when you see someone of a higher status." Me saying the words remind me that I wanted to see if I could actually search his name on the internet.
"Well excuse me Ms. Cousy but it's not everyday where you meet someone like him".
"Yeah well you blew it. You seemed too eager. I'm sure if he was even the slightest bit of interested in you he wouldn't be now" I sit the first book onto the shelf, receiving a small scoff.
"As if he wouldn't be able to see right through you. You could barely even breathe in his presence". Well that makes two of us.
"Well it doesn't matter, Paul" I want this conversation to end.
"It does if you're flirting with customers" he says and I pause, averting my gaze into his eyes. Dark, filled with what seemed to be maybe jealousy. "It's against the rules".
I say nothing else until he clears his throat, antagonizingly. "I'm just here to work. I don't need to be scolded by you." He nods before taking a step off to the side in which I can finally breathe. I can hear him mumble something under his breath but it doesn't bother me.
I am barely halfway through with doing what he's asked when the shop opens. Great. More shit for me to deal with. Customers who lack common sense and are very needy. And all he does is walk around and act as if he's the glue that keeps everything together when in fact it's the employees that work underneath him.
I overhear his voice mixed with a males voice, peeking my head around the bookshelf to see the same man I had previously saw. He's nearly dressed in the same attire he was in yesterday, looking as clean as he did before, his hands in his pockets. Paul slyly points to the space where I am and for a quick second I catch eye contact with the man before I hurry to turn back around and finish working.
"I'm guessing you had something rather important to do?" My eyes subconsciously close a bit as I press a book into its spot, turning around to see him with an eyebrow raised.
"Mr. Rianchi" he stops me mid sentence.
"Just Nicco, darling." I sigh at his words as I look into his eyes.
"I overslept" I speak truthfully but he doesn't seem to believe me. Him sighing and looking away from me and at a few customers.
"We're far too old to be lying to one another, sweetheart. Just tell me the truth".
I nod. "It is the truth, I did oversleep, but even if I didn't I wouldn't have been able to come to whatever mysterious coffee shop you wanted to attend. You left before we could get it all sorted out" I said, watching his Adam's apple move as he swallowed.
"Which is why I gave you a card with an almost direct number to get in touch with me. If you weren't sure you could have called" he tells me but I disagree.
"You said you wanted to pursue me so why am I the one that has to look around for you? You should have made it clear from the beginning so that there wouldn't be the slightest of a misunderstanding" he forms a coy smile at my words but I mean it wholeheartedly.
"I did say that I wanted to pursue you and I meant that. I do apologize for not making things very clear to you, Miss Cousy. It is all my fault. I'd like to make it up to you. We should get dinner." He tells me and I can't help but feel that this isn't normal.
He's taking full responsibility and blame. Is this guy real?
"Maybe this time you should give me a card instead of me giving you one" he raises an eyebrow and chuckles a bit.
I sigh as I look behind him and at Paul who acts as if he's walking past but I know that he's snooping. Nicco's eyes follow mine as he looks over his shoulder, averting his face back into my eyes as I do the same to him.
"He bothering you?" His voice is almost a whisper.
I give him a faint smile and shake my head.
"So should I come back with a pen and paper? For your number? Listen, Sienna I will not stop trying until you give me a fair shot." His green eyes tell me no lies.
I give him a small nod and he turns without a further word. I go back to putting the books onto the shelf, seeing Paul cut a corner and make his way over.
"But someone told me that they weren't flirting at work".
I roll my eyes. "Either you want me to stock this bookshelf or you don't want me to do it at all". His face falls into a small frown before he squints his eyes, walking away.
My mind is far too jumbled that when Nicco approaches me again I nearly snap at him, only taking a small breath once I see that it's him. I hurry to grab the pen from his hand, scribbling my number down in a rush.
"Eager" he says and I nod. "Don't worry, I am too. I shall call you after your shift and we'll have dinner arranged for us then" He takes the paper and black pen with golden trim at the top, stuffing the paper into his pocket.
"I guess I'll be looking forward to it" I say and he raises an eyebrow, seeming not to be pleased with my response.
"You guess? Sienna that makes me think that you are not interested, and if I feel that way in the slightest I'll have no choice but to leave you alone. I mean consent is the top factor in all relationships" he tells me.
"No, I'm excited about it. I'm just not feeling too great right now" I say and he nods, his chest falling a bit.
"Are you feeling under the weather?" He asks and I shake my head.
"Somethings bothering you. And I can already see what it is. But trust me, you won't even need it for longer." He says and I shrug. Whatever the hell that means.
"So, can you buy a book this time? He noticed and complained that I was flirting so" I said and he chuckled.
"Sure, darling" he takes a few books from the shelf, holding them in one hand. Hs hands are large so he's able to, but the books aren't too big to where I'd be freaked out that he's able to hold four of them.
"Is this enough or does he want me to buy an entire shelf?" He asks and I crack a smile of my own.
"I'm sure that'll be fine." I say and he nods.
"Then I should see you at seven tonight. Don't make me wait up, Miss Cousy" he repeats the same actions from yesterday as he shortly leaves my presence. Thank god. Now I can finally breathe normally again.
X
"On your knees for me right now. I won't ask twice darling"