"You returned 'The Littlest Prince' late, so I cannot let you check out any other books until you pay the late fee," Ryan stated. His fingers tapped along the countertop as he stared at the seething man in front of him. He'd dealt with this man before. He always tried to get out of paying the late fees by dropping the books into the wrong return bin so it would take longer to find the books, thus allowing him to get mad at the library for losing the books and demanding his fee be wavered.
"I returned it last week. Check your security cameras," he demanded.
"That still would have been over a week late." Ryan sighed. "Sir, you know if you don't want to pay the late fees, just return the books on time or come in to renew them. You can check out up to ten books at a time."
"That's hardly enough books to sustain me for the month."
"Then why are you late if you read more than that a month?"
"Because I take my time reading them. I want to enjoy them. Where's the harm in that?"
"There is no harm in enjoying a good book, sir, but you have to oblige by the rules. Otherwise you cannot check out any more books," he stated as he slid the books away from the man and behind the counter. "You don't have to pay the fee if you never come back again."
"I might as well if you're going to keep charging unreasonable prices for me to read."
"It's three dollars for being late by three days," he deadpanned.
"But I come to a library to read for free."
"Then pay the three dollars and turn in your books on time, then you will be paying for free."
"But it should be free!"
"Nothing comes free," he smirked. "Especially if you don't follow the rules. Now pay three dollars, or never come back."
"I'll be calling your supervisor."
"And she'll tell you the same thing," he called out after the man as he stormed away.
"Ryan, don't do that again," one of his supervisors, Frank, said with disinterest as he walked past him. "The customer is always..."
"Whatever you say, boss," he smirked as he placed the books on a cart behind him. He pushed the cart out into the main floor and walked down the fiction aisles.
Tables were set up in the middle, along with couches against the back walls. Laying on one of the couches was a beautiful woman with short blue hair. Her white blouse was slightly ruffled from her position, and her legs crossed at the heels. Her boots hung over the edge of the couch, and the book 'Pride & Prejudice' covered her face. He hated it whenever teens laid over the couches, because the dirt from their shoes would always get on the couches, and it was his job to vacuum the couches at the end of the night. Despite the fact her feet weren't touching the couch, he didn't want her setting any bad examples for other people who would walk past.
He towered over her, casting a slight shadow over the top of the book. She lowered the book from her face and stared up at the man. His black hair was long, gelled to fall over his right cheek to his chin, with an undercut. His eyes dark brown, almost black. He had dimples, though his right was slightly bigger. He was tall and thin. He had muscles, but they weren't very noticeable under his blue patterned shirt under a dark violet sweater with blue jeans and brown loafers.
Ryan was unable to speak. The moment her wooden brown eyes locked on his, he heard his wolf in the back of his mind state Mate. His mouth gaped softly, unable to find the right first words to say to her.
"Does my beauty enchant you?" she spoke in a deep, sultry voice before she broke out into laughter. "Just get to know me first. Either you'll be mesmerized or scared for your life."
"Huh?" he finally said, chastising himself for that being the first thing he ever said to his mate.
Melissa smirked as she looked up at him. "Dude, I'm just messing around."
Ryan chortled as he stood up straight. "I'm sorry...Miss, but we don't allow anyone to lay on the couches."
"That seems pointless. It's how people get comfortable."
"Yes, but we don't want shoes on the couch."
"Why? Who's it hurting?"
"Me. I have to clean the couches."
She sat up straight with a chuckle. "Well, we wouldn't want a cute man like yourself cleaning the couches, now do we?"
He blushed.
"Aww, you're cute when you blush."
As a natural response, Ryan almost laughed and told her to shut up. But this was his mate in front of him. He wanted to thank her and tell her she was beautiful. However, he couldn't since he was in the middle of work. It wouldn't be professional. He still said, "Thank you," anyways. He wanted to make it known to his mate that he did appreciate her compliments, even if she didn't know about mates yet.
Her eyes widened, taken aback by his response. "Wow, I did not think you would say that."
"You're giving me a compliment. Why shouldn't I take it with dignity and grace?"
"Because most men I've met would get all pouty and go 'I'm not cute. Cute is for girls' like the assholes they are."
"All men?"
"No, just the ones who say that as a response."
"Then I hope I'm not an asshole," he chuckled.
She smiled. "So far you're not."
"How can I prove I'm not?"
"If you let me take my shoes off and put my feet on the couch," she shrugged. "No dirt that way."
"If it were anyone but you, I'd say go for it, but like I said, I've cleaned these couches, so..."
Melissa jumped up from the couch and dusted off the back of her shorts. "Thanks for the warning."
"It may not be as comfortable, but there are cushioned chairs up by the front desk. It's still better because you're not sitting at a desk."
"Plus, the view will be nice," she winked as she flung her backpack over her shoulder. With the zipper being open, a folder and three pencils flew out of the bag, and a notebook almost did. She sighed. "Of course."
Ryan chuckled as he crouched down to grab her belongings and handed them to her. "Beware of that zipper from now on."
Melissa smiled as she walked over to the front desks, and Ryan's gaze continued to flick back and forth between her back and the books on the cart.
"Looks like someone has a crush," Ryan's coworker Mark teased as he pushed a section of books away on the shelf to smirk at him. "More like two."
"That's my mate," Ryan mouthed, and Mark gasped.
"You're shitting me."
Ryan shook his head quickly with a smile. Mark ran to his side and pushed aside another section of books. They both stared at Melissa, who sat in a cushion chair up by the front of the library. She glared at the pages of the book, internally seething.
"What book is making her so upset?"
"'Pride & Prejudice.'"
"She must want them to get over themselves and finally be together."
"Of course," Ryan said as he rolled his eyes. He pushed the books back together as they noticed her begin to look over at them. He could hear her giggle to herself.
"You love that book. I bet she'd love her real-life Mr. Darcy. A man who she thinks is normal, then she finds out your little secret and gets upset but since you two are soulmates, she falls in love with you anyway and realizes all the amazing things about you."
"You need to get a hobby," Ryan deadpanned as he pushed the cart down the aisle.
"I do. She's my own mate."
Ryan finished stacking the books on the shelves before pushing the empty cart back behind the front desks. Melissa sat where she did before, holding the book in front of her face as she glared at the pages. His mouth opened, prepared to ask her what was wrong, but a woman stepped up to the front desk to be checked out. A long line soon formed, and his main supervisor Alexa jumped on the line to help.
Once the line was down to two people, Ryan approached the back and noticed Melissa slip the book into her backpack as she stood up. "Miss Blue," he called out with a smirk.
She deadpanned as she stared up at him.
"What else am I supposed to call you to get your attention?"
"My name."
"You haven't given it to me yet."
"Melissa." She stepped closer to the desk.
"Lovely name. My cousin's wife's name is Melissa." He leaned over the desk.
"I bet her name does not suit her as well as it suits me."
"Any name would suit you as long as you wear it with pride on your back."
She rolled her eyes. "Does that mean you'll be prejudice of my pride?"
"No, I'll judge you if you walk out of here without checking out that book."
"I brought it from school."
"You brought your own book to the library?"
"I needed a quiet, non-distracting place to study before I go to work."
"Did it work?"
"It did until I met you."
"Then I guess you'll be coming back when I'm not here?"
She tsked. "Where's the fun in that?" She smirked as she spun on her heel and exited the library. The city bus pulled up at the bus stop, and she ran over to catch it before it left.
"Why I don't believe I've ever seen anything as cheesy as that," Alexa snickered as she walked into the back.
"Fuck off, Alexa, they're adorable," Frank teasingly scolded her, prompting her to laugh.
"Yeah. Okay. Just keep it outside of the workplace."
"This is why we call you a wet blanket behind your back."
"I'm a wet blanket because as a woman, I've dealt with the horrors of having an employee hit on me and be given horrible service when I didn't reciprocate. I'm trying to keep people comfortable about to want to come back. Sorry if you don't care about that," she stated, lifting a smug eyebrow as she began to sort through the return bins.
"Damn, I didn't think of that," Ryan commented as he glanced out the entrance and exit doors of the library. "You don't think I made her uncomfortable, do you?"
"No, she liked it. Just remember it the future. That goes for all of you idiots. Keep the flirting outside of work. Don't come in here to flirt."
"What if my wife comes by the visit?" Frank questioned.
"Then you can flirt, but keep it tame. It's fine if it's reciprocated because you're in a relationship, but if not, that's where I draw the line."
"Yes, ma'am," Ryan smirked.
She glared at Ryan, but she still smiled anyway. "I mean it. If she comes back, do not flirt when you're on the clock."
"Where else am I supposed to flirt with her?"
"Somewhere that's not here."
Ryan knew that was easier said than done. He didn't know anything about her, and the only way he'd be able to figure anything out about his mate was through work. That was if she came back.
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