by Rich Amooi
Peggy was a sight to see, so full of life and animated as she read Grumpy Bird from Jeremy Tankard. She was a natural.
Cedric took a few notes on her style and technique and imagined himself in her place, reading to these kids. He smiled.
“Looks like the Bird has a lot of company on his walk,” said Peggy.
“I like the rabbit,” said a boy.
Peggy nodded. “Me too. It’s good to make friends.”
“I like the beaver,” said a girl.
“Me too,” another girl agreed.
“Animals are very cool.” Peggy smiled and turned back to the book. Ten minutes later, she finished reading the book, closed it, and smiled, as the kids clapped with appreciation.
“I hope to see you next week,” she said, hugging a few of the kids as they left. She straightened out a few of the chairs and then looked up at Cedric.
“Well?” she said. “What did you think?”
“I definitely could relate. I woke up grumpy this morning.” Peggy laughed. “But seriously. You were amazing and the kids loved you.”
“Well, I’m sure they’re going to love you too.”
Peggy filled Cedric in on the next step, which would be watching her during a one-on-one reading session.
“Those are even more special,” she said. “You develop a wonderful connection with the child and watch them as they develop an excitement, a passion for reading. Occasionally, I even hear from someone I read to fifteen or twenty years ago, thanking me for the time I spent with them. Some say that early passion for reading helped them in school and got them into college. It’s a wonderful feeling.”
“I’m sure it is. I can’t wait.”
After Cedric said goodbye to Peggy, he walked through the library, promising himself he would first—before anything—apologize to Ellie.
He had barely walked a few feet before he spotted her talking to a slim, good-looking man in the Tech Center, an Internet room with fifteen computers. It was the same guy who was a fan of women’s two-piece ensembles.
Julio.
He didn’t want to talk with Ellie while she was with Julio, so Cedric stopped in the reference section, grabbed a book, and waited. He peered around the corner to get a glimpse of Ellie. Still talking with Julio. They laughed together about something, and he felt a ping of jealousy. Where did that come from? He felt odd. It was as if he were spying on Ellie. Was he in the eighth grade? Soon, Cedric was sizing up Julio. Who was this guy? Did he have a thing for Ellie?
Julio’s clothes were impeccable from top to bottom. Shirt tucked in with precision. Pants falling at the perfect length over the shoes. Hair styled and gelled. Not a wrinkle on his clothes or on his face. Obviously he used moisturizer. Waxed eyebrows. Had to be gay. At least Cedric hoped he was.
Ellie and Julio left the Tech Center and were standing in front of the glass door, talking. What were they talking about? Didn’t look like they were working.
Cedric moved behind the next rack, closer. He slid a couple of books over to try to see through, but there were books on the other side still blocking his view. He reached through to slide the books out of the way and—
Holy crap.
There they went, crashing to the floor. Fifteen books. Maybe twenty. At least he didn’t kill anyone. The good news was, Cedric could now see Ellie and Julio perfectly through the space in the shelf. The bad news was, they could see him too.
Ellie whipped her head around after she heard the books fall.
“What’s going on over there?” she asked Julio, pointing to the books on the floor.
Julio turned to look. “I don’t know, but someone is going to die. I just organized that section.”
“I’ll take care of it,” she said.
Ellie walked over toward the bookshelf. She saw a pair of green eyes watching her through an opening as she approached. Then the eyes disappeared. Odd. Kids, she thought.
She picked up the books from the floor, put them back on the shelf, and walked around to the other side to tell the kids the library was not a playground.
A man stood against the shelf and was holding a book close to his face. He looked suspicious. There was no possible way he could be reading the book with it so close to his face.
“Can I help you with something?” asked Ellie.
The man turned a few pages of the book before answering. “Not at all, Mate,” he said. “Bugger off!”
Bugger off?
“Please be careful. You knocked over some books and it’s very difficult to find replacements for some if they get damaged.”
“Sorry!” His accent seemed to be getting thicker by the minute.
The man turned his back to Ellie. Her gaze dropped down to his backside and she noticed how well he filled out those jeans.
“Quit mucking around now,” said the man. “Chop chop.”
Ellie was well aware the man was not British. He had a horrendous accent. Something seemed familiar about him too. She leaned over to try to get a look at his face, but he covered it well with the book. A book she now knew was called: Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang by Jonathan Bernstein.
What a jackass.
“So.” Ellie was ready to play his game. “You’re from England?”
“That’s right, mate.”
“Nice. I’ve always wanted to go there. What part are you from?”
“London.”
“Of course, it’s the first city I would have thought of as well. I hear you Brits are proud of the Southampton Spigot Festival. Have you been?”
“Yes, of course. Who hasn’t? It’s … it’s …” He flipped another page over in the dictionary before answering, “…the bees’ knees.”
“Oh come on … the bees’ knees? Nice try. There’s no such thing as the Southampton Spigot Festival. I just made it up. Drop the act and turn around.”
The man was quiet for a moment as Ellie stared at his back, waiting.
“Jolly good.” He took the book away from his face and dropped it down to his side. Then he slowly turned around.
No. Way.
Cedric.
Chapter Nine
Cedric couldn’t comprehend what he had just done. It was like his body and mind were pre-programmed to perform idiotic functions whenever Ellie was in the vicinity, and he’d done it again.
“You going to say something or just stand there?” asked Ellie, her hands on her hips.
She was pissed, but even so, she still looked like an angel.
A very pissed off angel.
“Great,” she said. “You’ve lost the ability to speak.”
She wore a turquoise summer dress with spaghetti straps. The dress stopped just above the knees, showing off her smooth olive skin and legs.
“I’m not sure what the problem is. I’m just looking at books.”
She stared at the bookshelf in front of them. “In this section here?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. So, were you looking for something in particular in the … Parenting section? Thinking of having a baby soon? That might be difficult since … You. Don’t. Date.”
Cedric stared at Ellie, unable to form sentences.
“Cat got your tongue?” she asked.
“I …”
“And while we’re having this one-sided conversation, let me tell you—I saw your online dating profile. You told me you don’t believe in online dating. Explain that one.”
“That’s impossible. It wasn’t me.”
“You calling me a liar?”
“No. I’m saying you’re mistaken.”
“Mistaken?” She turned to leave. “Right.”
Cedric went with the first thing that popped in his head. “Go out with me.”
She stopped and turned around. “You must be insane. And you’re a lying bastard.” She looked around the library and then muttered. “Pickles.”
“I want to go out with you. On a date.”
“First of all, you don’t date. R
emember? And you think I’m the kind of girl who goes out with a guy like you?”
Cedric shrugged. “Yes.” Ellie looked like she wanted to kick him in the balls so he stepped out of reach. “I mean, no. I think you are the kind of girl who would go out with a man who’s like me. Kind. Considerate. Not crazy at all. And I wasn’t lying, I was just confused. And I’m not a bastard either. Well, technically I am since I don’t have a father, but—”
“I must be getting some bad karma. Maybe from something I did in a past life.”
Cedric grinned. “Karma is why I met you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Good karma. We had to meet.”
“Serendipity?”
Cedric nodded. “I’m John Cusack.”
“I will punch you if you tell me I’m Kate Beckinsale.”
“You’re a hundred times more beautiful than her.”
Ellie smiled and then erased it immediately. “Nice try. You lied.” She turned again to walk away.
“Yes, I lied,” said Cedric. Ellie stopped and turned back. “Not about the dating, though. I lied about having a meeting with a customer when I left Starbucks.” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “The truth is, I haven’t been letting people into my life. It was a defense mechanism. Self-preservation. So, I apologize for that. I admit, I have a few issues that I’m trying to work through, and you can help me. Go out with me.”
“I already have plans.”
“I didn’t even say when.”
“Fine. When?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Busy.”
“Saturday.”
“Not possible.”
“Sunday.”
She pretended to think about it. “No can do.”
“Monday.”
“Root canal.”
Cedric cocked his head to the side. “Are you serious?”
“No.”
He laughed. “God, I like you even more. Tuesday.”
“No can do. You done?”
“Wednesday?”
“You’re running out of days. And I need to get back to work. Cheerio.” Ellie turned and walked away, leaving Cedric standing there.
Ellie joined Julio in the Tech Center, and they both watched Cedric as he walked out the door.
Julio smiled. “I’ll have an order of that with a side of naked.”
“You shouldn’t be looking. You have Hugo.”
“I’m loyal to Hugo one hundred percent. Doesn’t mean I can’t look and enjoy.”
“The guy drives me crazy. The weird thing is, he doesn’t date, but he just asked me out.”
“No, no, no, sweetie. That’s excelente.”
Ellie smiled. “I love when you speak Spanish.”
“Gracias. So when’s the big date?”
“We’re not going out.”
Julio put his hands on his hips. “Explain.”
“Why would I go out with him?”
“Um … because you want to. And I saw the way you were eyeballing him as he left. You’re definitely attracted to him.”
“True. But he’s a liar. God, the odd thing is … even though he makes me mad, I still wanted to grab him and kiss him like crazy.”
“Not that odd. I had the exact same thoughts.”
Six hours later, Ellie was ready to go home to get ready for her next date. The entire day was a blur; she couldn’t even recall what she’d done at the library. She had nothing but recurring thoughts of Cedric all day.
Julio approached and smiled. “Another date tonight?”
She nodded. “But I need to get Cedric out of my mind. It wouldn’t be fair to Swayze if I was distracted and not fully present.”
“Swayze?”
“Please don’t start.”
“His name is Swayze?”
Ellie nodded and frowned. “He was born the same year as the movie Dirty Dancing and his mother used to be a professional dancer.”
“What is it with your dates and their names?”
“I have no idea.” She laughed. “Dick, Buck, and Swayze.”
Julio smiled. “Sounds like a gay law firm.”
Chapter Ten
Two crappy dates and one crappy non-date with Cedric in one week. It wasn’t a very good average, but Ellie was hoping to change that tonight with Swayze. He suggested they meet at Opa, a tasty Greek restaurant on Lincoln Avenue. She loved Greek food and was looking forward to the evening.
Ellie waited outside of the restaurant on the sidewalk—it was crowded inside. She already had blown a thousand dollars she could have had from Grandpa Frank for the library, for her promotion. This was her last shot. Five hundred dollars was still a lot, and the money would be put to good use. Time to get motivated.
Do it for the promotion. Do it for the promotion. Do it for the promotion.
She pulled her phone from her purse. 7:03 p.m. The tardiness rule was in effect, of course. More than five minutes late and she would leave.
No exceptions.
A man approached, looking as if he was searching for someone. She remembered Swayze had dark hair, but was blanking on his other features at the moment.
The man smiled. “Hi.”
“Hello,” said Ellie, matching his smile. “Are you Swayze?”
He laughed. “Swayze?”
“Okay. Guess not.”
“If that was my name, I’d kill myself. In fact, maybe that’s why Swayze isn’t here. You might want to check the alley behind the restaurant for a body.” The man laughed as he walked off.
Great. Another dick.
Thank God that wasn’t Swayze. The man had enough grease in his hair to fry ten pounds of potatoes. Ellie checked her phone again. 7:05.
Time to go.
Ellie turned and walked straight into something that smelled very nice.
Cedric grinned. “What are the chances?”
“Pretty good, considering my luck.”
“Would we be talking about good luck or bad luck?”
The words “bad luck” were on the tip of Ellie’s tongue, but she didn’t have the energy to be mean, so she shrugged.
“I’m going to go ahead and guess good luck. You looked like you were waiting for someone.”
Ellie avoided eye contact with him and didn’t answer.
Cedric frowned and looked sincere. “Got stood up?”
Ellie nodded and was ready to crawl under a rock. Why did she always have to tell the truth?
Cedric shrugged. “His loss.”
Sweet. Cedric had something that resembled feelings.
“Technically, he’s late. But I’ve waited long enough.”
Cedric studied Ellie for a moment. “What’s your cutoff for waiting?
She didn’t answer.
“I usually give people twenty minutes,” he continued. “I think that’s reasonable. I get that cushion from my friends, since I’m notorious for being late.”
Those words ended any possibility of the two of them ever hooking up. Tardiness wasn’t something she tolerated. Ellie still didn’t answer and Cedric just stared at her. His gaze dropped to her mouth.
She wished he wouldn’t do that, make that sexy grin. The conflicting feelings set in again. She wanted to run, but she also wanted to know what his kisses were like.
“Well …” Cedric looked at his watch. “I’ve got five after seven on my watch. So, he was supposed to meet you at what, six-thirty? Thirty-five minutes late?”
If her legs would just start moving, she’d be home in no time.
“Six forty-five?” he continued.
Ellie didn’t answer.
“Please don’t tell me you were supposed to meet at seven.”
Ellie grimaced.
“Seven o’clock? He’s five minutes late? God, you’re strict. You could get a job working for the North Korean government.” Cedric laughed. “A smart girl like you hasn’t heard the expression, better late than never?”
“I prefer ‘Better three hours too
soon, than a minute too late.’”
“Who said that?”
“William Shakespeare. A wise guy like you should know that.”
“Well … ‘A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.’ Also by Shakespeare.”
“So, you admit to being a fool? Good to know.” She turned and walked away, not looking back. She needed peace. Comfort. Support.
She pulled her cell phone from her purse and pressed number two on the speed dial.
“Hi, sweetie,” answered Grandpa Frank. “How are you?”
“I was contemplating killing someone.”
“Does this mean you’re coming over?”
He knew her so well. “Can I?”
“Of course. See you soon.”
*****
Ellie rang Grandpa Frank’s doorbell and waited. What a night. It was bad enough Swayze didn’t show. But then running into Cedric was like someone pouring lemon juice on an open wound. She had to remain positive and believe her luck was going to change. But for the moment, she needed a drink and some comforting from her favorite person in the world.
The door opened and Ellie was greeted with that familiar smile and a wonderful hug.
“There’s the most beautiful girl in the world,” said Grandpa Frank. “Come in.”
They went to the kitchen and he grabbed the lemonade from the fridge.
“I think I need something stronger.”
Grandpa Frank laughed. “You’re in luck, I have an open bottle of cabernet.”
“Great.”
He poured two glasses of wine and they retreated to the living room. Ellie sat down on the couch, let out a deep breath, and took a sip of her wine.
Grandpa Frank grabbed his checkbook from the bookshelf and opened it. “Okay, first things first … where are we with the challenge?”
Ellie didn’t answer.
Grandpa Frank looked up from his checkbook. “You must have at least gone on a second date with one of them.”
Ellie took another sip of her wine. “Technically, the third guy didn’t show up so I get to have a replacement date.”
“Didn’t show up? Or you wouldn’t wait for more than five minutes?”
Ellie smiled. “How am I supposed to defend myself when you know me so well?”
