Love Letters and Literature

Old Books and Liquid Courage (Edited)

The smell of dusty books tickles my nose as I shelve the ones lucky enough to have been recently viewed.

I'm the library assistant at my university, and I could never have dreamed I'd be so lucky. I take care of books all day and they give me money for it.

Suckers!

I make my way back to the rental counter and start scanning in new returns. I've barely dug into my work before I hear a familiar feminine voice clear its throat.

"Excuse me miss, where is the porn section? I have some research to do."

My head shoots right up and an involuntary sigh flies from my lips. Standing there looking completely innocent is my best friend, Fiona Reese. She's got a cheesy grin on her face and she's slumped over onto the counter, her abnormally large bosoms resting on a poor unsuspecting stack of fiction novels.

"Haven't you any shame?" I ask even though I already know the answer.

"Nope," Fiona replies, popping the P. She heaves herself off of my workstation and starts looking around with curious blue eyes, her thick black waves dusted with snow.

"When do you get off, Soph?" She asks without looking my way. She may give me crap about "wasting my time in a library" but I can tell she thinks this is the most beautiful place she's ever seen.

The shelves seem to go on for miles and the ceiling is decorated with intricately painted panels. The floors are reflective so they make it seem like the library is twice as big, and that it could swallow you whole if it so desired.

"I get off at eight," I reply, wondering what she has planned. Fiona's gaze finally falls back to me and she has a mischievous smile plastered on her full red lips.

"Well seeing as how it's our last weekend homework free before classes start I thought we could go out. Paint the town beige. You can throw on your sexiest sweater and everything."

I scoff, looking aghast. "I own plenty of sexy clothes and BEIGE?"

My voice gets louder as my sentence goes on, but Fiona already knows what my answer will be.

"So what do you say?" She asks me eagerly.

"I can't," I reply with an awkward mumble.

"Are you gonna blow me off so you can keep catfishing Dr.Dreamy?"

I don't reply, avoiding eye contact entirely, so she throws her arms in the air.

"Seriously?" I can tell she's mad at me. I spend every night like a hermit locked up in my apartment with my face in my computer.

She'd be a bit more proud of me though if she knew what kind of things we've begun talking about lately.

"It's not cat-fishing." I defend. "I'm not pretending to be someone else." Fiona gives a short fake laugh at that.

"No, you're just pretending to be no one."

I roll my eyes in defense but honestly, that's accurate.

Both of my hands run through my loose red tinged curls, and I sigh deep and heavy.

"Come on Sophie, have drinks with me. What is the point of being 21 if you're just gonna drink coffee and stay home?" Fiona sticks her bottom lip out and pouts.

I scrunch up my nose in uncomfortable thought. Fiona is right, and I do feel bad for practically blowing her off all winter. I suppose one night away from my computer couldn't hurt.

"Fine. Fine. I'll go." I say with a shrug, trying to play it down. "Why the hell not?"

Fiona's face lights up. "Holy Freck are you serious?"