~~~Valerie~~~
Stephanie and Scott walked me back to the bookstore after dinner. They waited for me to enter the building and lock the door behind me before walking away. I watched them get into their vehicle while fighting the urge to call them back. I hadn’t stayed the night alone in years. My sister was usually with me, and on the rare occasions that she wasn’t, I was babysitting a cousin or a friend’s kid who was staying overnight.
I locked the door to the bottom of the stairs that led up to my apartment. The building didn’t have an alarm system that I could see. The windows in the front of the building were large, glass, and easily breakable. Upstairs, I paced the apartment for about fifteen minutes, before taking the book I had been reading earlier and going out onto the balcony to read.
The furniture out there was surprisingly comfortable. In no time, I was deep into the book until a light from an apartment across the street shook me out of my daze.
Laying the paperback down, I sat up a little straighter in the seat to look across the street. I didn’t want the person to think I was creepy, but I was naturally curious. I had noticed there were other apartments above the shops across the street from me during our drive into town and our walk to The Grove, though none of them had looked occupied. That apartment hadn’t been any different.
From a distance, and with the curtains pulled closed, all I could make out was a tall, masculine figure moving around the main room. I wasn’t positive as to what the man was doing inside the apartment, but I did tense every time he came close to the window. I guessed that I wasn’t the only person pacing the house that afternoon. I wondered what had him worried. Maybe I could take him a book to read. Books always settled my nerves.
I was so caught up in imagining who he was and what he was doing, which was an odd thing for me to do and just showed how lonely I was, that I nearly yelped when his curtains and door opened. I scrambled back down into my chair and opened my book, praying he hadn’t noticed me watching him.
For a long moment, he stood on the porch looking up and down the main strip. There wasn’t anyone moving around down there for him to watch, but his posture said he was keeping watch all the same.
“How are you enjoying our town so far, Ms. Stutts?” the man asked, startling me so much I dropped the book. His voice sounded so close that I thought he was standing on my patio.
After a quick look around to make sure I was alone, I picked up the book and sat it closed on the table, not bothering to mark the page. I didn’t have a clue where I was in it anymore. Standing slowly to calm my nerves, I walked over to the railing to look across at him. The night was so dark despite the stars that were out that I couldn’t see him clearly, but in the quiet of the evening, I could hear him plainly.
“I’m enjoying it very well, thank you. How did you know I was new in town?” Okay, all of Valeterra knew I was new to the entire world, but to make small talk, I asked.
He chuckled a little at the question and answered, “Everyone knows you’re here, Valerie.”
The sound of my name coming from that man brought chill bumps to my arms and made my body flush with need at the same time. Never in my life had a person’s voice turned me on so much so instantaneously. You hear people talk about how they find certain types of voices sexy or erotic, but I’d never understood that until then.
I gripped the railing tight, breathed slowly, resisted the urge to clench my thighs, and said, “I know,” in a defeated tone.
He laughed again, and I nearly came. I felt my engorged clit and the wetness between my legs as I shifted slightly in the hopes of relieving some of the pressure. I would most definitely masturbate that night.
“You don’t sound as if you are thrilled to be here,” he said when I didn’t say anything more.
“That isn’t it. I’m a bit nervous about it all. I’m still trying to come to grips with the reality of this place. I’m happy to have the bookstore. It’s amazing. I’ve dreamed of owning a bookstore like this all of my life.”
“I thought I heard a rumor that you had owned one back on Earth.”
“I did, but it wasn’t anything like this one. Mine was small and packed to the point to make a person feel claustrophobic. This one is full of books, much more than mine, but there’s enough room between the aisles to peruse them without being overwhelmed. Back home, I felt like sometimes my customers weren’t able to enjoy shopping in my store because there were books everywhere. Oh, and this place has a used bookstore as well. The only thing missing is a coffee shop or deli.”
“Do all bookstores in your world come with one of those?” he asked. His tone showed confusion and irritation. The confusion I got, but the irritation, I didn’t.
“Not all of them do, but I prefer the ones that have them. My favorite thing to do is buy a book, a doughnut, a chicken salad sandwich, and a large vanilla iced coffee, and to curl up in a big chair and read. I guess that’s obvious, though.”
Shit, I shouldn’t have said that last part. Gail fussed at me all the time about making self-deprecating remarks. Both of us have always been plus size, but she never minded it. She flaunted her curves every chance she got. I tried to cover mine up with billowy clothing. I think having a beautiful face makes being plus size easier. I have a plain face, so having a rounded stomach makes me even more unappealing.
“I’m not sure how that’s obvious about you,” he said, sounding honestly confused.
“Oh, never mind. I forget where I am. Stephanie said this world didn’t have the same kind of hang-ups about weight that mine does; therefore, you wouldn’t understand.”
“What’s wrong with the way you look?” he asked, sounding a bit harsh. Did he think I was treating him like a child for not understanding how my world worked or was he angry that anyone would treat me harshly over my weight?
“Well, if we were on Earth, I would say all you had to do was look at me, and you would see what was wrong with me, but since we aren’t, and since you are all the way over there and it’s dark, you can’t see. Never mind all of that. I didn’t mean to spiral down that road. You probably think I’m a self-pitying old woman, and I hadn’t intended to sound that way. It was a stupid remark that I’m trying very hard to stop making.”
A long pause followed my diatribe. I couldn’t say it was an awkward pause, but it was uncomfortable. In any other situation, I would assume I’d put a man off by talking about my weight, but for some reason, I think I made him angry. I wasn’t sure if he was mad at the people from my world for treating me badly or angry with me for putting myself down.
Finally, I said, “Well, good night. If you get a chance, stop by the store in the morning and say hello.”
He didn’t say anything, so I turned and went back into the house, forgetting all about my book.