Butcher went into the bookstore and stopped. He looked around, taking in the picture he have seen thousand times. The place had all the features you can expect from a bookstore. It had shelves full of books, sorted by genres which were written with brown letters on big beige tags. There were thrillers and horror books, comedy and science-fiction stories, romance volumes and all other kinds of books people may want to buy. Or may not. On the side there were magazines and newspapers, and even a small corner with tea biscuits in case someone wanted to chew on something while reading. On the other side, close to the door was the cash register with a display, inside there were bookmarkers and key rings featuring miniature books.
Not the best bookstore. Nor the worst.
Behind the desk stood a guy, reading a thick volume, probably fantasy, considering the cover image. He looked up, and said hello. Butcher nodded and then went inside.
He breathed in the characteristic smell of a place full of books. Old memories came to him. He remembered sitting in the armchair in another bookstore as a child, reading without noticing the outside world, the story sucking him in until it was more real than anything. Felt like it was ages ago.
He walked between the shelves checking this book and that, reading first sentences and back cover blurbs. He smiled at some of them. They were old friends from long ago. Finally he got to the thriller section and found the name of the author, then found the title. There was only one copy left. Empty space indicated those which already found their readers. He picked it up and started to read the back cover. He smiled again. Yes, it would make an excellent present for Jenny. She loved Lee Child, she had all his books neatly arranged on a separate shelf in her room. Butcher suspected that Jenny was in love with the main character, Jack Reacher. He could understand it, the guy was tall and muscular and mysterious. He would be a good buddy to have if he was real.
The bell at the door chimed and Butcher looked up. A woman came in and went to the desk guy. She was tall and slim and blond. She was wearing jeans and brown leather jacket. She said something to the desk guy and then they came towards Butcher. He stopped watching them and went back to read the back cover. He didn't go far, because the woman and the guy stopped next to him checking the book titles.
"Sorry madam, there is no copy left" said the desk guy. He seemed honest saying sorry, maybe he thought he should have ordered more copies. For more profit.
"Shit" said the women and sighed.
The guy spread his arms. "Lee Child is really popular, and Never Go Back is his latest title."
Butcher looked up. "Uhm, sorry, I think this is the last one" he said.
The women and the guy looked at him then at the book he was holding.
The woman bit her lip. She had blue eyes with a hint of eye shadow. They reminded Butcher of the blue sky he was watching as a child, laying on his back, hands under his nape. A lock of her hair hung apart, almost covering her left eye. She shook her head absentmindedly and the lock went back to its place. Butcher couldn't stop staring at her.
The guy said excuse me and went back to his desk. To his book.
"Are you taking that?" asked the woman pointing at the book in Butcher's hand.
"I'm planning to."
"Shit" the woman said. "Sorry, I didn't want to... I mean... are you sure you're buying it?"
"I think so. Child is my niece's favourite author, I want this book for her as a present" Butcher said.
A shadow settled on her face. Butcher didn't like it. But he still couldn't stop staring at her.
"This book must be hell of a good one. This is the third store I'm checking. No copies" she said in a resigned voice.
"You can order it online."
"Would take too much time. I need it for this evening."
"I'm sorry" said Butcher. Another time and for another person he wouldn't be sorry, he got his copy, and who cared if it was the last one. But now he really was sorry.
The woman looked at her watch. "Shops are closing, no chance to find another one in time."
"This book seems important for you" Butcher said.
"Not for me. I mean it's important, but I want it for somebody else."
"Your husband must be a Lee Child fan too" Butcher said, and watched her face.
The woman made a dismissive grimace.
"Oh, no. I'm not married. The book would be for my friend. She is in hospital." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Usually I'm not pushy, but would you mind if I took this copy? I don't want to cause any inconvenience, but my friend doesn't have much time left, and I just want to see her to be happy before…"
She covered her mouth with her hand, and Butcher could see she was fighting with tears. It took a while for her to get over it. Butcher knew he was giving the book to her, but she was too beautiful to let her just walk away.
"I double the price" she said finally looking into Butcher's eyes.
"That's not necessary. I give it you."
"Oh, thank you, it's really kind of you."
"Now, you need to understand that I promised Jenny to buy her this book. She will be dissatisfied, and I will have some explanation to give. So I would like to have a little compensation. But not money."
The woman’s eyebrows went up.
"What kind of compensation?"
"A few minutes of your time with a cup of coffee. I know a place nearby, nice coffee shop."
Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled.
"That I can do. To 'compensate' for your trouble" she said.
"By the way, I'm Julien."
"Aileen."
They shook hands, Butcher gave her the book and they went to the desk to pay.
The coffee shop was in a three minute walk, and was almost full. They found a small table and ordered two caramel cappuccinos.
"Tell me about the book" she said.
"You never read Child?"
She shook her head.
Butcher talked about Jack Reacher, the tough guy, who is smart and his principle is to hit first and hard.
"In this story he goes back to his old unit to meet a woman, who is in the same job he was before he quit the army. But he walks into a trap. It turns out the woman he came to meet is in prison. He is accused of murder, and he is told he has a daughter he never knew of."
"Wow, sounds interesting."
"Yeah. But of course nothing is what it seems. He has to go against the system and find out what really happened."
Butcher wanted to tell her about the story, but before he started to talk she asked him:
"Does he meet the woman?"
Butcher watched Aileen sipping from his coffee, the small lock of hair loose again.
"Yes" he said. "He does." Then Butcher didn't want to talk about the book anymore. He wanted to know more about her.
Not the best bookstore. Nor the worst.
Behind the desk stood a guy, reading a thick volume, probably fantasy, considering the cover image. He looked up, and said hello. Butcher nodded and then went inside.
He breathed in the characteristic smell of a place full of books. Old memories came to him. He remembered sitting in the armchair in another bookstore as a child, reading without noticing the outside world, the story sucking him in until it was more real than anything. Felt like it was ages ago.
He walked between the shelves checking this book and that, reading first sentences and back cover blurbs. He smiled at some of them. They were old friends from long ago. Finally he got to the thriller section and found the name of the author, then found the title. There was only one copy left. Empty space indicated those which already found their readers. He picked it up and started to read the back cover. He smiled again. Yes, it would make an excellent present for Jenny. She loved Lee Child, she had all his books neatly arranged on a separate shelf in her room. Butcher suspected that Jenny was in love with the main character, Jack Reacher. He could understand it, the guy was tall and muscular and mysterious. He would be a good buddy to have if he was real.
The bell at the door chimed and Butcher looked up. A woman came in and went to the desk guy. She was tall and slim and blond. She was wearing jeans and brown leather jacket. She said something to the desk guy and then they came towards Butcher. He stopped watching them and went back to read the back cover. He didn't go far, because the woman and the guy stopped next to him checking the book titles.
"Sorry madam, there is no copy left" said the desk guy. He seemed honest saying sorry, maybe he thought he should have ordered more copies. For more profit.
"Shit" said the women and sighed.
The guy spread his arms. "Lee Child is really popular, and Never Go Back is his latest title."
Butcher looked up. "Uhm, sorry, I think this is the last one" he said.
The women and the guy looked at him then at the book he was holding.
The woman bit her lip. She had blue eyes with a hint of eye shadow. They reminded Butcher of the blue sky he was watching as a child, laying on his back, hands under his nape. A lock of her hair hung apart, almost covering her left eye. She shook her head absentmindedly and the lock went back to its place. Butcher couldn't stop staring at her.
The guy said excuse me and went back to his desk. To his book.
"Are you taking that?" asked the woman pointing at the book in Butcher's hand.
"I'm planning to."
"Shit" the woman said. "Sorry, I didn't want to... I mean... are you sure you're buying it?"
"I think so. Child is my niece's favourite author, I want this book for her as a present" Butcher said.
A shadow settled on her face. Butcher didn't like it. But he still couldn't stop staring at her.
"This book must be hell of a good one. This is the third store I'm checking. No copies" she said in a resigned voice.
"You can order it online."
"Would take too much time. I need it for this evening."
"I'm sorry" said Butcher. Another time and for another person he wouldn't be sorry, he got his copy, and who cared if it was the last one. But now he really was sorry.
The woman looked at her watch. "Shops are closing, no chance to find another one in time."
"This book seems important for you" Butcher said.
"Not for me. I mean it's important, but I want it for somebody else."
"Your husband must be a Lee Child fan too" Butcher said, and watched her face.
The woman made a dismissive grimace.
"Oh, no. I'm not married. The book would be for my friend. She is in hospital." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Usually I'm not pushy, but would you mind if I took this copy? I don't want to cause any inconvenience, but my friend doesn't have much time left, and I just want to see her to be happy before…"
She covered her mouth with her hand, and Butcher could see she was fighting with tears. It took a while for her to get over it. Butcher knew he was giving the book to her, but she was too beautiful to let her just walk away.
"I double the price" she said finally looking into Butcher's eyes.
"That's not necessary. I give it you."
"Oh, thank you, it's really kind of you."
"Now, you need to understand that I promised Jenny to buy her this book. She will be dissatisfied, and I will have some explanation to give. So I would like to have a little compensation. But not money."
The woman’s eyebrows went up.
"What kind of compensation?"
"A few minutes of your time with a cup of coffee. I know a place nearby, nice coffee shop."
Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled.
"That I can do. To 'compensate' for your trouble" she said.
"By the way, I'm Julien."
"Aileen."
They shook hands, Butcher gave her the book and they went to the desk to pay.
The coffee shop was in a three minute walk, and was almost full. They found a small table and ordered two caramel cappuccinos.
"Tell me about the book" she said.
"You never read Child?"
She shook her head.
Butcher talked about Jack Reacher, the tough guy, who is smart and his principle is to hit first and hard.
"In this story he goes back to his old unit to meet a woman, who is in the same job he was before he quit the army. But he walks into a trap. It turns out the woman he came to meet is in prison. He is accused of murder, and he is told he has a daughter he never knew of."
"Wow, sounds interesting."
"Yeah. But of course nothing is what it seems. He has to go against the system and find out what really happened."
Butcher wanted to tell her about the story, but before he started to talk she asked him:
"Does he meet the woman?"
Butcher watched Aileen sipping from his coffee, the small lock of hair loose again.
"Yes" he said. "He does." Then Butcher didn't want to talk about the book anymore. He wanted to know more about her.
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