------ loutish encounter

[Tristan Cameron Hurst]

Stepping into the library was a regular custom that seemed reluctant to detach from the young fellow. As he entered the place rife with books in all sorts and sizes, he began rummaging through his portfolio as he placed it atop the counter where the librarian – who happened to be absent, should receive the books he had borrowed last time. Hurst inspected the other side of the counter and finally found a post-it note that indicated she would be back shortly. He still wondered how it could be that she managed to attend the Library and do it so faultlessly without the aid of vision – sometimes he felt like gawking before her, and in some manner, he admired her for that. For someone to be as slovenly as he was, it was quite easy to be misled and to lose the thread of the activity he was undertaking – and so, it only sufficed him to glance at a familiar face to leave books and portfolio behind and stroll across the tables into one of the book shelves shaped corridors where a brilliant red haired woman awaited with a cracked open book on her palms. It was bubbly Bell, wandering her ways through the library in her usual fashion – as she was accustomed to spend her time immersed girded by books.

“ Anything new that seems an auspicious selection in mind? ” he greeted from behind, almost like whispering at her ear, striving at having a peek at the tittle of the book she was holding. Following his futile attempts, he decided it would be best if she just said it herself, instead. “ I am actually collecting a few survey items for investigation, but I was interested in the book you admonished me to read, last time ” he mentioned out of the blue, with a grin upon his features, “ what was its name like? ” he queried, frowning a little in a fruitless attempt to reminisce the name she had given to him, not so long ago. “ You know my mind is elsewhere, and if I don’t write it down, it’ll most likely elude me ” he confessed so, quite bashfully. Although, knowing his favourite English teacher’s taste, it should be a romantic novel of some sort – he could even remember someone inveigling him into reading Jane Austin, once.

“ You should start a lecture club ” he said, darting his eyes towards the nearest bookshelf, as he still found it quite impossible to not stare at her and let his jaw drop, occasionally – admittedly, there was something about the lass that seemed to enchant him, in ways he couldn’t exactly fathom.

tag Bell Connelly