Loving Dazai

COFFEE GIRL

Walking downtown, Emily brushed by the coffee shop and bought four cups of coffee. She checked her wrist watch “Oh s**t!” she was getting late for work. In a haste, she slightly pushed Someone, spilling coffee on herself “I am so sorry” she picked up her pace and dashed out of the coffee shop. She hailed a cab and entered it “Blecker street, please”

She arrived the bookshop in less than ten minutes “Pheww that was fast” she took a deep breath and walked in to the bookstore. There were customers inside already, the manager watched her walk to the reception table where she sat, she had a deep scowl on her face

Yeah, I am in deep s**t “Coffee?” she whispered and placed the cups on the table “I am so sorry, never gonna happen again. I promise.” She rose a pinky finger up.

The manager rolled her eyes and stood up from the seat “It is sales day. Did you really forget that? Well, you better get your ass prepared for the storm coming your way.” She picked up one of the coffee cups “It’s your first time showing up this late so I will let you off.”

Emily punched the air “Yes!”

“Just this once. Thanks for the coffee” she winked at her and strolled to her office.

Emily sat down and looked through the records of books that were on sales again and books that were bought already. She was the vibrant type—people often thought of her as too ecstatic, “the energetic girl,” they’d say but she didn’t mind. Slightly tall, brunette, with an almond-shaped face and bright blue eyes, she carried herself with the kind of light that made rooms feel a little less heavy. She had always wanted to be a writer, but never quite a published author.

She wrote on different book apps and quietly cherished the small attention her stories received. But more than writing, she loved to read. She read to understand people, to slip into their thoughts and mindsets, to feel what moved them. It wasn’t fame she wanted. It was connection. And in her own way, she was always searching for it—between the lines, in conversations, and in the quiet pauses that most people skipped.

“I am looking for a fantasy book, the wild tongues? I saw it on your page on i********: but I can’t find it.”

She looked up and beamed with a smile. There were two teenagers standing in from of the counter “Uh yeah, let me help you with that” She walked to one of the book shelves “Let me see…” she scouted through the books. After seconds of checking and not finding the book, she turned to the girls “Please hold on let me get some of the books from the main store.” she jogged to the store and picked the book and few others that needed replacement.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks!” the girls squealed.

Emily walked back to her post and after attending to customers and more customers, time went by with a blur. There were no customers and the manager had already left few minutes ago. She checked her watch, it was a few minutes to closing time. Great! Another long but fulfilling day. She stood up and stretched, yawning. She needed to get some groceries on her way home and probably stop by at her parents to drop off some books.

“I’d like to pay for these, please.”

Emily dropped her hands, startled by the voice. She blinked. When had he even walked in? she didn’t hear the jingling of the bell on the door. She looked around to see if there was anyone else—there was no one.

He cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. Realizing that she was stalling his time “Oh, I am so sorry!” her eyes went wide “I am sorry again,” she let out a nervous chuckle “I was just about to close, but, of course, I can ring you up first.”

He nodded his head and placed a small stack of books on the counter. He was tall. Too tall. Broad shouldered, dressed in a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his arms. His features were sharp, perfectly sculpted. She briefly locked eyes with him but quickly looked away. His eyes were blue but deeper than hers. She peered under her lashes to look at him again then looked away.

She glanced at the titles of the books he had set down. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. They weren’t the usual picks. In fact, they were books she had read countless times but almost no one bought. A historical war novel, mixed with psychological thriller and poetry.

Her heart skipped with excitement. She looked at him with a bright smile “You have a really nice taste. No one buys these books, like ever.” she started to bag the books. “It is so raw and emotional, especially Flame in the glass, right?” her smile died down slowly when she realized his focus was on something else.

She tried again “And this?” she made a low whistle as she raised one of the books “The twist was insane. It kept me all night.” He managed to smile which looked a little bit forced. Not a talker, I see.

She cleared her throat “So uh, are you a big reader?”

He regarded her for a moment before answering “Occasionally.” His voice, she noticed, was deep and lowly measured.

Emily nodded quickly, feeling a warmth spread up her cheek. God help her. She was flustered over a single word. Well, no one could blame her, when a good-looking man is standing right in front of her. She pushed the bag to him after packing up the books “That will be twenty-nine dollars.”

He pulled out his wallet, handed her the cash and took the bag “Thank you.”

“Goodnight.” she chirped.

Amusement flickered on his face, then he said dryly “Goodnight” and he walked through the door.

“I need to tell Miranda this!” She began to pack up her things. The butterflies in her belly. Oh, when last did she feel this? It felt magical.