Chapter 5: Aiden’s First Real Shift
756 Words
Emma took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that losing her patience wouldn’t help anything. Aiden Carter was standing in the middle of her bookstore, arms crossed, looking far too amused by the situation. The customers had started to clear out now that the initial excitement had died down, leaving behind only the reality that she was stuck with an actor who had no business running a bookstore.
“Alright, since you insist on staying, let’s see if you can actually do some work,” Emma said, handing him a clipboard with a list of tasks.
Aiden took it and raised an eyebrow. “Stock inventory? Organize the shelves? This sounds… incredibly thrilling.”
“It’s a bookstore,” Emma deadpanned. “Not a Hollywood set.”
Lily, who was still behind the counter pretending to be busy, snickered. “I think this is the most effort Aiden’s had to put into something that doesn’t involve a camera.”
Aiden shot her a playful smirk. “You’d be surprised. Learning stunt choreography is harder than it looks.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Right. Well, here’s your first task—sort these books and put them in their correct sections.” She pointed at a cart filled with a variety of genres. “Think you can handle that, movie star?”
Aiden gave her an exaggerated salute. “Challenge accepted.”
Emma didn’t have high hopes, but at least this would keep him occupied. She turned to help a customer while Aiden grabbed a stack of books and wandered toward the shelves. For a few blissful minutes, everything seemed normal.
And then she heard it.
A loud crash.
Emma whipped around to see a pile of books sprawled across the floor—and Aiden standing in the middle of the mess, rubbing the back of his neck.
Lily burst out laughing. “Oh my God, what did you do?”
Aiden gave them an innocent smile. “Turns out, balancing books is way harder than balancing an action scene.”
Emma groaned and stomped over. “How did this even happen?”
“I may have… underestimated how many books I could carry.”
Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath before crouching down to gather the books. Aiden quickly joined her.
“Hey, at least I’m trying,” he pointed out, handing her a hardcover novel.
Emma glanced up at him. “Trying doesn’t mean much if you’re making more work for me.”
Aiden smirked. “You know, for someone who owns a bookstore, you don’t seem to appreciate a little extra excitement.”
“This isn’t excitement,” Emma shot back. “It’s chaos.”
Aiden placed a book back on the shelf—completely out of order. Emma sighed, grabbed it, and put it in its correct place.
“I see you’re a perfectionist,” Aiden noted, watching her.
“No,” she corrected. “I just like things to be done right.”
Aiden leaned against the bookshelf, watching her with a thoughtful expression. “I bet you don’t let yourself relax much, do you?”
Emma paused at his words, caught off guard. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged. “You seem like the type who’s always in control. Always making sure things are in order. I’m guessing you don’t take many risks.”
Emma frowned, unsure whether to be annoyed or… impressed. How could he read her so well already?
“I run a business,” she said simply. “I don’t have time for risks.”
Aiden smirked, as if that answer amused him. “Maybe that’s why you thought I was overrated. You’ve never let yourself enjoy something unexpected.”
Emma’s cheeks heated. “I didn’t say I never take risks.”
“Prove it,” Aiden challenged.
Emma narrowed her eyes. “How?”
Aiden glanced toward the café next door. “Have coffee with me.”
Emma blinked. “What?”
“Just coffee,” he said with a grin. “Call it a truce. You give me one hour, and I’ll try not to ruin your bookstore in the meantime.”
Emma hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with him, but something about his confident smirk made her want to prove him wrong.
“Fine,” she said at last. “One hour.”
Aiden grinned. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”
Emma had a sinking feeling she’d regret this.
- Writer
