A Growing Attraction
776 Words
The next morning, Emma arrived at the bookstore earlier than usual.
She told herself it was because she had a lot of work to do.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the possibility of Adam Blake showing up with coffee again.
At least, that was the story she repeated to herself.
Unfortunately, her best friend Lily wasn't buying it.
"You like him."
Emma nearly dropped the stack of books she was carrying.
"I do not."
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"You smiled."
"So?"
"You only smile like that when you're thinking about someone."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"You're imagining things."
"Am I?"
"Yes."
Lily leaned against a bookshelf and folded her arms.
"Then why did you spend ten minutes deciding which shirt to wear this morning?"
Emma froze.
Lily grinned triumphantly.
"Exactly."
Before Emma could defend herself, the bell above the door chimed.
Both women looked toward the entrance.
Adam Blake walked inside carrying two cups of coffee.
Lily's grin widened.
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
Emma silently wished the floor would swallow her.
Aiden noticed them immediately.
He smiled.
"Good morning."
"Morning," Emma replied.
Lily stepped forward before Emma could say another word.
"You must be Adam."
Aiden nodded.
"And are you?"
"Lily. Emma's best friend."
The way she emphasized the words made Emma groan internally.
Aiden tried not to laugh.
"It's nice to meet you."
Lily looked between them.
Then smiled knowingly.
"It's nice to finally meet the famous Adam."
Emma nearly choked.
"Lily!"
"What?"
"Stop talking."
"I'm being friendly."
"You never sound that friendly."
Aiden couldn't help laughing.
The playful exchange made him feel strangely comfortable.
For a moment, it felt as though he had known Emma and Lily for years.
Eventually, Lily left them alone.
Though not before giving Emma a look that clearly promised future interrogation.
Aiden handed Emma her coffee.
"I hope you still take bribes."
She accepted it.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"How good the coffee is."
Aiden smiled.
"Fair."
The morning passed quickly.
Whenever business slowed, Aiden and Emma found themselves talking.
The conversations come naturally now.
Almost effortlessly.
By lunchtime, they had discussed everything from favorite childhood memories to embarrassing school stories.
Emma couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much.
And Aiden couldn't remember the last time he had felt this relaxed around someone.
There were no expectations for Emma.
No pressure.
No hidden motives.
Just honest.
That alone made her different from anyone he had ever met.
As afternoon approached, dark clouds gathered overhead.
Within minutes, rain began pouring from the sky.
Customers hurried off the streets seeking shelter.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Emma glanced outside.
"Looks like a storm."
Aiden followed her gaze.
"It does."
Another loud c***k of thunder echoed through town.
Unexpectedly, the bookstore lights flickered.
Then went out completely.
The store fell into darkness.
Emma sighed.
"Perfect."
Aiden laughed.
"Power outage?"
"Happens sometimes during storms."
The emergency lights switched on a moment later, casting a soft glow throughout the bookstore.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The space felt quieter.
More intimate.
Outside, rain battered the windows.
Inside, only the sound of distant thunder filled the silence.
Emma and Aiden stood near the front counter.
Closer than either realized.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Emma smiled.
"You know, this place actually looks nice like this."
Aiden looked around.
The dim lighting gave the bookstore a magical feeling.
Like something from a novel.
"It does."
Their eyes met.
And this time, neither looked away immediately.
The moment stretched.
Longer than it should have.
A strange warmth spread through Emma's chest.
Aiden felt it too.
The attraction that had been quietly growing between them was becoming harder to ignore.
Neither wanted to admit it.
Neither was ready to.
But it was there.
Clear as day.
Then a loud crash of thunder shattered the moment.
Both jumped slightly.
And immediately burst out laughing.
The tension disappeared.
At least for now.
As the storm continued outside, Aiden realized something important.
He looked forward to seeing Emma.
More than he should.
More than was wise.
Because every day he spent with her made the truth harder to tell.
The secret of who he really was hung over him like a shadow.
Sooner or later, he would have to tell her.
And when that day came, he feared everything they were building might fall apart.
But for now, as Emma laughed at one of his jokes and the rain tapped gently against the windows, Aiden allowed himself to forget the future.
Just for a little while.
Because for the first time in years, he was genuinely happy.
And that feeling was becoming dangerously addictive.
- Writer
