Artist's Rendering Part 1

Chapter One

The first arrived on a gloomy Monday morning. Rebecca slapped the beeping alarm clock and grudgingly threw the blankets off of her. She stretched as she rose and walked over to the window to open the curtains. The rain-splattered window told her all she needed to know.
“Oh this’ll be fun,” she muttered to herself thinking of the walk to work.
Rebecca showered and dressed in a bleary-eyed haze. Mondays were always the worst. She loved her job at the library, but had never been able to train herself to go to bed at a reasonable hour on Sunday nights.
“Looks like breakfast is out of the question, again,” she sighed glancing at the clock in her living room. Rebecca draped her trench coat over a chair, laid her purse beside it, and began her daily ritual of searching for her keys.
It was amazing anything was ever found in the heaps of boxes scattered around the apartment. She knew she should have spent the weekend unpacking, but the weather had been too lovely to stay cooped up inside. Her time was much better spent outdoors. After all, there were only a few short weeks left before winter would show its ugly face again.
After searching nearly every box and looking under every couch cushion, the keys were found lurking under the dining room table. Great, now where’s my umbrella? Having searched the living room for her keys, she knew it couldn’t be in there and began scavenging the unopened boxes in her bedroom closet. Tucked away in the bottom of a box marked “Misc.” was her favorite flowery umbrella.
Snatching her coat, purse, keys, and umbrella, Rebecca glanced at the taunting clock. If she hurried, she would make it just in time. She flung open the door and heard a crunch.
“What in the world?” She looked behind the door and saw a crumpled yellow envelope. It looked like it had been propped up against the door. She picked it up and saw “Rebecca McIntyre” written on the front in elaborate decorative letters.
Tucking the envelope under her arm, Rebecca shut her door a little too hard, locked it, and made her way quickly down the hall to the elevators. She pushed the down button and put on her coat while she waited. After buttoning the last button, she looked at the envelope again. The way her name was drawn on it was almost mesmerizing. The loops and curls made it impossible to tell where the writer started and ended. It was dizzying. She turned it over and was about to open it when a ding told her the elevator had arrived.
Rebecca’s heart gave a leap as the doors opened. His sky blue eyes twinkled as he smiled warmly at her. He ran his fingers through a mess of dirty blonde hair. Somehow his dirty t-shirt, torn jeans, and messy hair only complemented his rugged features.
“Morning Becky.” She hated being called Becky, but wasn’t about to correct him. As far as she cared, he could call her anything he wanted. Unable to speak, she simply smiled at him as she got in the elevator and pushed the ground floor.
“Running late again?” he asked her.
“Aren’t I always?” She hoped he didn’t catch the shakiness in her voice. Trying to sound casual she asked, “What are you doing up so early?”
“Friend’s car won’t start. Gonna see if I can’t help him out. Here’s his floor,” he said as the door opened on the third floor. “Catch ya later, Becky.”
“Bye, Josh,” she called as she watched him walk away. The envelope completely forced from her mind, she thought of his arms wrapped around her in the elevator. Just as he leaned in for a kiss, a ding from the elevator woke her from her daydream.
Tucking the envelope under her arm again, Rebecca opened her umbrella and stepped out into the rain. It was definitely cooler today. Summer was fighting a losing battle. Realizing how late she probably was, Rebecca set off at a brisk pace. She had to admit, even in these dreary conditions, the campus was beautiful. Her friends had advised her to live further away. It was much too rowdy this close to the dorms on the weekends. However, Rebecca loved the scenery as she walked to and from work each day. Even if it was a frazzled half-sprint in the mornings.
The bells began announcing nine-o-clock as Rebecca ran up the steps to Preston Library. She quickly gave the umbrella a shake before closing it and hurrying into the staff room. She hung her coat on her usual hook and put the dripping umbrella in a plastic bag before stowing it on a shelf. She crammed her purse and the mysterious envelope on the shelf next to it and rushed off to the circulation desk to begin reshelving books. She gave a sigh of relief when nobody noticed that she had been late and allowed herself to relax as she settled into her daily routine.
Most people would find her job dull and tiring. But she wasn’t most people. She loved books and skimmed over each one as she placed it back on it’s shelf. Occasionally she would make a mental note of the particularly interesting ones. These she would come back for later if time allowed. Today, however, her mind was distracted by her chance encounter that morning. Uninterrupted, she allowed her mind to rework her encounter into a much more pleasurable one. One that included her being brave enough to show Josh exactly how she felt.
“Somebody looks like they had a good weekend,” a voice chimed behind Rebecca as she reached up to put "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" on the top shelf.
“What?” Rebecca turned around to find a thirty-something blonde smiling mischievously at her. “Oh, hi Shelly.”
“Don’t give me that. Spill the beans. You’re positively glowing. You had a hot date didn’t you?”
“No hot date. Actually it was a rather uneventful weekend. I just had a good morning, that’s all.”
“Uh huh, sure. I know that look, but if you don’t want to tell me…”
“Seriously, nothing happened. I’d tell you if it did.”
“I’ll take your word for it. So, did you want to hit the café for lunch today?”
“Is it that time already?”
“Just about. Get the rest of those books put up and we’ll head out.”
After the last of her stack of books was safely tucked away on the shelves, Rebecca ventured to the staff room to retrieve her things. She was pulling her damp umbrella out of the bag when Shelly entered the room.
“Don’t bother with that thing. Sun’s out now. You’ll want your jacket though.”
As Rebecca went to place the umbrella back on the shelf, she noticed the yellow envelope crammed in the back. She pulled it out and looked at it. The thing had definitely been through a lot that day. Rebecca hoped whatever was inside wasn’t fragile. The thing looked as if a parade had marched over it.
“Whatcha got there?” Shelly asked.
“Don’t know. Somebody left this in front of my door this morning.”
“And you haven’t opened it yet?” Shelly sounded horror-struck that such a task would be left undone for so long.
“It’s been kind of a hectic morning.”
“Well, go on. Open it now.” Rebecca wasn’t sure who was more curious as to it’s contents: Shelly or herself. Shelly waited anxiously as Rebecca unfastened the brad and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
It was as lifelike as a photograph. A sketch of a woman sitting on a bench reading. Her dark hair glistened in the sunlight and she wore a light flowery sundress. The book, "Pride and Prejudice", looked old and worn. A single tear twinkled at the corner of the woman’s right eye as she held her left hand to her mouth.
Rebecca was stunned. She was staring at a drawing of herself. That was her sitting on the bench. It had been on Saturday. It was perfect to the last detail. She even remembered the single tear that had escaped as she read the part of the book where dear Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth Bennett and she refused him. Somebody had been watching her. Somebody had been watching closely enough to capture it perfectly.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Shelly asked nervously. Unable to speak, Rebecca turned to paper around to show Shelly.
“Wow! Who drew that? It’s incredible!” She snatched it out of Rebecca’s hands to get a closer look.
“I don’t know. There’s no name.”
“Well, it looks to me like you’ve got a secret admirer.”
Rebecca couldn’t get her mind off the picture as she ate her salad in the noisy café listening to Shelly enthusiastically recall her adventures with Mr. Saturday Night. She couldn’t care less what restaurant they ate at or what kind of car he drove. All she could think about was who would have drawn that picture. She seemed to recall a group of art students sitting under a tree nearby making sketches. Surely it was just one of them. She settled on that explanation by the end of the meal.
“…and when I woke up the next morning, he had made me breakfast,” Shelly beamed.
“Wow, that’s really a step up from your usual guys isn’t it?”
“Well, say it that way and I sound like a slut.”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” Rebecca said apologetically knowing Shelly hadn’t been offended in the least. She simply tossed her hair giving the waiter across the room a wink and continued talking.
"So when are you going to tell me about him?" Shelly asked suddenly.
"Who?"
"Whoever you've been daydreaming about. Clearly you're not all there today. Seriously, I know what I'm talking about. I know there's a guy. You can tell me."
"Well if you must know, I bumped into a guy who lives in my building this morning."
"Bumped or 'bumped'?" she asked with a wink.
"It was totally innocent. We just happened to be leaving at the same time. He barely even knows I exist."
"Cute?"
"Extremely," Rebecca blurted without thinking.
"So do something about it. Ask him out. Invite him over. That's what I'd do." She continued to bat eyes at the waiter as she spoke.
"Not everyone has been blessed with your... confidence."
"Oh nonsense. Next time you see this guy, just talk to him. See what happens. It couldn't hurt."
Rebecca had a difficult time keeping her mind off of Josh after lunch. She didn't know if she was excited or mortified of seeing him again. Shelly made sense, which was frightening in itself. Rebecca promised herself she would talk to him, maybe even ask him out, the next time she met him. He was usually hanging around after she got off of work. Surely she would see him then. That thought alone made her more and more queasy as the time grew closer for her to go home.
The entire walk back to her apartment, which was usually very peaceful and stress-relieving, was spent with sweaty palms and a pounding heart. "You're not going to chicken out," she told herself for the hundredth time.
Sure enough, as Rebecca entered the parking lot of her building, she spotted Josh bent over a car engine. As if she needed more butterflies in her stomach, he had removed his dirty t-shirt and tossed it aside. The late-afternoon sun shone brilliantly on his sweaty frame.
"Okay Rebecca. You can do this," she muttered to herself. She forced herself into a confident stroll and walked up to the old blue Honda. "Hi Josh. Have you been out here all day working on this thing?" He stood up and smiled his most charming smile wiping his greasy hands on his jeans.
"Sure have. Darned thing still won't turn over. I'm about to give up on it for the day. I can't do much more till I can get it back to the shop. You just get back from work?" Rebecca wished he'd stop looking at her like that. It made her heart pound even more. She was sure he could hear it.
"Yeah. Just saw you over here and thought I'd say hi."
"I'm glad you did." Rebecca's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know what to say to him and they stood in silence for a moment before he let down the hood of the car and began packing away his tools.
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Shall we what?"
"Go inside of course. I don't know about you, but I could use a shower." Rebecca giggled in spite of herself. Without another word they began walking back to their building. "You're on seven, right?" he asked pushing the nine button on the elevator. She nodded and he pressed seven as well. The ride was spent in silence. Rebecca watched the numbers change above the door, not daring to look into his eyes again. She wished she could think of something, anything to say to him. The elevator dinged and the doors open.
"Catch ya later, Becky," he said casually as she stepped out. Unable to speak, she simply smiled meekly and began walking down the hall. She heard the elevator door close and knew he was gone.
"Well," she muttered under her breath, "At least you talked to him." Rebecca then had a fleeting thought of Josh upstairs at that moment - getting undressed for his shower. She blushed and smiled in spite of herself.
Her smile vanished the moment she saw her door. Propped up against was another yellow envelope with the same intricate lettering spelling out her name on the front.

Chapter Two

Her long dark hair hung gracefully over her shoulders. She leaned forward slightly and rested her chin upon her hand as if listening intently to the fair-haired woman sitting across from her. Her eyes, however, had a glossy far-away look that revealed her lack of interest in what was being said.
The blonde spoke excitedly with a twinkle in her eye and an air of total confidence. In stark contrast to her companion, her tight blouse and short skirt suggested she was used to being the center of attention. Neither woman touched the meals sitting before them on the table they shared.
Around them, students chatted animatedly and servers eyed the clock on the wall willing it to speed up. It read 12:27. Everything was perfect in intricate detail, yet she stood out clearly. It was as if the artist had been focused solely on her and everything and everyone else had been simply part of the scenery.
Rebecca's hands shook as she continued staring at the picture. She had immediately dropped her things on the couch and opened the envelope after entering her home. Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating when she saw the image of her lunch with Shelly.
"Call the cops," a voice in her head told her. That was nonsense however. They would only laugh at her. Who cared that someone had sketched two portraits of her sitting in very public places? There were much worse things to deal with. Yet, she couldn't shake the fear that filled her as she looked at herself on the paper. The sun was setting in the window and Rebecca barely noticed the room growing darker.
A light knock made her jump as she realized she hadn't closed the door behind her when she came in.
"Becca, you all right?" came a soft voice.
"Oh, hi Lisa. Yeah, I'm okay."
"You left your door open. I thought something was wrong."
"Someone just left me something. I'm not sure what to make of it. Come and see."
Lisa shut the door softly. Rebecca held out the picture and Lisa took it carefully. She looked over it as if examining a great piece of art. Lisa's small frame was engulfed in her usual pair of baggy overalls and a shirt that was a couple of sizes too big. Her mousy hair hung drearily around her round face. Her brown eyes twinkled as she peered at the picture.
"Did you see who left this for you?" Lisa finally looked up from the picture.
"No. It was just waiting in front of my door. It's not the first either. Someone had left one this morning."
"Interesting."
"Creepy if you ask me."
"Why creepy?"
"It's like someone's stalking me."
"If you look at this picture, you can tell the artist means well. Here," she pointed at Rebecca's sketched face, "The artist puts an almost angelic glow around you. Have you seen anyone drawing around you?"
"No." Rebecca was taken aback by Lisa's interpretation of the drawing.
"Clearly this is someone who sees great beauty in the subject - you - and wants to admire from afar. I wouldn't be concerned." Lisa handed back the picture with a trace of a smile.
"If they want to admire from afar, why leave me pictures?"
"A gift maybe? That part I don't really know." Lisa looked around the dim room, taking in the piles of half-unpacked boxes. "Listen, I came over because I suspected you still weren't settled in. I thought you might want a hot meal. I made spaghetti."
"Sounds wonderful."
If Rebecca was truly honest with herself, she would admit that having Lisa as a neighbor had kept her from unpacking. Why bother unpacking pots, pans, and other dishes when there was nearly always a good meal waiting next door?
Lisa had introduced herself the day Rebecca moved in. She had been so quiet, Rebecca almost didn't notice her standing in the doorway. Rebecca had found that, although very shy and soft spoken, Lisa was a loyal friend. She was always looking out for her with a mother-like attitude. They had bonded instantly and had spent many hours getting acquainted over the last few weeks.
By the end of the meal, Rebecca had almost forgotten about the pictures. Lisa was laughing as Rebecca recounted her lunch with Shelly.
"She'll never be happy the way she's going," Lisa observed. "She's got to start respecting herself and stop depending so much on the affections of men."
"Speaking of men, I talked to Josh today." Rebecca blushed. Lisa's smile faded immediately.
"And?" she asked.
"We just chatted. You don't like him, do you?"
"It's not that. It's just... He doesn't seem your type." Rebecca didn't think this was what really bothered Lisa, but decided not to push the topic.
"So what is my type?"
"Somebody more like you: smart, put together, respectable. Not like Josh."
"You didn't date him, did you?"
"No!" Lisa looked insulted at the idea.
"Sorry. Just asking."
"It's getting late, and you've got work in the morning. I think it's time for bed." Lisa stood up and Rebecca filed suit. Despite being a foot taller than Lisa, she felt like a small child being led off to bed by her mother.
Lisa walked her to the door, wished Rebecca a good night, then shut the door with a slight smile.
That night Rebecca's dreams were filled with thoughts of Josh - Josh sweating under the sun, Josh in a steamy shower, Josh in an elevator, kissing her in an elevator... She woke with a start. Her heart was pounding and she was covered in sweat. It had been a good dream. Rolling over, Rebecca caught a glimpse of the clock. Not even three yet. What had woken her?
She got out of bed and walked over to the window. It was a quiet night. The dim glow of the lights below showed empty streets. Too awake to go back to bed, Rebecca walked into the living room. She found the empty spot on the couch and sat down. Only after hearing the crunching of paper as she sat did Rebecca remember that she had left her pictures there. She picked them up and turned on the lamp.
After hearing what Lisa had said about them, she thought she could see the glow surrounding her in the pictures. It was as if everything but her was a little darker, as if in shadow. Rebecca tried to believe that this person meant no harm. She tried to think of it as a compliment, but couldn't. She didn't like having someone following her around. To know that some stranger had gotten every tiny detail of her face, her hair, her body perfectly, to know that someone knew her that intimately... she felt violated.
Rebecca resigned herself to trying to get back to sleep. She turned off the lamp and trudged back to her bedroom. Maybe it was the late hour. Maybe it was thinking about the mysterious stranger. Just before getting into bed, Rebecca saw a shadow dart behind a curtain in the apartment building across from her. She looked again, but saw nothing. Deciding she was simply imagining things in her exhausted state, she got under the covers and went to sleep.

Chapter Three

The next morning, as Rebecca rushed out the door for work, she was surprised at her disappointment. She half-expected another picture to be waiting for her in front of the door, but there was nothing. It was as if Christmas had come, and no presents were left under the tree. Rebecca could not explain why this disappointed her. The pictures had scared her. They had made her feel vulnerable. So why did she feel this way?
Rebecca barely noticed the elevator door opening in front of her. She jumped and snapped out of her contemplation when she heard his voice.
"Are you getting in, or are you going to catch the next one?" Josh smiled his usual smile that made Rebecca feel as if her legs had turned to jell-o. Far from his usual jeans and t-shirt, Josh was dressed up in a suit and tie. His hair was neatly combed and he had an air of total confidence. Rebecca tried hard not to stare.
"Sorry," she squeaked as she stepped into the elevator. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."
"It happens."
"Doesn't look like you're working on cars today." Rebecca was proud of herself for not revealing her anxiety as she spoke.
"I've got a meeting." He stated this with a tone that told her to ask no more. They rode in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "Listen, Becky, around lunchtime I'm either going to need someone to cheer me up or I'll want to celebrate. If you don't have any plans, would you mind if I took you out to lunch?"
"Yes! I mean, no. I mean, I'd love to have lunch with you." Rebecca could feel her face flushing. His eyes twinkled. The door opened and they stepped out.
"I'll meet you in front of the library. What time do you have lunch?"
"Noon."
"See ya then!" They parted ways. He turned and walked to his white sedan. She watched him walk away before turning and heading in the opposite direction to the library. The birds sang merrily. The sun seemed to shine brighter. Rebecca felt lighter than air as she walked.
"Good morning Shelly!" she sang as she walked into the library. Shelly stood behind the circulation desk scanning books into the computer. She looked out of place as usual, as if she'd be much more at home in a mall.
"Somebody sure seems to be in a good mood today," Shelly commented with a smile laying the books to the side. "Do tell."
"Oh, nothing really. Just that Josh is taking me out to lunch." She couldn't stop smiling and it was starting to make her cheeks ache.
"Josh..." She contemplated the name for a moment. "Who's Josh?"
"Elevator guy."
"You're kidding! So much for him not knowing you exist! What happened?"
"He just sort of asked me on the way out of the building this morning. Something about an important meeting and he wants someone to celebrate with afterward."
"Shame it's lunch though. The most casual of meals. But at least it's something. You'll have to give me all the details."
"You'll pry them out of me, I'm sure." Rebecca called as she walked back to the staff room. As she placed her purse on the shelf, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Two hours and forty-five minutes. How would she ever last?
As Rebecca went to work reshelving books, she entertained thoughts of Josh. She still couldn't decide if he looked more handsome polished in his suit, or hot and sweaty in his torn jeans.
As ten o'clock became eleven, she began thinking about lunch. Where would he take her? Would it be fancy? Would they just go to the cafe? What would they talk about? He didn't know anything about her, and she knew less about him. She couldn't imagine them having anything in common. She knew books. He knew cars. She thought of a meal spent in forced conversation and awkward silences. Her heart raced at the thought.
By eleven forty-five, she was a nervous wreck. She went to the staff room and checked her reflection in the mirror. How plain she looked. Her dark hair was in a low pony tail, tied with a lilac ribbon that matched her sweater. Her black pencil skirt only added to the image of a stereotypical librarian. She experimented with her hair: letting it hang loose, pulling it to the side, putting it in a high pony tail that made her look like a cheerleader. Finally she settled on tying the ribbon around her head like a head band. She looked far from sexy, but at least she didn't look matronly anymore.
"I thought you'd be in here getting ready," Shelly said as she entered the room. "I've got something I want you to try."
Shelly pulled her large purse off a shelf and began pulling make-up out of it. Rebecca wasn't a huge fan of make-up. A little went a long way in her opinion. She started getting worried when Shelly started pulling out tweezers and other contraptions that Rebecca wasn't familiar with.
"Here it is." She handed Rebecca a simple tube of lipstick. "This color is perfect for you. Go ahead and try it."
Rebecca turned to the mirror and applied a shade of lipstick that she would have never picked for herself. It was cherry red. She looked at her reflection and the effect was stunning. Rather than the slutty effect she had expected, she saw that the color made her face shine and her eyes pop. She smiled and realized she actually did look like a sexy librarian.
"I figured you'd like it and I know he will. And don't worry. That stuff is really good, won't kiss off or anything." She said this with a wink.
"I don't think that will be a problem," Rebecca blushed. "We're just having lunch."
"You never know. You can have that by the way. The color looks awful on me. I've been meaning to give it to you for awhile, but I kept forgetting" She began piling her things back into the bag.
"I think I'm going to be sick."
"You'll be fine. Like you said, it's 'just lunch'. Don't ruin it by getting all bent out of shape. Just take ten deep breaths before going in there."
"In there? You mean he's here now?!"
"Yeah, he came in a minute ago and asked for you. I told him I'd go hunt you down. You're right. He is a fox."
"Shelly! Why didn't you tell me!?!"
"Cause you need to calm down before you make a fool of yourself. Now, ten deep breaths..."
Rebecca breathed deeply and told herself she was an adult. She scolded herself for acting like a little girl. She told herself that she would get through this meal without her nerves getting the best of her.
"Good. Now go on out there." Shelly gave her a gentle push toward the door.
Rebecca walked down the hall toward the circulation desk. Josh wasn't there. She looked around and found him sitting in a chair near a window browsing the newspaper.
"You're early," she spoke confidently. He looked up and beamed at her. He folded up the newspaper and placed it on the table beside him.
"I hope you don't mind," he said as he stood up. "I just couldn't resist. The girl at the desk said it'd be okay if you left a little early."
"It's fine. I just wasn't expecting you, that's all." They began walking toward the door. He opened it for her and she smiled at the chivalry.
"It's such a beautiful day, I thought we'd walk," he said to her as they stepped out into the bright sun. He held out his arm and she took it. They walked down the steps and turned toward the little cafe.
"So we're going to the University Cafe?"
"Nope. There's a little place near there. Ever been to Antonio's?"
"I've never even heard of it."
"Do you like Italian?"
"It's my favorite."
"Then you'll love Antonio's. A friend of mine owns the place."
Rebecca could feel how strong his arm was as she held it. It made her heart flutter and she tried to ignore it.
"I take it your meeting went well?"
"Very well."
"Are you going to tell me what it was about?"
"Let's just say I came out on the good end of a very big real estate deal."
"Real estate? I thought you were a mechanic."
"Everybody thinks that," he laughed. "Maybe I should dress up more often. You wouldn't believe how many people have called me 'Sir' today."
"I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that you work at that car repair shop, right?"
"Actually, I own it."
"Really? You own Pete's?"
"Pete was my dad. He left it to me when he passed away six years ago."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, really. It was a long time ago. Anyway, I worked at that shop for years before he died. Knew everything about it. After I finished school, I went full time. Frankly, it's outgrown that old building. Business is good and it's time to branch out."
"Hence the real estate?"
"Hence the real estate."
"So you're moving the shop?"
"Oh no. There's too much history at that place. I'm just opening another location. Out by the highway. It cost a pretty penny, but it's a done deal."
"Wow. I had no idea."
"Not many people know that I'm more than a grease monkey."
"Well, in my defense, I did just meet you."
"Very true. And you'll soon learn that I'm just full of surprises." He smiled at her mischievously.
The restaurant was around the corner from the cafe. It was tiny and easy to miss. A little bell rang as Josh opened the door for her and the entered. Small round tables were scattered around the room, each with red and white checkered tablecloths. The room was dimly lit by candles on the tables and the light coming through the windows. The smell of garlic bread made her suddenly realize she was starving.
"Mr. Stevenson! How nice to see you again!" A small plump man greeted them enthusiastically.
"Good afternoon, Tony. Is my table available?"
"But of course! Right this way." Tony led them to a table nestled in the corner of the room. He placed menus in front of them and took their drink orders.
"Your table? Bring many girls here?"
"Like I said, he's a friend. I come here a lot. The chicken parmigiana is wonderful."
Rebecca rarely ordered what anybody else recommended, and she perused the menu for a few minutes before finally deciding on the chicken parmigiana. Tony took their order and left them with a basket of steaming bread.
"Thanks for coming," Josh said to her as Tony waddled away.
"My pleasure. So, are you going to tell me anything about yourself?"
"Depends. What do you want to know?"
"I assume you grew up around here?"
"Right. Just a few blocks away actually. I even went to the university for four years."
"What did you major in?" Rebecca tried to hide her surprise.
"Business actually. I know, you're shocked. Like I told you, there's more than meets the eye here."
"I'm learning."
"I didn't plan on working at the shop forever. But when dad died, my plans changed. I finished school and used what I had learned to build the business."
"I'm sure he would have been proud."
"Yeah." His eyes glistened and Rebecca sensed that it was time to change the subject.
"What do you like to do on you days off?"
"I hope to show you sometime." Rebecca blushed fiercely. It was just the reaction he was hoping for. He beamed at her. She was saved when Tony brought their meals.
"Is there anything else I can get you?" he asked.
"We're fine. Thanks Tony." They began eating and she noticed that he kept sneaking sly glances at her. He was giving her looks that made her heart melt. She made sure she was fully composed before attempting to speak again.
"For a 'friend', Tony sure seems to worship the ground you walk on."
"I helped him out of a tight spot a few years ago. I told him he didn't owe me anything, but he's been acting like this ever since."
"What happened?"
"He owed my dad quite a bit and couldn't afford to pay."
"How'd you help him out of that?"
"Forgave the debt. It didn't make any difference to me if he paid me what he had owed my dad. He's a good guy and I wasn't about to chase after him for the money."
"That very kind of you." He merely shrugged at this and they continued eating.
"It's probably getting about time for me to head back," Rebecca spoke up resentfully. She'd never been more reluctant to go to work.
"You're right," Josh said as he looked at his watch. They stood and Josh had a word with Tony as Rebecca made her way to the door. He caught up with her and held the door open for her again. Offering his arm to her again, they began the slow walk back to the library.
The silence that hung around them was less awkward and Rebecca thought of how wonderful it felt to be with him. She thought of the hints he had dropped about spending more time with her. Then she thought of how little they knew about each other.
"Josh, I've had a wonderful time."
"I'm glad. I'm aiming for a perfect day... so far so good." He smiled at her and she tried not to blush.
"I've just got one question, and I hope you don't mind me asking."
"Shoot."
"Why me?"
"Why not?"
"Well, you could have spent this time with anyone. Even Shelly would have loved to be in my place."
"She's not my type."
"And how do you know I am?"
"Rebecca," he stopped walking and she froze. She had never heard him say her real name before. "I know more about you than you realize."
"Oh?"
"For instance," he continued as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "I know you're a dreamer. I can see in your eyes that your mind is almost always on something else. Like me, there's more to you than people realize."
For a moment they simply stood facing each other. His hand lingered on her cheek as he gazed into her eyes. She met his gaze and became lost in his eyes. The world around them seemed to fade away.
A clock bell broke the silence. One o'clock. Rebecca suddenly realized she was late.
"Oh no. I totally lost track of time. I'm late."
"Don't worry. I was told you didn't have to rush back." He said this with another of his sly grins. They continued walking. They talked of the weather and of her job. She wasn't sure who was more keen that they kept the conversation casual. Before long, they were standing at the bottom of the library steps.
"Thanks again, Josh. I'll see you later?"
"Of course. Have a good afternoon." In his final act of chivalry, he took her hand and pressed it gently to his lips. He then turned and walked away. She watched him dazed, before shaking herself out of it and heading up the steps.