Shy of Tomorrow

Shy of Tomorrow

         “Oh crap.  There he is.”

         “Who?” Marin turned to look in the direction that Kylee was staring with eyes the size of saucers and her own hazel eyes widened with surprise.           She could only see one person that would make her friend look like she wanted to leap into open arms while simultaneously wanting to shrink into a small, small creature and hide under a large rock.

         He must have been at least six foot seven; wild but sexy raven hair; eyes the color of a stormy sea; a strong, chiseled face with at least a day’s worth of dark, scruffy stubble; wide, wide shoulders that looked like they could hold the weight of the world; arms that were muscled and led to strong hands; and the longest legs she’d ever seen.  Marin could not believe the vision of pure male beauty that was walking toward a shelf of all things, romance books.

         Marin turned back to gape at Kylee who was now pale and embarrassed.

         “Ky, you should go for him… you look hot…” Marin said and Kylee scowled at her.

         “Marin, this is not Pretty Woman and I am not Julia Roberts!  Get your head out of the movies… this is real life!” Kylee snapped, her baby blues blazing with the fire of her irritation.  She’d admired… desired even… the beautiful man that was once again roaming the romance section of the public library for nearly two months and her friend’s flippant response made her more aware of her shyness and discomfort.

         “But think of all the life lessons you can get from movies, Ky!” Marin admonished.

         “No, I choose not to contemplate the garbage that is destroying your mind with that crap.  Read a book, damnit!”

         Marin looked back over at the hunk in romance and smirked.  “Maybe I will.  I’ll start with romance novels.”

         Kylee closed her eyes in a silent plea for patience while Marin enjoyed herself at Kylee’s expense.  Marin noticed Kylee’s state of upset and suddenly felt a stab of remorse.  She knew Kylee was almost painfully shy, courtesy of the incessant bullying and teasing that she endured from her three older sisters.

         “Ky, I’m sorry.  I’ll quit teasing you.  Seriously, what is he doing in the romance books?  Is he gay?” Marin whispered, putting her hand on Kylee’s.  Kylee opened her eyes and gazed at Marin with pain clouding her eyes.

         “I have no idea.  I never ask.  It’s all I can do just to check his books out.” Kylee moaned, sounding more like a love struck teen than a woman of thirty three.  Marin felt the eyes of Kylee’s boss on her and shuffled nervously.

         “The head book troll is glaring at me, I better go before she turns into a she-demon,” Marin murmured.  “Thanks for helping me find the book on turtle anatomy.”

         “No problem.  I’ll call tonight and you can tell me if you got a boy or a girl.” Kylee said with a small smile.  She watched Marin walk out the automatic door then continued to work her way through the piles of books that had been returned.  Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Mr. Hunk, as she’d come to think of him, as he continued to peruse the romance novels.  She wondered as she worked, and not for the first time, why he was reading so many of the sappy books that she personally could not stomach.  Was Marin on to something… was he gay?

         Kylee plucked a stray lock of her mahogany colored hair from her face and tucked it back into her braid.  Marin was always telling her that she was pretty, but it was so hard to believe when two of her sisters were models and the other a movie starlet.  They’d always been surrounded by guys, always been stunningly beautiful and had always treated her like a freak because she preferred books and puzzles to brainless guys who didn’t know the difference between pinto and a mustang unless you were referring to cars.  Marin said she, Kylee, had lovely eyes that were a soft blue; beautiful hair that was such a different color that most women were in envy of it; a nice body and a gentle, kind personality that only made her prettier.  Oh how Kylee wished that she believed Marin wasn’t biased and viewing her through movie idealized eyes… wished that she had a chance with that beautiful man.

         All Kylee saw when she looked in the mirror was crazy, unmanageable reddish brown hair; boring blue eyes just like everyone else’s; too small breasts and a mousy, boring personality.  She continued to ignore the baleful glares from her boss, Sharon Prudhomme and kept scanning in the returned books. 

         As Kylee worked, she continued to surreptitiously watch Mr. Hunk, who for some reason kept looking over at something behind her.  Did he like her boss?  That couldn’t be… Ms. Prudhomme, or The Prude as Kylee thought of her, was nearing sixty, grey haired and as frumpy as they came… he couldn’t be attracted to her.  Maybe he was gay and the Prude was his aunt or something.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. Hunk; with his arms full of novels begin working his way toward the check-out counter and Kylee’s heart leapt into her throat.

         “Oh crap,” she muttered under her breath as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.  Swallowing over the lump of panic in her throat and clenching her fists to hide their tremors, Kylee moved over to the counter where Mr. Hunk stood waiting patiently.

         He slid his library card over the counter top to Kylee and as she took it, their fingers brushed.  Kylee closed her eyes and pleaded for some massive hole to open up and swallow her, even as her heart flipped hopefully at the touch.  Without looking up at him, Kylee scanned his card then took the books from him to begin scanning.

         “Why don’t you ever look up?”

         The voice was low and deep and it washed over Kylee like a warm wave of melted chocolate.  She gasped and slowly raised her eyes to meet his eyes, noticing as she did that those eyes were beautiful; a captivating color somewhere between blue and grey that made her think of the way the sky fell to the sea in a heavy storm.  Kylee stood frozen, her mind blank, her fingers unsure of what their purpose was. 

         “I know you have a voice, I’ve heard it, but never with me,” he spoke again and Kylee felt the heat rise higher in her cheeks.  She opened her mouth to give some witty comeback, but her mind remained utterly and completely blank and useless.  Kylee knew her eyes must have been the size of dinner plates and breathing was hit or miss at this point, making her feel light headed.

         “Have I offended you?” Mr. Hunk asked.  Kylee snapped her mouth shut since her brain couldn’t see fit to give it words and shook her head.  Somehow, Kylee’s hands remembered that they were supposed to be scanning books and resumed the task by rote, her eyes never leaving the stormy depths of his stunning eyes.

         “Are you afraid of me?” 

         At this question, Kylee closed her eyes and lowered her head as tears threatened to overcome her.  He was so gorgeous and he was talking to her and there were so many things she wanted to say, but none of those things occurred to her and now he thought she was afraid of him.  Oh, how she hated being shy!

         “Are you?” he asked again.  Kylee swallowed hard, blinking back the tears as she finished scanning the last book and placed them in the bag he put on the counter.  Slowly, tremulously, Kylee raised her head and shook it again.  To her amazement, a slow smile blossomed on his handsome, chiseled face and Kyle thought for sure that her heart was going to cease beating entirely.  What she’d thought was stunning before had morphed into the epitome of perfection as he showed her straight, white teeth and two deep, deep dimples.

         “So if you aren’t offended or afraid, may I assume that you are shy?” Mr. Hunk surmised.  Kylee wanted to die, with his fabulous dimples burned into her brain, right then and there at the accuracy of his conclusion.  Her mouth began trying to make words again, but as before, her mind refused to give any and he chuckled softly.

         “You’re cute.  Thank you for the books… until tomorrow.” Mr. Hunk said as he caught the handles of his bag and lifted it from the counter.  Kylee blinked repeatedly as she watched him walk to the door.  Just as he reached the point that the door slid open, Mr. Hunk turned and waved at her.  Kylee raised her hand and his smiled widened then he was gone.

         He thought she was cute!?  Suddenly she was Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer taking flight after being told he was cute.  Her heart soared and her mind was suddenly full of all the things she’d ever wanted to say to him.  She was cute!  He’d be back the next day and he thought she was cute!  Now if only she could make her brain function in his presence…











1560 Words