“Well, what are you looking for?” he asked.
“The librarian, I guess,” she told him, not wanting to depend on him for help.
“She’s out at the moment. I’m looking after the place.”
She eyed him strangely. A student looking after this ancient, valuable library? Yeah, right.
“You are?” she asked, frowning.
The disbelief in her voice was almost palpable.
“Yes,” he nodded, enthusiastically. “I’m the librarian’s assistant, sort of.”
“Never heard of such a thing,” she murmured.
“Psst!”
Someone from across the room warned them to be quiet.
“Sorry,” they both replied simultaneously.
“Come,” he pulled her by the hand and she immediately felt how warm it was and how perfectly it slid into hers.
She followed him obediently, until they got out of the first room, through the second and entered what appeared to be a small office. He closed the door behind them. The smell of old books and worn out paper hung in the air. She loved it.
“Here, we can talk here,” he told her.
“That’s all fine but I just need the librarian so she can show me where the history section is.”
“I just told you that she isn’t here, but I’d be happy to help you out,” he grinned.
There was no malice or impatience in his voice. He just seemed genuinely happy to help. Those dimples in his cheeks were proof of that.
“Fine,” she snorted. “It doesn’t matter. Just tell me where the history section is.”
“It’s in the sixth room,” he nodded, preparing to sit down at the small desk in the corner. “It’s down the main hallway, to the right, past the water fountain, through the fourth room, then up the stairs but not the winding ones, the ones in the corner that lead straight up, then right, then the second room on the left. That’s the sixth room.”
Mina listened to all this, then swallowed heavily. It seemed easier to find the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow than room six.
“Anything else?” he eyed her, as if she was already supposed to be out of there.
“No, just…” she sighed heavily, glancing at the door, then back at him.
“You need help?” he asked.
“Probably…” she said as quietly as she could, “a little.”
“Then go and if you get lost a little, I’ll come and get you,” he replied but there was a smile on his face that revealed he was really enjoying this.
“Can’t you help me?” she finally asked. “Just take me there?”
“I could, sure,” he nodded, “that’s exactly why I’m here, you see. The librarian, Miss Potts, couldn’t be in two places at the same time. Helping students with books at her desk and showing them where each of the rooms are. So, I volunteered to help, seeing I spend so much time in here anyway, might as well be useful, right?” he smiled cheerfully.
“I guess,” she gave a half shrug.
“And, that’s exactly what I offered to you, but then you acted like a real bitch, pardon my French, so now, I’m actually torn between helping you and leaving you to wait for Miss Potts to return, and it actually might be a while, so you might have to either wait, or try your luck on your own. But, if you do get lost, make sure not to shout too loud, you might disrupt the others…”
“Do you ever shut up?” she interrupted him.