“Nope.”
“Oh, well, never mind. I guess we’ll see how we get on.”
“There you go.” I hand her the book and her receipt. The two of them walk out the door beaming at each other while the man behind them remains where he is.
I take a good look at him. Handsome beyond belief. A painful looking burn on his right cheek. Dark eyes that burn into me. Tight lips, strong jaw. Mess of black hair. The suit looks expensive.
“Help you?” I ask as he makes no effort to speak first.
“What would you recommend for a man in his sixties who burns through money to overcome his anger issues?”
“Therapy.”
A smile flickers and dies away. “Any books that might do the trick instead?”
I reach behind me, leaning toward Personal Growth. “This one’s been reviewed well the last few months.”
He glances down at the title. “A monk’s guide to inner peace.” He flicks through the pages. “You know what, he might actually appreciate it.”
He sets the book down on the counter. “Oh, and while I’m here, I’m looking for a copy of Public Enemy Number Two if you have it.”
I can’t resist raising my eyebrows. “For you?”
“You sound surprised.”
“It’s a children’s book.”
“And my all time favorite. I seem to have mislaid my copy somewhere.”
“I can get it for you.” I walk around the counter and over to the children’s section. “Here you go.”
He looks at the cover and then shakes his head. “No, I was after a first edition.”
“Oh, I see. We don’t do that kind of thing here, I’m afraid.”
“Can you get hold of a copy? The price is no object.”
“I can try but it’d probably take a while.”
“I’m in no rush. I’m hoping to read it to my children someday.”
“You have kids?”
“Not yet. You?”
“Yeah, but she’s not old enough for Horowitz just yet.”
“How old is she?”
“Four and Richard Scarry is about as advanced as we get at the minute.”
“What’s her name?”
“Jasmine.”
“Cute name. It means gift from God, did you know that?”
“Why do you think the store’s called Aladdin’s Cave?”