The Accidental kiss

a's

verse h

king up late, spilling coffee on yourself (again), and realizin

ugh. I'm fine.

way to my part-time shift at the book

ction. The man I practical

accidental kiss, the way he looked at me like I'd ruined his entire existen

stop thinkin

st seem like... a hassle. I mean, who has the time? But f

kstore, determined to focus on work an

e tucked into a corner of the city, and I love it here. The sme

vals when the bell above the door jingles.

s h

from y

he doi

backs and secondhand classics. His sharp suit and col

he doesn't see me. My heart is racing ag

wing me? No, that's ridicul

counter, talking to my boss, Mrs. Winslow. His voice is low and smooth, and ev

uring toward the back of the store

s when he

niel'

tore wasn

how disorganized my home office was. Apparently, my shelves a

though James annoys me, he's u

he place is tiny and smells like dust and n

ere a kind-looking older w

I help

For decoration,

she quickly recovers. "Of course. An

classic," I reply

ide her confusion, and points

her directions, b

lf, her face partially hidden, but there's something familia

en it

he woman fr

hurricane of clumsiness and awkward

't really a k

ke it belongs to someone twice her size, and her hair is pulled into a messy bun. S

ost... e

ndearing.

aps up. Our eyes meet, and I can t

ys, her voice bare

a's

me

bookstores in the city, why did

ke he's trying to figure out if I'm a rea

squeak, my voice e

w, clearly unimpres

uring vaguely at the shel

ble, and for a moment, we just

tension. But my brain is a scrambled mess, and all I ca

hing in particular?" I blurt ou

's trying not to smirk.

e of how to respond.

he says, h

he's making fun of me, but either way,

sics over here," I say, lead

nce somehow both intimid

aking slightly, and I accidentally kn

p, scrambling

n I glance up, I catch the faint

... a

n hotter, and I quickly turn away, f

o read?" I ask, trying

," he repli

are you bu

ats, like it's the most o

. It's a nervous, awkwa

like unread books," I say, the words

e's no malice in his expression. I

s talk this m

ervous," I admit

smirk, and my heart do

"you're certainly

by that, but the way he say

moment, a small part of me hopes he