Bookworms and Runways

Chapter 3: Isaac Apologizes with Cookies

When Isaac made it in to work, one of the part-timers, Lawrence, was behind the customer service desk sorting through a pile of books. Olivia was nowhere to be found.

Lawrence barely glanced up at him, adding another paperback to one of his piles. “You're awfully late." Isaac liked Lawrence, the college kid was laid-back and well-read, and he could handle the toughest customers.

“Yeah, sorry, ran into some trouble and police take forever."

The half-interested side-eye turned into a fully invested stare down. “I'm sorry, police?"

Isaac waved the concern away. He clocked in and ran to the break room, throwing his bag at his desk and just missing Olivia sitting in the office, sandwich in one hand and phone in the other.

“There you are!" The words were muffled around the sandwich in her mouth. She swallowed and chased it down with water. “I was worried. What happened?"

“Mugger, saved a guy, everything's fine, enjoy your lunch!" He grabbed a portable store phone and raced back out the door.

Lawrence was on the computer now, looking up a book for a customer. While he was busy, Isaac did his rounds to check up on everyone else, only settling down when seeing for himself that everything was okay.

He grabbed some cookies for Olivia and Lawrence from the café, not surprised in the least to find Olivia back on the floor already and tapping her foot impatiently.

She snatched a cookie from him. “You cannot tell me something vague about a mugger and then run off without explaining anything!"

Rolling his eyes, Isaac gave a quick summary of what happened, handing Lawrence his own cookie to apologize.

“You're unbelievable." Olivia nibbled on her chocolate chunk cookie. “Cries when customers yell at you, and then tackles a guy with a gun."

His face warmed. “That was one time, and it was the day after inventory!" They did inventory overnight, so he hadn't slept and the store was a mess.

“You're never getting out of dealing with rude customers again," Olivia promised, checking something on her phone. She frowned at the device and then looked up at Isaac. “Do you know where your phone is?"

“My phone?" he repeated, hand drifting to his pocket.

His empty pocket.

He swore. He'd tossed it to the business man, but he'd never gotten it back, had he?

“Don't worry, I'm on it," Olivia said, typing something out on her phone.

“What does that mean?" Isaac asked.

Before she could answer a customer came by asking for help, and the three of them dispersed to actually get some work done. Isaac did his best to focus on helping a grandmother pick out a chapter book for their grandkid, and not on how he couldn't afford a new phone.

He'd almost managed to forget about it entirely, making another pass around the store. He spotted someone by customer service and adjusted his route. “Hi there! How can I…you!"

His customer service persona dropped as he took in who stood there. Stunning gray suit and fitted turtle neck, gorgeous dark brown hair. He didn't even look like he'd been assaulted an hour ago. Now that he was properly looking at him, Isaac would swear he'd seen him before, but he couldn't place where.

The man looked up at him and shoved Isaac's phone out. “I am so sorry."

“Oh, thank god." Isaac happily took it back. “Thank you for returning it. I really didn't want to buy a new one."

“It was the least I could do after you saved my life," the man said. He didn't seem to know what to do with his empty hands, adjusting the cuffs on his suit and then shoving them in his pockets. “I apologize for texting one of your contacts to find you. I didn't know what else to do."

That explained Olivia's weird actions earlier. “It's alright, I'm just glad to have it back."

The man hummed. “I wanted to thank you, too, for earlier."

“I did what anyone would," Isaac insisted.

“But anyone didn't," the man said. “So, thank you."

Isaac's ears warmed. “You're welcome, then. Um. I'm Isaac Greene, by the way."

“Pleasure to meet you. Sean Winters, but you probably knew that." He scratched at his cheek, just under his blue eye. The other eye was cool gray.

Isaac's mind short-circuited. No wonder he looked so familiar and had the style of a god. He was Sean Winters. His heterochromia made him one of the most famous models out there, not to mention his father, Eric Winters, the famous fashion designer behind the Phoenix brand.

They had at least three magazines with his face on them in their newsstand. He'd just looked at one before he ran into him. How had Isaac not realized it sooner?

“Oh my god," he whispered.

“You didn't realize?"

Isaac whined. “It wasn't really my biggest concern?" He saw two people in an alley and a gun. Excuse him for focusing on the lethal weapon and not the literal supermodel it was pointed at.

“It's alright," Winters said. “It's…kind of refreshing not to be recognized right away, for once."

Isaac pressed his hands to his cheeks. “I can't believe I met you. You're in my bookstore."

He nodded. “I am. I want to properly thank you for saving my life, if you'll let me?"

Isaac c****d his head. “You already said thanks. You're welcome, I guess?"

He chuckled. “I meant dinner, or tickets to my next show, if you want them."

Dinner? Show tickets? What? The sheer surprise sent his mind off the rails again, obliterating his filter. “You mean like a date?"

Winters's cheeks reddened, and he scratched under his eye again while his gaze drifted to a table display. “Yeah, basically. Call me crazy, but I want to get to know the cute bookshop boy who saved my life."

Maybe he really had been shot. That was the only way Isaac could explain Sean Winters referring to him as 'the cute bookshop boy.'

Olivia poked her head up on the far side of the desk. “Answer him, dummy!"

“Oh, um, yes! I'd like that!"

Winters smiled. Not one of the show-stopping smiles he used in magazines, but a soft, genuine smile. “Does Saturday at seven work for you?"

Did it? What was his schedule?

Olivia slapped the counter. “We'll make sure he's free!"

“Thank you," Winters said. “Do you have something I can write with?"

Olivia scrambled for the scrap paper they kept around the computers, pushing the whole stack and a pen across the counter.

Winters plucked the pen and a single sheet off the stack, scribbling something down before handing it to Isaac. “My number. Text me, and we'll pick a place to meet when I have my phone again."

He cradled the paper in his hands. “I will."

This time, when he smiled, it was one of his showstoppers. Heartstopper was more like it, in Isaac's mind. Then he winked at him, and Isaac's knees almost gave out. The prettiest man in the world winked at him and gave him his number.

“I'll see you Saturday," Sean said.

“See you then," Isaac breathed, watching him walk up the aisle and out the doors.

“I had no idea all I needed to do to get a date was save a model from a mugger," Olivia joked.

Isaac turned to her. “I'm going on a date with Sean Winters."

Olivia laughed. “Yeah, I saw."

“What the hell am I supposed to wear on a date with a supermodel?" Isaac demanded.

Her laughter grew louder.