Snowspell

Chapter 3: The Paperweight

Chapter 3: The Paperweight

Changing the subject, turning their blue conversation into something shiny and bright, Avery asked, “Are you looking for something special?”

Judd smiled, nodded, handsome as hell. “I need to find something for my aunt. A little gift to tell her that she’s important, and that I love her.”

Avery thought Judd chiseled and sexy, for all the naughty reasons his mind could drum up. Who didn’t want to spend the morning with a Chris Hemsworth look-alike? “Does she collect anything?”

Judd thought about the question for a few seconds and finally answered with, “Paperweights.”

“I know exactly what she needs.” Avery escorted the man to the right of the counteregister area, turned left down the glass and figurine aisle, and presented three shelves of paperweights to the inn owner.

Avery watched Judd pick up a number of glass orbs, fingering their curved smoothness. The shelves shimmered an abundance of hues: exhilarating purples, calming greens, and vivid reds.

Eventually, Avery pointed out a turquoise sphere and admitted, “That’s one of my favorites. It’s a beauty.” Avery took in the thirty-plus paperweights of various sizes and colors. “I could lie to you and tell you that Ernest Hemingway used it in the fifties while writing his best-sellers, but honestly, it’s just an old piece with a lot of character. I think it’s dated around 1958 and designed by a company named Mettington in New Hampshire.”

Judd held it up. The shop’s interior light danced inside the globe, iridescent with a turquoise hue. He twisted his wrist to the right, left, and said, “It looks like a planet.”

“You’re right. It does. Planet Earth. I guess that’s what you can call it.”

“My Aunt Sophie will love it. Thanks for pointing it out.”

“My pleasure, Judd. It’s what I enjoy doing and get paid to do.”

The two men walked up to the shop’s counteregister area. Avery discreetly checked out the patron’s bottom: compact, globular, nice in its pair of denim. His view traveled north and studied Judd’s V-shaped back: muscular and bulging even in its onyx-colored North Face jacket. Avery studied his span of shoulders and the back of his neck.

Kissable, he thought. Not a bad-looking man at all.

Judd placed the paperweight on the glass counter and said, “Thanks for your help. You’ve made this very easy for me.”

Avery walked around the counter and said, “My pleasure. You’ve chosen well. I’m sure this will be a beautiful addition to your aunt’s collection.”

“Turquoise is her favorite color. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

Avery found a thin piece of tissue paper and wrapped the paperweight inside. He took a second and third piece and did the same thing, alternating the sheets. He looked up from his work and asked again, “Is this for a special occasion?”

Judd shook his head: confident, strong-willed, and without blinking. “It’s just a gift to tell her that I love her. We have a very close relationship since the loss of my parents.”

“That’s sweet, guy. Nicely done. I’ll make this exceptionally nice for her.” Avery excused himself. He walked into his office, fetched a basket, ribbon, and a small candle that smelled like raspberry. Once he returned to the counter, he placed the candle and paperweight inside the basket and decorated it with the ribbon, creating a beautiful bow. Then he passed the gift to the handsome man on the other side of the counter. “Do you think she will like this?”

Judd nodded. “You’re good at this. She’ll love it. Thank you.”

“You need one more thing.” Avery snagged a vintage greeting card from a box on the counter. The card was blank inside. Two water-colored children were tossing snowballs at each other on its front. Avery pushed the card and its cream-hued envelope in front of Judd. “The ribbon, basket, tissue, and card are on the house.”

Judd opened his wallet and slipped thirty dollars into Avery’s right hand. Their fingers touched. “Keep the change. You deserve it.”

“Thank you.” Avery bubbled inside and felt a crush coming on for the tall man; something that he couldn’t control. Truth told, he wanted to spend more time with the stranger during that snowy morning. He felt drawn to the innkeeper, connected to the tall and thin man, attracted to his good looks for unknown reasons.

Judd winked, smiled. He held out his right hand for a shake and said, “Nice to meet you, Avery Gauge. I can tell you’re a good guy, and handsome.”

“Likewise, Judd Maxx.”

Their eyes blended as well as their smiles. Warm energy surfaced on every part of Avery’s body. Tingles collected at his fingertips. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt like this: lost in a man’s eyes, wanting to be touched by a stranger’s fingers, unable to stop smiling. Again, crush came to mind.

Judd pulled free from the shake and started his exit with the charming basket in tow. Over his right shoulder, he called, “We should get a cup of coffee sometime and get to know each other better. What do you say, new friend?”

Avery said, “That sounds like a pretty good idea. You know how to reach me.”

“I do.” Judd exited the thrift store and vanished into the city’s snow-covered day.