"Well spit!" Lynn cursed as the 8:30 announcement sounded. "I should have known he'd be a no show," she grumbled under her breath as she made her rounds. She heard the chimes ring, indicating that the library was now closed. As she chased the last of the students out the doors, she locked them and turned on the security alarm. Then she stomped back over to the reference desk, muttering sulkily under her breath.
"Bad day, ducks?" called Bastian. She looked over to where he stood, straightening the periodicals. She had to smile- you just couldn't look at Bastian and not smile. He was just so... so cute! Always happy, always eager to please, always adorable... rather like a puppy. In this case a boyishly gorgeous British puppy, but still.
Well, I got stood up for a date, but otherwise... "I'm just peachy," she muttered, throwing an errant pencil back onto the desk.
"My, my, we are in a bad mood. It's time for Dr. Sebastian's miracle cure then. You've got kind of a naughty librarian thing going with that short skirt... Grab your purse Honey- let's go find us some men!"
She had to laugh. "Sugar, we have completely different taste in men. Besides, they always like you better anyway- you're prettier than me. But you go ahead, I can finish locking up on my own."
His face lit up, but then he frowned. "But what if some great hulking brute is just hiding in the stacks, waiting to pounce on you? "
Don't I wish, Lynn thought on a sigh. "Then I'll smack him with an unabridged dictionary. Go on. Have fun." She began nudging him away from the newspapers.
"But I'd feel miserable if something happened to my favorite office mate!" he protested.
"Psh... Nothing's going to happen to me. I'll lock up. I'll go home. I'll sit in a huge tub full of bubbles and sulk..." she began.
Bastian grabbed the desk and held on as she tried to shove him toward the door. "Aha! So there is something wrong! I knew it!"
Lynn straightened up and smacked him on the shoulder. Laughing, she flicked her hand toward the exit. "I'm fine, just tired. You go! You can call and tell me all the sordid details later. Shoo! Now get lost!"
He backed away, edging toward the door. "Fine, fine, fine. I'm going." He turned and winked at her. "But I'm going to pick up an extra guy for you!"
"Um... ick!" She choked with laughter and shook her head. "Just the thought... ick." He laughed and waved as he ducked out the back door.
Lynn locked the door after him, the laughter fading from her face as she returned to the reference desk to put away the last of the books that had been left out. Her mood turned pensive again as she took out her frustration on a hapless atlas that happened to be near, shoving it roughly into its place on the shelf. She turned off the computer and headed over to the circulation desk.
How could I have been so stupid? she thought. I knew I shouldn't have believed him. Then her irritation changed to anger. "No!" she said out loud as she grabbed a book from the return bin. "He's a coward."
"Sure Lynn," she grouched to herself. "Finally you realize, finally admit that the guy was flirting with you, then he actually asks you for a lunch date. Of course he didn't show up." She laughed ruefully. "Why should he come?" Sighing heavily, she suddenly growled. "Grr... jerk. Twisting me all up like this. He's just another man that's all talk, no action. Ugh." She ran the book through the scanner, then slammed it down on the cart.
He had been visiting every Friday for the entire spring term. Every single week he had dropped by the library. So why not now? Why, today of all days, the one day they were supposed to have their stupid date, did he not come? "See if I ever dress up for a man again." She retrieved a wayward book and slammed it on the desk. "Stupid heels! My feet are killing me. Wretched short skirt... my backside's been freezing all day! And I can barely bend over in this blasted corset top. Psh... men!" she spat in disgust. As she walked past the office, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. She had to admit, the outfit did look kind of cute. The short grey plaid skirt, the black heels, the blue satin corset top under a darker blue velvet jacket... with her glasses she did look a bit like the 'naughty librarian' Bastian had called her. Well, the fishnet stockings helped with that too, but you didn't really notice those unless you were close. "What a waste!" she grumbled as she moved on to the desk to check in the remaining books.
"Coward," she hissed again as she tossed another book onto the cart to be shelved. "Can't be bothered to come tell me de didn't want to meet for lunch after all," she griped. "Cripes!" Another book crashed onto the cart. "Men," she muttered in disgust. "All cowards or bullies or mama's boys. I should just get another dog. They're more loyal," she ranted as she finished checking in the books. When she'd finished, she shoved the cart back into position hard enough that it bounced off the shelves behind. Her anger faded as she adjusted the cart again. Why didn't he come? she wondered. Her head dropped, and her eyes stung as she sighed. "I should have known better."
"Lynn." His deep voice echoed through the empty library. She froze. Oh, spit! How long had he been there?
Startled, she looked up to see him standing at the end of the counter, his hands clasped behind his back. Her eyes slid over him, taking in the gorgeous grey three-piece suit and azure tie that he wore. She wanted to slide her hands into his dark hair, to finally know what it felt like between her fingers, but as she looked at him, she was trapped by the look in his deep blue eyes. There was something about him, some force of magnetism or personality... something that drew her attention and wouldn't let her go. Annoyed at herself for staring, she cleared her throat. "Oh, so you decided to show up after all." Her eyes grew wide for a moment. Cripes! She couldn't believe she'd sat that! Normally she wasn't this snippy, but irritation charged her voice with a tone she couldn't mask.
"I'm sorry." He smiled apologetically and held out his hand to offer her a single white daisy. "I know I missed our lunch, but I want to make it up to you."
Something in her chest lurched as she took the flower. "Well next week is out of the question. I'm at a conference, and today I'm... meeting a friend-"
"No." He interrupted. "Tonight. Here and now."
She turned and flounced toward the reference desk to grab her purse. "Sorry, but I have other plans." Purse in hand, she walked to the back door, ready to leave. She had unlocked the door and pulled it open when she heard him laugh softly. Against her better judgment, she turned to look at him.
An amused half-smile crossed his face as he leaned back against the desk. "With whom?" he asked her idly, as he turned his attention to the calendar on her desk.
"I told you," she snapped back. "A friend. His name's Ben if you must know!" Well, Ben and his pal Jerry, she mentally amended.
He murmured in agreement, picked up a pen, and examined it closely. She stood there for a moment just watching him before she realized what she was doing. He's ignoring me! she thought irritably. Oh for the love of...Just then, he turned and looked her square in the eyes.
"Enough."
Lynn stopped in mid word, her breath caught in her throat. The look on his face intensely focused; totally in control, had her utterly paralyzed. Jonathan stepped towards her as she had the instantaneous urge to move back, but she deliberately and stubbornly held her ground. With her high heels, she was taller than he was, but as he looked her up and down it brought her a flush of embarrassment rather than pleasure. She blushed again from the sensual intensity of his examination. No longer able to meet his gaze, her eyes lowered and swept down to the floor. She twitched as he moved again, as he slid around her to shut the door heavily. Then she heard the lock click.
"What...?" The word died in her throat as she spun around to face him, only to be snared by his gaze again. The focus was still in his eyes, and as he looked at her, the questioning look on his face resolved into certainty as he found some answer in her face. She backed away as he slowly prowled toward her, moving backward until she ran into a table and fell against it, her backside hitting hard against the wooden surface. His pace never changed. Her eyes left his gaze and swept the room... though she wasn't sure whether she was looking for an escape or to make sure they were alone. He stalked her, finally stopping not more than six inches away, trapping her against the table. She closed her eyes. Her chest was heaving, her body burned as adrenaline rushed through her, making her feel alive. She felt as thought her heart was going to burst.
"Lynn." His voice sent a shiver up her spine.
She couldn't look at him, she just couldn't. If she looked, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from touching him. Opening her eyes again she stared at the floor.
She swallowed nervously. "Yes sir?" she answered. Her voice sounded normal, but she felt like a bird trapped by her playful cat. She closed her eyes again.
"This... color looks very good on you." He traced his finger over the collar of her jacket.
"Oh my God." Her eyes shot up to his face, her gaze locking with his. His eyes were penetrating every thought, every wisp of fantasy that had ever been in her head. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. And she couldn't handle it. Jerking back from his touch, the backs of her thighs hit the table and she had to throw her hands back to keep from falling completely off balance as her backside landed on the table.
His eyes darkened and he smirked. "This is a very appealing outfit." The finger returned to her jacket and stroked over the velvet collar. She licked her suddenly dry lips as his finger traced down the right side of her jacket, and back up again and onto the deep blue satin of her corset... His finger played over the swell of her breasts as they peeked over the top of the suddenly revealing corset. There were tears in her eyes, sparked from what she wasn't quite sure.
