This one was a request, so I hope that he enjoys what he reads! I want to thank everyone for reading my work and sending me such positive feedback. It's really encouraging! Please feel free to comment and critique, I always enjoy hearing what you liked, and didn't like. Thanks, guys!
-Kitten-
It was almost like fate; to Katie it was, anyway. She stepped into the dusty old shop with a soft smile, for the place reminded her of the antiques gallery her father and mother had owned, long before the economy had plummeted and forced them to sell out. Her pianist's fingers slid over the treasures the little wares shop had to offer, over glass bottles and small trinkets, over photographs and paintings that had probably once meant a great deal to their owners. Places like this made her sad. She knew that every article inside had a story to tell, and she truly longed to hear it. She wished that their owners had not wanted to sell them, but desperate times always called for desperate measures. She gave a thin sigh and cradled in her palm a small, egg-shaped brooch, colorful, cheerful inside the dim, depressive recess of the shop.
Clutching her treasure protectively, Katie walked to the desk that housed an almost archaic-looking cash register. She tugged on the short hem of her skirt self-consciously with her free hand, and then up further to readjust her sweater. She smiled, her dimples lighting her blue eyes, nearly hidden beneath a wealth of golden blonde curls. The gentleman at the desk looked up from his book when he heard her heels clicking on the cement floor. He smiled over his glasses, and Katie inhaled sharply. The most fascinating honey-coloured eyes looked back at her. She felt her heart skip. She placed the trinket on the desk, and bit her lip. The man appeared to be around her father's age, with slightly salt-and-pepper hair beginning to wear away at what Katie guessed to be a once thick, full head of brown hair. His hair line was only a little receded, and Katie thought it made him look sharp, a little bit smarter, wiser for his years. His smile was rugged, and handsome, and she felt taken in, by all the stories it had to offer.
"Will that be all, miss?" He'd had to repeat himself, as Katie was lost in her reverie. She smiled sheepishly and nodded. He chuckled. "Some people know how to look at all the old stuff, and really pick out the gems. That'll be fifty-three dollars and eleven cents." Katie unsnapped her purse, and frowned.
"You don't take credit cards, do you?" Katie laughed, an almost impish sound. The man smiled, assured her that they did, and Katie handed him the thin piece of plastic. Transaction completed, she turned to leave the little shop, her precious purchase secure in a small bag, inside of her purse.
"Wait..." The man, the only other person in the shop, aside from herself, stood up as Katie turned to leave. "If you really like that piece..." He bit his lip. "I have earrings, and a necklace, that complete the set. I wouldn't sell them to just anybody..." He trailed off, and Katie turned around, her face alight with the prospect of owning the entire set of absolutely gorgeous jewelry. The man gave her a warm smile, and pulled the curtain behind him aside. "They're just in here."
Katie would have followed him to the ends of the earth, even if there wasn't a promise of beautiful jewelry to come. She smiled and slipped underneath his arm, as he held the curtain back. She took in a breath, and turned in a circle. The small room housed some of the most exquisite pieces she'd ever come across. She swallowed, and whimpered, taking a step closer to the shelves.
"Here, miss, this is the rest of the set." His voice was loud and clear, and it startled her from her jewel-lust. She turned quickly to look at him.
"Katherine." Katie murmered, softly. "My name's Katherine." She looked up at him with big blue eyes, eyes that only showed how truly she wore her heart on her sleeve. "But most people just call me Katie."
"What a beautiful name. There used to be an antique jewelry store on Grand Street, called Katherine." He smiled, and the lines around his mouth nearly caused Katie to salivate. He was truly the most beautiful man she'd ever laid eyes on, and there was always something to be said about the way an older man knows just how to treat a lady. She dimpled.
"Yes, Katherine. My parents owned that store." Katie informed him, and he smiled jovially, which Katie took as a cue to babble on. "We still have most of the pieces, actually. We were forced to sell the shop, but not what was inside of it. My parents have been known to sell the more rare pieces at auctions and what have you. They choose to keep a lot of it. Mother says it has sentimental value." She watched the man's dancing eyes. "So...now you know who I am. But I don't know who you are."