This is a continuation of my previous story "Unraveling the Librarian." This story can be enjoyed on its own but I recommend reading them in order.
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Elva sat typing on her computer in the back office of the Green Bank Public Library. The sun had begun to set which signaled to the young librarian that traffic would start slowing down and she could take care of some chores. She leaned back in her chair and stretched tiredly. A cool autumn breeze blew through the open windows of the office, gently blowing her soft brown curls off her shoulders. She had bundled up that day to accommodate the chill.
Through the quiet evening she worked her way down her to do list. A few people came to the reception desk needing her assistance to which she obliged. The sun continued to fall and casted a haziness into the sleepy library. By the time Elva had finished working on her computer, it was already time to lock the doors. She locked up and began her walk around the floor to check for remaining guests. Strangely, she didn't find any, but standing at the reception desk when she returned was a familiar tall woman.
The woman, Val, stood a head taller than Elva. She had smooth olive brown skin and dark eyebrows and eyelashes. She had strong features, a large nose and a sharp jaw that made Elva's heart flutter; but soft eyes that had melted the young librarian into a helpless puddle.
Earlier that week, the shy and modest Elva had found herself in this woman's house after being followed on her way home from work. Val made her feel safe and cared for, so she accepted the invitation to stay the night. By the end of the night the larger woman had her wrapped around her finger. Their encounter was intimate and passionate. Val held Elva like she was her entire world and made her feel safe and loved before taking control and fucking the inexperienced librarian into desperation. After admiring this woman from afar for so long, it hurt Elva's innocent heart when she didn't hear from her again after leaving in the morning.
Elva stared at the woman's broad, muscular back and her face burned. She stared at the ground as she took her seat at the desk, pretending nothing had happened while scenes of begging this woman to use her body as she pleased played in the back of her head. A lump formed in her throat at the embarrassment of being so vulnerable only to be forgotten about.
Val cleared her throat, looking slightly uncomfortable but maintaining her cool composure. She placed a stack of thin books on the desk between them. "Hey, sorry I'm so late but I needed to check some things to get ready for tomorrow. My students are typically good, so I don't think we'll be much trouble." She spoke as if nothing had ever happened between them.
But Elva was confused. She didn't know what Val meant until she recalled an email saying that a wing of the local middle school was undergoing construction and that a few teachers would be holding their classes in her library for two weeks. Although she saw students every day, she rarely met teachers from the district. It came as a surprise to hear that Val was a teacher in the first place, along with the news that she would be teaching her class next to her every day. The reminder that she didn't know this woman who had caught her heart so easily stung in her chest. "Alright," she managed to choke out, scanning her books without making eye contact with her. Her cheeks were tomato red.
Val could tell what Elva was feeling just from her expression. "I'll be here early tomorrow morning. I look forward to spending time with you," her words came out cleanly and confidently. Her stoic tone contradicted her flirty words that made Elva's heart flutter. The two hurriedly completed their transaction and parted, both buzzing with the nervous energy they shared. Val exited through the glass doors and Elva went home soon after.
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The following morning Elva was in the library bright and early as instructed by the school superintendent. To compensate for the early hours, she could look forward to her day ending early as well. She was already situated in her office when the two scheduled teachers arrived. The first was a man in his thirties who politely introduced himself to Elva as the sixth grade math teacher, Mr. Peters. He was cheerful and a little dorky, blushing a bit when Elva leaned closer to point out where his class would take place. He thanked her and left for the arrangement of seats in the back corner of the library.
He was followed by Val. She walked in looking tired, her eyes still a little sleepy and her hair slightly damp from a recent shower. As she swept in the door, Elva could smell her clean shampoo and woody cologne that brought her back to that night. Val set down her belongings at one of the tables directly in front of the reception desk, where she would be holding her class. She greeted Elva with a wordless smile and Elva nodded shyly in response. Her cheeks were red as her eyes traced over Val's strong shoulders and arms underneath her white dress shirt and tie. The sleeves were loose around her wrists until Val freed her hands to roll them up, revealing her tan forearms and strong hands.
Elva almost drooled seeing Val dressed up properly as a teacher. The morning light and her clean scent filled her senses. She was so handsome. Her heart ached. The ID badge on the tall woman's waist read Ms. Valerie Mostafa, Grade 6, history.
Based on the schedule she was given, Elva knew that Val would teach three classes in a row and be required to stay two more hours until the school day was over. She was able to fall into a routine of busying herself as the day went by. There was enough work to do to keep her occupied, but a part of her still felt distracted just knowing Val was there. Every time she watched her teach, it made her heart pound harder. She was good at her job. Val put a lot of care into teaching and the students admired her in return. This portrayed a different image to Elva than her volatile one-night encounter with her. She saw the safe, reliable side of Val that had protected and kept her warm on that cold rainy night. It made forgetting any offenses dangerously easy. Elva loved children as well, and seeing Val take such good care of them touched her heart. She tried to shake the thought of what a good husband she would make, and how loyal a wife she could be, out of her mind.
After Ms. Mostafa's third class was over, she sat down at her temporary desk and busily typed on her laptop. Elva could see her discreetly through the window of her office. Her mind occasionally wandered from the book she was repairing to watch her.
The school day eventually ended and Mr. Peters packed up his things, thanked Elva, and left. The library would be open for another three hours, but Elva had run out of things to do except tackle the cart full of books that needed to be returned to the shelves. Val didn't show any signs of letting up on her work, and Elva simply left her be as she took her trip around the library. Though in the back of her mind she selfishly expected Val to be stealing glances at her as she stretched and bent over gracefully returning books. But Val remained intensely focused up until the library closing time.
Elva had packed up her things and gotten all the remaining guests out the door. She locked the door as the clock struck the top of the hour and shuffled up to the focused teacher at her desk. Elva broke through Val's intense focus, causing her to stretch her arms over her head lazily. While Elva had spent all day unable to get the larger woman out of her mind, it seems she had spent the day unbothered like a lazy cat.
"The library is closed," Elva stated softly. Her eyes got caught on her biceps as they flexed against the material of her shirt. Her face pinkened. Val yawned and loosened the tie around her neck. "Alright," she sighed and closed her laptop. Instead of standing, she just pushed back in her chair and looked into the shiny round eyes of the librarian.
