Page 7 of Cuckoo
“They do,” I admitted. “It’s because of all the bamboo they eat.”
Lucas’s smile widened. “See.”
She glared in his direction. “You’re not very nice.”
He didn’t seem upset by her observation. “I can be nice. I’ll show you books on pandas.”
“You have to research too.”
“I will. After we find your panda books.”
Emaley scrunched her nose. “Fine.” She released my hand. “If you make me mad, I’ll flush your lunch down the toilet.”
Damn. What a violent little thing.
Lucas shrugged. “I won’t.” He held out his hand. “Come on.”
Emaley took it, letting him lead her toward the comic book section. I suppressed a laugh, knowing Lucas would be missing his lunch later today. Somehow, I didn’t think he’d mind. That boy liked Emaley enough to go hungry. It was sort of sweet.
I wasn’t any expert on men, but I could see by the way Lucas stared at Emaley, nearly hanging on her every word, that he wanted more than friendship. What did that mean when you were eight years old? Not a lot, but it was still cute.
It reminded me of one of my favorite book tropes. Childhood sweethearts and friends to lovers were my jam. I loved to read and have loved it ever since I was a little girl. My favorite stories were fantasy and romance. When you added them together, like the growing popularity of romantasy, it was usually a book I couldn’t put down.
I had the perfect job, conducive to my obsession with books. Working in a library was a dream come true for a shy girl who lost her parents far too young and ended up bouncing around foster homes before I was finally adopted. Some of those memories were dark and painful, so I pushed them away, smiling at the elementary class students as they worked on their animal reports.
Our library served most of the northern section of Henderson, Nevada. With a population of over three hundred thousand, it boasted low crime, great schools, and a close proximity to Las Vegas without having to live too close to the Strip. The suburban life with all the amenities of a bustling city plus access to Hoover Dam and extensive outdoor recreation.
But Me? I never took much advantage of that. I wasn’t an outdoorsy girl. Sure, I loved a cold dip in the pool on a hot day or a short hike through a local park. Those activities didn’t take up my whole evening or weekend. Curling up with a good book, a cup of hot or iced tea, and my porch swing was all I needed to be happy.
By the time the third-grade class left, I had a mess to clean up. I didn’t mind. It was my job and what I got paid to do. Since I took pride in my organizational skills and providing efficient access to the public, I felt it was my duty to sort and reshelve the books and ensure they were all tucked back into their proper place. When the next round of students arrived, they would find what they were looking for without hassle.
By the time my shift ended, I had emptied the return bin and cleaned up the circulation desk. The self-checkout areas were clear of clutter, and I picked up a few stray items to add to the lost and found we kept in the storage room. If anyone came to look for something later, we could bring out the containers and let them dig through the clothing, electronics, etc., to find what they left behind.
Most of the time, people were honest. We had very little cause for concern. No one usually lost their shit at the library. The only issue arose from overdue fees, which were out of my control. Librarians didn’t place those fines on books and other media, but we did have to enforce them. I couldn’t remove the penalties. People had to pay them, and they were minimal most of the time.
“Hey, Katrina, are you heading out?”
I turned to my co-worker, Elizabeth. We called her Lizzie after her favorite character in literature, Lizzie Bennett. Who wasn’t a Jane Austen fan? I had my own rare collection of her books on my shelves at home. “Yep. You coming?”
Lizzie nodded. “I’ve got a date tonight.”
“You must be excited,” I guessed from the way she nearly bounced on her feet as she approached.
“I am. Victor is sweet, charming, and just the type of guy I’ll kiss on the first date.”
I smirked. “He sounds awesome.”
“Oh, I’ll let you know for sure tomorrow.”
I didn’t doubt it. “I hope you have a great time.”
We left through the rear entrance, walking onto the hot asphalt as the sun began its descent in the sky. Shades of marigold and bright orange shot across the horizon with few clouds to block the beautiful rays. It was the type of sunset that was perfect to enjoy with a lover.
Not everything needs to be a swoon-worthy romance novel moment, I reminded myself.
Still, with what I did for a living and my obsession with books, it made sense that my head was often filled with romantic notions and daydreams of the perfect male. It couldn’t be helped. Maybe someday I would meet my knight in shining armor.
But I doubted he would ever walk into my library.
