Chapter 6: Nikki

She was going. It was somewhere during her Cobb salad lunch with Stephanie that she finally surrendered to what she knew all along she would do. She wasn’t even sure why she had debated it, except for her nervousness of seeing him again. Her friend offered to tag along “for moral support,” but Nikki was more afraid of the scene the other woman would cause in her zest for getting Nikki a date. There were times Stephanie had few filters on what came out of her mouth and even fewer boundaries. No. She would go it alone. The thought already had her knees trembling.

Arriving home at quarter after five, she spent the next hour trying on different outfits in her attempt at selecting the perfect one for the evening. The problem was, she had no idea what perfect even looked like. By the time she was done, her bed was a jumbled pile of discarded prospects. Finally, she just wore the first outfit she had tried on, grabbed her keys, and headed for the door, a knot in her stomach and a desert in her mouth.

Downtown was a tic-tac-toe of blocks and streets, home to bars, restaurants, and small specialty shops. Shoppers walked its streets during the day and revelers stumbled through them at night. A Nook in Time Bookstore was a small establishment, probably a fourth of the bigger chains’ size, with fewer offerings. On this Thursday night, however, it was packed wall-to-wall. Unlike the major chains, it didn’t have a coffee shop in the middle, a merchandise section, or sold music. It had books, floor to ceiling shelves stuffed with books. Piano interludes drifted through the speaker system as the customers mingled around the crowded shelves, most eventually forming a line leading to the local author there to sign his fingers to the bone.

Nikki stood behind the shelves and watched him as he sat behind a small table draped in a white tablecloth, three stacks, one for each of his books, piled in front of him. His hair was still a shaggy mess and she wanted to walk over and straighten it for him. He even had a black pen tucked behind his right ear, making his hair stick out even more. He had at least dressed up in a tie and jacket to go with his faded jeans and tennis shoes. Of course, on Theo’s thin frame, it looked out of place, as if someone had attempted to dress up a scarecrow. She found herself smiling as she stared at him, attracted to the disheveled man without really knowing why. He was…quirky. Yet, she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. It didn’t make sense. It really didn’t. Never before had she become so enamored with someone so quickly. Yet, the past couple of days she could not stop thinking about him.

She stood there a while longer, watching as he interacted with his readers, his fans. As each one stepped up to the table, he gave them his undivided attention, ignoring everything else that was happening around him. Each of his fans were treated as if they were the most important person in the world at that moment in time. He took their compliments with a gracious and almost embarrassed smile as if the praise bothered him somehow. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she spied on him from her spot behind the mystery section of the bookstore. She didn’t even know him, not really, and yet, she felt so proud standing there watching him.

When the line started to dwindle, Nikki forced herself to leave her hiding spot, letting out a deep, nervous breath as she stepped in line with the remaining fans. She wanted to be one of the last few Theo talked to tonight and, with only thirty minutes left of the book signing, she was close to having her wish come true. Her hands were clammy, and a hornet’s nest buzzed around in her stomach. Twice, she almost talked herself into changing her mind and just going home, saving herself the embarrassment of not being remembered. Or even worse, not wanted.

She did her best to stay hidden behind the person in front of her, delaying the inevitable as long as possible. She felt silly being so insecure. Yet, for whatever reason, she couldn’t shake it. This was worse than a blind date. Her doubts filled her mind, pestering her with timorous drivel. Theo was a popular author. Just look at how many people came out to see him tonight. Why would he want anything to do with her? He probably had dozens of women—fangirls, Stephanie had called them—vying for his attention. This is a bad idea. I need to get out of here.

Yet, there wasn’t time to escape. Just as Nikki was about to slip out of line, the teenage boy in front of her moved and suddenly it was her turn. There was no backing out. With a deep breath, she stepped up to the table.

“Hey there,” she said, her voice timid. She tried to give him a smile, but it came off weak. So was the little finger wave she gave him, and she quickly clasped her hands together in front of her.

Brushing the bangs out of his eyes, Theo glanced up, a smile spreading across his face, pushing his cheeks up. “Nikki, right? Hello. I’m glad you came.” He leaned back in his chair, pointing at the books in front of him. “See, I wasn’t lying. I am a writer.”

Nikki felt the blush warm her face and wondered if Stephanie had been there earlier and told him of Nikki’s doubts. Picking up Enter the Raven, she gave him a nod and a smile. “I know. I was late turning in those reports, because I was up all night reading it. I haven’t read a fantasy novel before. It was good. Real good. You’re an incredibly talented writer.”

“You read my book? Really?” She didn’t think his smile could have gotten any bigger, but it did. Brighter, even. “Now that is the best review I’ve ever had. Thank you.” He gave her a small smile in appreciation. “We should get you the next book in the series then.”

She watched as Theo reached for a copy of Rage of the Raven, flipping it open to the title page. “Actually, I already have it. I bought the whole trilogy last night.” She had never been so nervous and fought to keep her voice from stammering. She caught herself twiddling her fingers, so in order to hide her anxiety, she reached into her purse and pulled out the first book in his series. “My friend at work found your website and we noticed you were going to be here tonight signing books, so I thought I’d pop in and get the book signed. I’ve never met a real author before.” Oh god, do I sound like an idiot? I sound like an idiot.

“Only met fake ones, huh?” He gave her a wink as he reached for the book, letting her know he had assumed she hadn’t believed him. “I really enjoyed our conversation the other night,” he said before turning his focus to what he was writing.

She watched him as he wrote, taking in every movement as she tried to muster the courage to give him her phone number. She was not going to let this opportunity escape her again. “So did I. I…uh…hadn’t had a night out…I mean…it wasn’t what I was expecting when I sat down. It was nice.”

“Nice?” He glanced up, smiling, as he closed the book. “I can live with nice.” He handed her book back to her. “Everyone needs a nice night filled with conversation now and again. The fact that it was unexpected makes it even better.”

Nikki accepted the book, opening it to the first page to read the inscription, stalling for more time. To Nikki, a true faerie in the midst of the mundane and a believer in mermaids. I hope we get to chat some more. Your friend, Theo. And then her heart skipped a beat as she read, 407-555-9675, whenever you’re ready for another mocha frappe. She glanced up and smiled, her heart still racing, but for a different reason now. “Thank you. I completely agree. There’s nothing better.”