Page 102

MY SEXY LIbrARIAN

“Draw me like one of your?—”

“Nope! Don’t even think about saying it. I refuse to live in a cliché.”

“Says the man, staring at me from behind a notebook.”

“Sketchbook, thank you very much.”

“Can I see?”

“No.”

“Please!”

“That’s not how this works. Now stop flexing.”

“I’m not?—”

“I want to see you. The real you.”

“Are you?—”

“Stop arguing.”

“Fine.”

Tyler let out a long sigh, his body relaxing.

His shoulders slumped, and the curve of his belly appeared.

This was the real man, and he looked downright beautiful.

Sitting behind his desk at the library, he was in his element.

The stacks of books half-blocking my view framed him while giving away part of his story.

“What?” He glanced down as if I was staring at a stain on his shirt.

Sitting in one of the leather-back chairs, I scribbled, blocking him out. Every time I glanced up, his eyes were fixated on me, and I had to fight a smile. He had no problem getting in front of Firefly and waving about an impressive cock, but my admiring him left his cheeks red.

“You’re going to make me self-conscious.”

“Just ignore me.” He made it hard to create a spontaneous sketch. I had a process and Tyler focusing on me interrupted the creative flow. I was about to give up when the door opened.

She couldn’t be older than fourteen with raven black hair flowing past her shoulders.

There were colorful people in Firefly… literally.

Our new friend didn’t fit the status quo, and the way she focused on her chunky boots, I sensed a story.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught me staring and gave me a meek wave.

“Can I help you?” Tyler asked.

She didn’t answer as she pretended to read the titles of books on a nearby shelf.

Little by little, she worked her way toward the desk.

Tyler had quickly busied himself, shuffling books as if he avoided her.

I couldn’t sort out what was happening between them.

I figured he’d rush to every patron’s side, suggesting books and guiding them to their next perfect read. Instead, he kept his head down.

I sketched.

When she reached the desk, I focused on my drawing as if I wasn’t eavesdropping.

She glanced over her shoulder, and I gave her a quick smile before going back to my sketchbook.

In a few seconds, I had her blocked out, standing in front of the desk.

The pencil had grown dull, but I didn’t dare stop and sharpen it.

I couldn’t explain the feeling in my chest, but I sensed a moment of beauty unfolding.

“Can you help me?” She stared at her boots as she stood in front of his desk. He stopped shuffling. Her nervousness came through as she continued brushing hair behind her right ear.

“Let me guess…” Tyler leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You need a heroine.” His head tilted to the side. “Somebody who defies the rules. She’s going to get into trouble, and she’s going to save herself.”

My heart swelled as he used his gifts to read her. I couldn’t move the pencil fast enough. From my angle, I could only see half his face past the books. He exuded confidence, and at the same time, he built a rapport with this anxiety-filled teen.

“Yeah,” she said. “I like adventure books.”

“Kissing?”

She shook her head.

“Magic?”

She shrugged.

“Family drama.”

She didn’t respond.

“She finds friends?”

Her head drooped.

“I’m Tyler.”

“Raven.”

Tyler jumped to his feet, fists resting on his hips as if he might tear off his shirt to reveal a superhero costume underneath.

Startled, she took a step back. He hurried behind the desk, sifting through stacks of books.

He didn’t need to read about the books or go sifting through the card catalog. I wondered how many books he had read?

“Here we go.”

He thrust a novel toward her. She hesitated before reaching out.

He watched her face as she took it, turning it over to read the back.

Taking a moment to look at the paper, I realized the moment I wanted to capture.

I scribbled over the existing sketch until it showed Tyler presenting a book to Raven.

“I think I know what you need,” he said.

He guided her behind shelves where I couldn’t see them.

The speed at which he interpreted her needs was impressive.

I’m sure I missed the subtle cues that gave away what she needed.

I listened carefully as I continued sketching.

As the two figures came into view, I realized what had been missing.

Tyler might be at home with the thousands of books around him, but his passion was putting the right book in the hands of his patrons.

Connecting readers and books was how he showed radical love.

“She’s a feisty princess turned warrior,” he said. “She’s not taking any gruff from anybody. And if the queen doesn’t like it, she’ll save the kingdom on her own.” Raven didn’t speak. “I think it’s the story you need.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s get you checked out. Read a few chapters tonight.

If you don’t fall in love with Ingrid, come back, and we’ll find another one.

” They emerged from the shelves. Raven had the book clutched against her chest. Tyler sat down at his desk, poking at the computer.

A second later, he leaned back in his chair.

“You’re all set. Now, go save the kingdom. ”

Raven walked toward the exit. I swore she stood taller. She wasn’t smiling, but her demeanor had changed. Tyler waited for the door to close before he came over, taking a seat in the other leather chair.

“That was amazing,” I said. “Can you read minds?”

“If I could do that, I’d know you were imagining me naked.” I wasn’t… well, now I am. He smiled. “See.”

Speaking of naked bears, I hadn’t checked in on the calendars since the launch.

The marketing had been left up to Amanda and Tessa.

I’d see her and Jason tomorrow, and we’d talk about our next steps.

Had we reached a spot where the library could remain open?

I felt people like Raven needed a place where they could exist without judgment.

“Not to be nosy—” I gestured to the door. “—but what was going on there?”

He strained his neck to check that she didn’t linger.

When he was convinced she had gone and the door had latched, he leaned back, crossing his legs.

“Small towns in Maine come with big problems. Kids falling behind is more common than we’d like to admit.

The first book was… a little too much for her. ”

It took a moment for me to catch on. I thought of the library as a place where people came in and grabbed a few hours of entertainment in a book.

It didn’t dawn on me it helped those not reading at the level they should.

Where the schools fell short, Tyler stepped in.

The right book for the right person. It was his job to foster their curiosity.

Maybe places like this were more than just buildings—they were places where lives quietly changed.

I closed the sketchbook, setting it to my side. Getting up, I walked toward Tyler, leaning in and giving him a kiss.

“What was that for?”

“You’re a superhero.” He didn’t even realize the difference he made. That made him even more remarkable.

His cheeks turned red. “Just doing my job.”

I shook my head. “This isn’t a job for you. This is what you love.”

He chewed his bottom lip, the ends of his lips turning up. “One of the things.”

It was my turn to blush. Had he… no… it was teasing.

He had taken my compliment and turned it around.

Okay, maybe he had two superpowers. I much preferred the first. It wouldn’t be long before we finished cleaning Mimi’s house and put it on the market.

Even as I said it in my head, it sounded hollow, as if I were trying to convince myself that Tyler didn’t make me nervous in all the right ways.

“Can I see it?”

Unlike usual, I didn’t want to tear it out and casually leave it for him to find. With him, I’d eventually build up the courage to watch his face as I revealed it.

“Not yet.”

“But—”

“Eager beaver, calm down. You’ll see it soon. Let me finish, and then I’ll show you.”

“I can’t wait.” I walked toward the leather chairs before grabbing my backpack and sliding the sketchbook inside. “You’re happy when you draw.” Was he using his superhuman abilities on me? “I like seeing you lose yourself.”

Tyler made my heart skip a beat. At the same time, it served as a reminder of why I started this project.

It wasn’t about perfection or coming up with fantastical situations for my models.

It was about catching them caught up in the thing they loved the most. As I inched toward the door, I chuckled at the irony.

I had never attempted to draw myself drawing. Maybe that needed to change?

With my back against the door, I focused on the thumping in my chest. My life had become one monumental change after another.

I did my best to roll with the punches and take it in stride.

Yet, as I got close to wondering ‘What if’ with Tyler, I panicked.

The longer I lingered on the question, the more nervous I got.

I didn’t know what it meant, or at least that’s the lie I told myself.

“Text me,” he said as I dashed out.

For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel lost... that both scared and excited me.