Creak. Isabelle paused, and the room was silent. These old ladders aren’t stable anyway, she thought to herself. She reached into her basket for the next book and flipped it to the side. Unfortunately for her, all of these books needed to be organized by the last name of the author. It was a Friday afternoon. No one really came around on Friday nights, except for older folks. Everyone else seemed to have better plans.
Isabelle went to step off the ladder after placing the last book for this section but the sound of heavy footsteps caused her to almost slip. Her ankle went through one of the openings and she grasped the sides of the railing tighter. Shit. Her head turned quickly to see a taller man. His appearance was sophisticated. He wore a fitted black jacket and dress pants.
And there he was. Isabelle didn’t know his name, but this stranger frequented the library about once a week. She didn’t have the courage or even a reason to strike up a conversation with him. She always went back to minding her business, but the mystery man never failed to catch her attention. Her knuckles began to turn white from holding on too long.
She pulled her ankle out of the section where it was caught and lowered herself back to ground level. She stood up straight and dusted off her jeans while hoping that he, or anyone else, didn’t see that embarrassing moment. Most of her evenings were occupied by working at this place, and she didn’t see much thrill or excitement on the job. Nothing ever really happened in this small town anyway. She thought she knew everyone.
@Triceratops&Bottoms
