Feeling patronised he left the bookshop about five minutes after an uncomfortable silence in which La Ponte made ghost noises under his breath in order to scare his friend. He hated feeling smaller than others, as his build was smaller than most men of his age so he always had to think big in order to equal them, therefore he foamed whenever he felt inadequate or inferior.
He returned to his apartment and swung the door behind him carelessly causing it to slam, shaking the building. He jumped onto his sofa, removed his glasses and rubbed his forehead to show his stress. How could La Ponte not believe him? Just weeks ago the entrepreneur had almost wet his pants when a faulty shelf collapsed, claiming it was a poltergeist. It just pissed him off to think that he was deemed 'insane' because of his paranoia - well La Ponte's paranoia was parannoying! He smiled to himself at his little joke and looked around the room. It looked like a pigsty.
Just as he contemplated tidying the place he heard the phone ring. He groaned as he sat up, unwilling to move and walked over to the received that he picked up.
"Hello?" He put on his business voice, the monotone one that had no accent.
"Lucas? Lucas, is that you?" La Ponte.
"Of course it's me. I live alone with a dead cat and a ghost - I'm the only person who can pick up the bloody phone!" He said returning to his ordinary voice with added sarcasm.
"I need to see you, come to the shop now!" The seller sounded frantic.
"You expect me to come back down there after just leaving your discriminating clutches?" He joked again.
"Yes, just come down!" Snarled La Ponte, slamming down the phone.
Corso put the receiver back down and threw on his grey trench coat. He walked out of his humble abode and sauntered down the Parisian-like streets to the rotten bookshop. He stormed in through the doors then nearly died, for what he saw was not just his ignorant shrew of a friend, but his ignorant shrew of a friend, a breathtakingly beautiful woman and a fat bald old man. These two tyrants were named Frank and Isabel Noose, and whenever Lucas had the misfortune of dealing with them he always wishes he could slide his own head into a noose and end the stressful quests.
"Frank! Isabel! What a pleasure!" He smiled widely - making him look cheesy.
"Lucas." Frank looked the scruffy hunter up and down with contempt. When he first dealt with the couple Lucas had successfully seduced their eighteen year old daughter and tried to seduce Isabel. Frank knew but he didn't want to know, Lucas was too good at his job for him to give up his services. But this did not stop the couple from hating him and he was only too glad to make the feeling mutual.
"Frank and Isabel were just asking about a first edition of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius." La Ponte shivered, he was petrified of the power these two commandeered, luckily Corso could hold his own.
"First edition?" Corso burst out laughing, much to Frank and Isabel's dislike. "Get yourself away to a museum."
"We're not joking around here Corso, as you know I have a keen interest in Ancient Rome and I would like to add this piece to my collection - by any means necessary." By the look on Frank's face, Corso could tell he meant a bit of theft and cunning.
"It's impossible. Just buy one of the reproduced ones, I can't possibly obtain a first edition of it." He turned around and fingered the papers on La Ponte's desk, awaiting their response.
"I wouldn't turn your back on us, Mr. Corso, who knows what might happen to it." Isabel spoke up, her voice as low and husky as he remembered it.
"If you're threatening me, I'm afraid it doesn't help your case." Corso said through gritted teeth. At that moment Corso's French fancy walked in through the doors and began to nervously scan the shelves. Corso let his eyes wander onto her slight frame, which everyone in the room picked up on.
"Perhaps you're right, perhaps it's not you I should be threatening." Her dark eyes followed Corso's onto the girl, to whom she was referring.
"You wouldn't dare." Corso stared at her strongly.
"Perhaps not. Just do whatever you can, Mr. Corso - we'll be in touch." The couple walked out of the shop and took their cold shadow with them, leaving Corso slightly shaken at the thought of his new assignment.
"Just this please." She dropped a small book onto the counter - The Silmarillion, second edition.
"Ah, our good friend Tolkien, have you read his other books?" Lucas asked her, showing active interest in her life.
"No." She smiled and blushed slightly. "I want to start at the start."
"It's the best place to start." Corso smiled back at her.
"I've heard these are very good." She dropped the money for the book on the counter and picked up the copy of the novel.
"Oh, they are. Try Gormenghast if you like them." He smiled again, like a little boy with a crush. LaPonte observed their conversation with great interest, they were lost in their own little world. There was a silence where the two just looked at each other.
"I should get back to father, he needs my help." She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and walked out of the shop.
Lucas ran after her and shouted, simply "bye!"
"She is very pretty, isn't she? I'm thinking about asking her out." La Ponte teased his friend.
"Forget about it, she has standards, taste and class." Corso Retorted, slapping his friend playfully on the forehead. Despite their arguments and tormenting, they were actually very fond of each other, although Corso would keep telling people he had just 'come accustomed to his face'. It was a funny situation.
"Just ask her." La Ponte told him.
"I can't." Corso replied.
"Why not?" La Ponte asked again.
"I just can't!" Corso shouted agitatedly, leaving the shop.
"And we all know why."