SKETTY24 = LOL!!! Don't worry...I think the cliffhanger is going to lead to something good ;)! Well, without further ado (and further delay)...here's the continuation =D!!!! I hope you like it ;)!!!!
NOTE: BTW, to those who're reading this, if you want a visual reference as to what Karen may look like, I believe Rachel Weisz would be a good visual representation of her. Rachel is what Karen would probably look like =)! Heheh...just my two cents =).
Chapter 63: Glimpses
"Yes?" She asked as she looked at him. He was definitely cute. She couldn't deny it to herself now that she had a clearer and closer view of his face. He was also smiling at her, which just added more to his mysterious charm. She really wasn't the kind of woman who gawked at physically attractive men. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she really looked at a guy. But she couldn't help but gaze into those piercing blue eyes. There was just something in him that made her want to stare.
Perhaps it was really because of those eyes of his...those mysterious blue eyes that seemed to hold so much information and so much experience, which were somehow masked by his boyish innocence. Or perhaps it was because of how he talked with Nathan. He sounded so lively and interesting, and motivated. Or maybe it was because of those thick, strong, defined eyebrows and that clefted chin. God, what was she even thinking? She was examining him as if he was some sort of sculpture in an art gallery.
"I'm really sorry about a while ago." William said as he looked at her.
"Sorry about what?" She asked abruptly, almost expressing no emotion whatsoever.
She wanted to sound as uninterested and as indifferent as she could, though deep inside, she obviously was feeling the opposite. She really didn't want him to think that she found him attractive. The last thing she wanted to look like was a shy and blushing high school girl standing in front of her 'prom king material' high school crush. She was definitely way past that. She was already twenty-five years old, for crying out loud.
"...For taking too much of the old coot's time." He added. "Because, uh, I think you two were talking about something important, and then I came in and crashed the party." He said with a soft laughter. "So I'm terribly sorry about that. And I really hope that my little interlude didn't cause you to lose any of your time." He said apologetically. Then he stepped away and walked backwards towards the door. "Anyway, I'm going now ---" He said as he folded his arm up and pointed his thumb backwards. "--- so you'll have Nathan all to yourself again." He said with a smile.
Then he pointed at Nathan with his hand in a gun-like position and he winked and clicked his tongue. "Hey, you take care of her for me, okay?" He asked with a smile.
Nathan laughed as he made his way in front of Karen behind the counter. "Okay, I will, Will! Don't worry!" He shouted at William. "Now you better turn around before you hit your back against the door." He chuckled and twirled his finger in the air. "You don't have eyes at the back of your head, you know." He said, laughing.
William laughed and gave Nathan and Karen one last look, and then he turned around and reached for the doorknob.
Stryker's eyes suddenly opened wide with outrage when he saw William by the door, on his way out of the shop. He couldn't understand what was happening. This scene shouldn't end this way. William talked to Karen! He finally talked to her! And she talked to him! But how come nothing happened between them? They didn't even have a real conversation. He just talked to her for less than a minute and now the young fool was going to walk out of her life. Who knows when he would see her again? How long would it take that young man to realize that he just met the love of his life?
"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" He shouted as he tried to grab the back of William's jacket. But his hands just transparently passed through him and his words remained unheard. "You can't just go now!" He shouted again as he stood beside the young man. "Not yet! You can't just walk out like this! Turn around and walk to her and do something!" He said with a frustrating and agitated tone in his voice.
He couldn't believe how impeccably slow his young self was when it came to women. If William were any other man, that other man would have already asked Karen out for lunch and asked for her phone number too. Was his young self that overly scientific, logical, and work-oriented to not think about things like that?
Or perhaps, it was because the only woman who mattered to him was Yuriko...
Nathan straightened himself and smiled as he looked at Karen. "So, about the book ---" Then he stopped and arched an eyebrow as he noticed her still looking at William. "Um, Karen? Hello? Nathan to Karen...Hello, Can you hear me?" He asked pryingly. It seemed like his young lady friend was quite smitten by a certain someone.
Karen suddenly turned her head to look back at Nathan. She looked startled and quite embarrassed by the fact that he saw her staring at the young man. "Oh yes, the book!" She immediately said, in hopes of changing the topic. She really hoped Nathan wouldn't ask her about 'William', because she honestly wouldn't know what to say...frankly because she really was looking at him, and she did like him.
She didn't want to admit it, but she might have just fallen for a complete stranger...a complete stranger who was cute, funny, nice, smart, apologetic, mysteriously charming, and was a friend of a person she had known ever since she was a little girl. And as they say, a friend of a friend of yours could also be considered as your friend. Therefore, making William her 'friend' too. Or maybe she was just telling herself that to make up an excuse for falling for a complete stranger, just because he was handsome.
Then she breathed in and clasped her hands together. Okay. That's it...enough about the boy. Time to get back to the real world where she was going to lose her job if she didn't get that darned book. "The title of the book is Weapons and Warfare of the 20th Century by that author --- um ---"Then she stopped in mid-sentence and her eyes darted from left to right, as she tried to remember the name of the author. "Jeremiah or Jerry Cash or something like that." She mumbled to herself.
William was about to open the door, when he suddenly heard her mention the name of the book. Weapons and Warfare of the 20th Century. That was the book he bought last week. Then he stepped away from the door and turned around to look at her.
"Jeremiah Cassidy." He said matter-of-factly.
Karen turned her head to look at him and was surprised that he was still in the store. What was he still doing in there? Though she had to admit, it was quite nice to see him again. "What?" She asked with furrowed eyebrows. "What did you just say?"
"Jeremiah Cassidy." He said with a smile. "That's the name of the author of the book, Weapons and Warfare of the 20th Century." He shrugged.
She slightly tilted her head to the side and looked at him curiously. Was that really the name of the author? Was the author's name really Jeremiah Cassidy? Then a huge smile slowly spread across her face and she gave out a small laugh. "Yeah! That's it!" She exclaimed as she motioned a hand towards William. "You're right. That is the name of the author. Jeremiah Cassidy!" She said with a happy tone in her voice.
"Wow. Thanks!" She said graciously.
/"How did he know that?"/ She thought to herself. Then she mentally shrugged. That was probably due to the book's immense popularity. Almost everyone knew about the book and its author. Well, everyone except for her. How could she have even forgotten the author of the book that had her future on the line? She knew Nathan would have given her the author's name anyway since he knew everything there was to know about military-centric books, but she should have remembered it herself.
"Anytime." William chuckled as he looked back at her.
In the back of his mind, he was quite curious as to why she was asking about that book in particular. Was she also into weapons as much as he was? Then from out of no where, as he looked at her smiling face and the gracious expression in her eyes, he suddenly felt the urge to stay and perhaps listen to what Nathan and Karen were going to talk about. He didn't want to pry on them or stick his nose into their business...He just wanted to stay and listen. As to why he wanted to stay, he wasn't really sure. Was it because of his curiosity about the book, or his curiosity about the girl?
No. It couldn't be because of the girl. Yuriko was his only girl.
Karen turned her head to look back at Nathan. She had a huge smile on her face and her eyes were filled with so much excitement. She felt so ecstatic about three things at the moment. First of all, she finally knew the name of the book's author. Second, William actually stayed to help her out in her little memory trouble. And third, she had a good feeling that Nathan still had the book in stock. So all in all, her day was starting to turn out better than she expected it to. Now the only thing she needed to hear was Nathan's confirmation that he still had the book in the shop. That would definitely be the icing on the cake, and her road to a high salary in the Herald.
Then she furrowed her eyebrows as she noticed the look on Nathan's face. He looked worried about something. And there was something about that look that she didn't like.
She arched an eyebrow and leaned closer to him on the counter. "So, do you have the book?" She asked curiously, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Nathan exhaled and pursed his lips, then his eyes wandered downwards, as if he couldn't look Karen in the eye. "Well, uh..." He said in a doubtful, pondering manner. "I, uh... Well, yes...I had it." He said as he mindlessly tapped his fingers on the counter. Then he looked at her and forced a smile on his lips. "...had it." He chuckled worriedly.
He really didn't know how to tell her that he didn't have the book anymore. From the way Karen was worrying about it, she sounded like she really needed it, as if her entire life depended on it. And once she finds out the bad news, he knew that it was going to break her in two. So he might as well say it to her in a subtle, least direct manner.
Karen narrowed her eyes and looked at him suspiciously. "Wait a minute. Did, um, did I just hear that right?" She asked skeptically. "Did you just say you that 'had' the book? Like, 'had', as in past tense 'had'? Like you had it once, but you don't 'have' it anymore?" The suspicious look on her face lingered as she waited for an answer.
Nathan anxiously looked back at her, and then he breathed in and nodded in agreement. He didn't even say a word. After all, he didn't know the right words to say anyway.
Karen's eyes suddenly opened with shock and her jaw dropped. She looked like her world just collapsed around her. "No!" She gasped. "You're kidding me, right?" She asked, her voice filled with worry and agitation. "I mean, this is some kind of joke, right? Because I really, really need that book, Nathan." She said with widened, intense eyes. "As you can see, I used the word 'need', which means that I have to get my hands on it, or I might end up losing my job." She said as she looked back at him, looking for a hint of hope that he might still have a copy of the book. "So please tell me that you were just kidding." Then she forced a smile on her lips. "You were just kidding, right? I mean, this is just some kind of joke to fool little Karen, right?" She laughed.
A dismayed smile curled up Nathan's lips and he shook his head from side to side. And that meant no. That was no joke. "I'm really sorry, Karen." He said apologetically.
She suddenly looked up, and then she threw her hands in the air and grunted in frustration. "This can't be happening to me." She whined. Then she folded her arms over the counter and moved her face down on them. "I am so dead." She groaned as she moved her head from side to side, rubbing her forehead against her folded arms.
Then she breathed in and sighed. Whining about it like a six-year-old wouldn't help anything. She straightened herself and ran her fingers through her hair. Then she looked back at Nathan and faintly smiled at him. "Look, I'm really sorry if I caused all this ruckus." She said apologetically. "After all, it was my fault anyway. I should have gone here myself and reserved it as soon as I promised the Herald the articles." She had a dismayed tone in her voice and a look on her face to match.
Nathan sighed. It really pained him to see his friend like this. "And I'm really sorry for disappointing you too. It's just that I only had two copies of the book, and they sold out on the first week alone." He said in a comforting manner. "In fact, one of them was pre-ordered, so in totally, I only had one on sale in the shop."
Nathan and William quickly glanced at each other. William knew that he was the one who bought the last copy. So in a way, he couldn't help but feel responsible for what Karen was going through right now. She also needed the book more than he did. From what he'd been hearing, she needed it to keep her job in the Calgary Herald.
"Well, you think you could order another copy?" She asked with a hopeful tone in her voice. "I could pay twice its price, you know. Triple even!" She said with widened, persuasive eyes. "I just really, really need to have it, Nate!" She pleaded.
Nathan looked at Karen and sighed. He really did feel sorry for her. After all, she did ask Sean to reserve it a month ago, three weeks before it was even released. It was just quite unfortunate that her brother forgot about it. "Look, Karen, I'm going to be honest with you..." He said softly. "I don't think I'll have another copy of that book again. Well, not this year anyway." He said while he slightly shook his head from side to side. He didn't want to bring her hopes down, but it was the truth. "Money's not a factor either. Heck, if I had it right now I could give it to you at half the price! But it's a rare book...only a thousand released. And I'm not sure when they'll reprint it."
The depressed look on Karen's face made Nathan's heart sank. He was a bookstore owner, and yet he couldn't even give her the one book that she was looking for. She was also his dear friend, which made it more difficult for him. He had known her ever since she was a little girl. Her family used to live in an apartment right next to his, and he became quite close to them, especially to the young ones, Sean and Karen. He practically saw her grow up into the vibrant, young woman that she was now.
Karen exhaled and her shoulders drooped down. "It's okay, Nate." She said, smiling faintly. "After all, I still have a couple more days to go before the deadline, so I guess that's enough time for me to go look for it." Then her eyes lit up and she shrugged. "Hey, maybe the local library has it, right?" She said with a giggle.
She was obviously hiding her distress from him. She didn't want Nathan to get affected by her current problem. It was hers to deal with and she didn't want him to feel bad for her. As for the library, she doubted that she would find it there. The book seemed like a rare collector's item, and books like that hardly ever end up in small public libraries.
Nathan smiled and nodded at her. "Well I really hope you find it, Karen." He said encouragingly. "And if I were you, I actually wouldn't worry about the Calgary Herald too much. Book or no book, they'll keep you in their payroll. Trust me...they will." He said with a wide smile. "So what if you miss writing those darned articles? You're the best damn writer they have! You're a smart, hard-working, young woman who's the best at what you do...and they'd be stupid enough to lay you off."
Karen smirked and arched an eyebrow as she looked at him. "You're just saying that to make me feel better." But she couldn't help but smile.
A soft laughter escaped from her lips and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Then she stepped back and sighed happily. "Well, I guess I better be off then." She said with a shrug. "I would love to stay and chat some more, but as you can see, I'm currently on a quest to find a certain book." She said as she rolled her eyes. "God, I feel like I'm searching for the Holy Grail." She muttered.
Nathan chuckled. "Well, good luck looking for it." He said with a happy tone in his voice. He was glad that she looked a little bit better now.
"Thanks." She replied. "Anyway, I'll see you when I see you." She said as she gave him a little wave. "Take care, Mr. Waldman." Then she walked to the door.
"You take care too, Karen!" He said.
Karen passed by William, and then she stopped and turned around to look at him. "Hey, thanks for the help a while ago." She said with a smile. "It was really nice meeting you too. You seem like a really nice guy." She really wished she could stay and get to know him better, but she had more important things to worry about at the moment.
William's mouth opened as he was about to say something, but before he could even say a word, Karen suddenly turned away and walked out the door. And he was left standing there, with his mouth half-open as he watched Karen go out of the door and walk away from the shop. Well that was one conversation that ended rather quickly.
Then he turned and looked at Nathan on the counter. William still had the mouth-open dumbfounded look on his face. Nathan, on the other hand, looked at him curiously.
"What?" Nathan asked.
William's eyes suddenly opened wide with exhilaration. "Why didn't you tell her that I had the book?!" He asked infuriatingly. "I was standing right here, Nate!" He said as he motioned his hands to himself. "Jeez! You knew I had the book that she was looking for and I could have helped her out easy!" He sounded more upset than angry.
Nathan smirked and arched an eyebrow. "Well I wasn't sure if you wanted me to tell her!" He replied with a shrug. "And hey, you could have told her yourself, you know. The poor girl was whining on the counter for more than five minutes! That should have been enough time for you to tell her that you have the damn book!" He said as he waved a finger at William. "So don't go tellin' me I did nothin'." He scoffed.
"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to butt in your conversation!" He bellowed back.
Then he breathed in and shrugged. "And I really was going to tell her, but she flew out the door before I could say a word." He said with a disappointed tone in his voice. He sighed and looked at the door. Perhaps, it still wasn't too late for that yet.
William suddenly got on his feet and quickly walked to the door.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Nathan asked curiously.
The young man opened the door and turned his head to look at his friend. "I'm gonna go help that friend of yours!" He said with a soft laugh. "I mean, I save the world everyday! I might as well take some time to save this one girl."
A soft smile curled up the older man's lips as he nodded his head. "You're a good man, you know that?" He asked. His voice was filled with pride and gladness.
William laughed. "Trust me. I know." Then he winked and walked out the door.