"Oh, you didn't have to clean that up,"  James said, though he was glad he wouldn't have to.<br/><br/>He listened as she rambled on, then said "A fight, huh?  Someone sleep with someone they weren't supposed to?"  Had James been anyone else, he might have realized he was being rude, but James was James, and he saw it as a valid question.  Something had obviously happened, and while he couldn't call up any real details he seemed to remember the two being pretty close when he'd seen them in the store or in town.<br/><br/>James went over to one of the clear display cases at the end of the counter and slid the back door open.  "Whatever happened between you two, it must have been pretty rough.  I don't think I'd buy someone a nine-hundred-dollar book as just a Christmas present.  Of course, I probably wouldn't buy it as a 'I'm sorry' present either..."  He reached in and pulled the book out, blowing a slight film of dust from the cover.  Now that he thought about it, he did remember this girl's friend, Izzie, coming in several times to stare at the book, even asking him to let her see it once.<br/><br/>Cassie seemed to be getting flustered, which James found kind of cute.  Part of him wondered if she was attracted to him... no, he was far too old... wasn't he?  He'd guess at least a ten year distance between them.<br/><br/>James sat the book on the counter in front of her.  "Here it is, Wuthering Heights.  Not my kind of reading material, but to each their own I suppose."