[ToE] Pacific Pages
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Arion on 16-01-2013, 17:58:33</h2>
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				Title: <strong>[ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>16-01-2013, 17:58:33</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 18pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>Pacific Pages Bookstore</strong></span></div><br><div align="center">(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4471125141_2ed7bbdf27_o.jpg)</div><br><div align="center">Pacific Pages, owned by James Heidermann, is typical of any small-town bookstore.&nbsp; Books are crammed in every nook and cranny and litter the floor in precarious stacks.&nbsp; There's some dust over most things, but not much, the owner's attention to house-keeping leaving something to be desired.&nbsp; A large orange Persian lays sprawled across the front desk, face and paws twitching as it dreams.&nbsp; The store's radio is tuned in to a prog-rock station, and Nightwish's 'The Islander' is currently playing (http://youtu.be/5juc6fmgylw (http://youtu.be/5juc6fmgylw)).</div><br><div align="center">(http://jameswharris.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/bookstore.jpg)</div><br><div align="center">(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S-9f3rWuWYA/S_mM5g6dwoI/AAAAAAAABy8/XUKozdyCdyA/s1600/Bookstore+Indie.JPG)</div><br><div align="center">(http://[url=http://o3.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/76d38699a587b079c1c340bb39bbe72d]http://o3.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/76d38699a587b079c1c340bb39bbe72d[/url])</div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>18-01-2013, 04:37:47</strong>
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				James came down the stairs from his apartment to the shop below slowly, carrying a stack of books that needed to go back on the shelves.&nbsp; One of the perks of owning a bookstore was not having to actually 'buy' anything he wanted to read; he'd just pull whatever caught his eye from the shelf and then replace it once he was finished.&nbsp; He almost tripped three steps from the bottom when Creeper, the shop's cat, darted between his legs with snorted 'mrrow'.&nbsp; "God-damned animal," James half-shouted, thankful that the store wasn't open yet.&nbsp; In response the cat disappeared into the darkened aisles, his tail swishing erratically.<br><br>Once he'd returned the books to their rightful places and selected a new one to read (Michio Kaku's Parallel Worlds), James put on a fresh pot of coffee.&nbsp; He didn't offer any of the fancier blends like some bookstores did; what went in the pot was typically whatever was on sale at the store when he went to stock up.&nbsp; That done, he continued the morning ritual of opening: lights on, radio on, Creeper's litter box in the back room cleaned out and his food and water bowls refilled, door unlocked, sign turned around to display 'open'.<br><br>With everything ready and in place James sat behind the front counter and leaned back, picking up the book he'd selected and opening it to the introduction. <em> Life</em>, he mused, <em>ain't so bad with a job like this...</em>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>22-01-2013, 03:07:30</strong>
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				Cassie took a deep breath as she stood outside the front door for a moment. This was far from her favorite place to visit. While the smell of must wasn't unpleasant, she wasn't entirely comfortable being surrounded by quite so much weight in precariously stacked books. That she had a bit of a crush on the owner certainly didn't help things. She wasn't overly fond of crushes either. Crushes could easily lead to fooling around, and fooling around lead to labels, and trouble. She'd had enough of that in high school and college. Still, there was something here that she wanted to get for Izzie, not that a book, no matter how pricy could make up for what she very well could have done, but it was something at least. Besides, it was bound to be a lot warmer in there than it was out here.<br><br>Cassie pushed the door open, smiling just a little at the jangling of the bells. There was something about the sound of bells that always seemed to cheer her up. At least for a moment.<br><br>"Hey Mr. Heidermann," She said as she pulled off her gloves, trying to give him a smile. "I was hoping you could help me find something. A book that Izzie's been drooling over. I don't even know the title, but I do know it's a first edition, and you have it here." It was only as her eyes met his that she started to wonder at the intelligence of going anywhere public at the moment, but she didn't come here often. Surely he wouldn't notice that something was wrong. After all who payed attention to things like a more plain hair style than usual other than stylists? She started to fidget a bit with her ponytail. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>22-01-2013, 04:51:49</strong>
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				James was so engrossed in his book that he didn't hear the door open or the customer come in.&nbsp; When she spoke it startled him, if only for a moment, and he looked up with an aggravated expression; it softened when he saw the pretty young redhead on the other side of the counter.&nbsp; He'd seen her several times before, sometimes with a friend whom he assumed was 'Izzie'.&nbsp; A little fidgety for his tastes, perhaps, but she seemed to have something on her mind.&nbsp; Wasn't as 'put together', as his father would have called it, as he'd seen her in the past.<br><br>Of course, she'd committed one of the darker sins in the bookstore world: not having any idea of what she was looking for.&nbsp; Well, that in and of itself wasn't bad; it was when someone who asked for help and then didn't know what they wanted that booksellers got frustrated.&nbsp; It was almost like people expected them to have some kind of magical power to summon the perfect tome out of thin air, just rub the spine three times and your own personal literary-genie would appear...<br><br>James didn't give any hint of what he was thinking though, smiling back at her and saying "Hi there... Cassie, is it?&nbsp; I'm sure I can help, but I think we'll need a bit more to go on than 'first edition'."&nbsp; He gestured around the room.&nbsp; "Otherwise we're going to need about a week."<br><br>He slipped a bookmark between the pages and set his book down next to Creeper, who had sprawled across the counter again.&nbsp; For a moment James fought the urge to nudge the cat over the edge, after almost being tripped earlier, but it passed.&nbsp; Besides, he'd swear that the animal had a vindictive streak.<br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>22-01-2013, 05:29:01</strong>
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				"Yeah," She nodded, in confirmation of her name, a little surprised that he'd remembered. The only reason she had any idea of who he was because of that damned... She wasn't gonna think about that right now. Right now it was all about Izzie, she cleared her throat self consciously. "I'm sorry, I know how frustrating it is when someone comes in for something and they have no idea what. At least when they do it to me they generally don't mind if I get a little creative." <br><br>She moved closer to the desk, idly scratching the cat on his head as an excuse to duck her head. She was blushing and she knew it. Oddly enough, beyond the owner, this cat was probably her favorite thing about the whole store. He added character. It had always made her sad that the poor thing had lost an eye and more than once she'd wondered why. It really was nice of Mr. Heidermann to have taken him in. The pang in her head was as much a reminder as she needed that she was getting off topic.<br><br>"The book, umm..." What was it that Izzie had always been saying about it? Right now she really wished that she'd paid more attention. "Really old, like really, <em>really</em> old. It's in English, a female author. It's supposed to be like, one of the best novels ever written or something. It was a twisted love story, I remember that much for sure." Damn this headache it was making it hard to think straight.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>22-01-2013, 15:22:49</strong>
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				"It's not that big of a deal,"&nbsp; James replied, even though to him it was.&nbsp; <em>You'd think that if she intends to buy something for a friend, she'd at least know what it is her friend wanted.</em>&nbsp; "Only, creativity doesn't really help when looking for a book.&nbsp; The titles and covers can be misleading, if they even have a cover or dust jacket and aren't just an older book with the title written on the spine.&nbsp; It really, really helps to know the title of what you're looking for.&nbsp; But... let me see what I can find with what you've told me.&nbsp; 'Really old' and 'female author' narrows it down quite a bit."<br><br>Creeper's one orange eye slowly opened at her touch, and a deep, resonant purring started.&nbsp; The cat rolled onto its back and stretched, his hind paws pushing a stack of magazines off the countertop and onto the floor.&nbsp; From where he stood at the computer James scowled at the animal, muttering 'little monster' under is breath.&nbsp; He looked back up at the young woman and thought he saw her blushing, though he could understand why... Wait, does she like me?<br><br>James opened his search engine and began clicking on keywords.&nbsp; After a few moments he had a list, then cross referenced it with the first editions he had... and paused.&nbsp; "Uhm, I think I've found it, and if you're buying this for a friend, you must be a great one."
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>23-01-2013, 03:21:39</strong>
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				"I know, really I do, I'm sorry," She apologized, fingers continuing to tickle at the cat who was obviously enjoying himself. Until the cat knocked over some magazines and the owner of said magazines glared in their general direction and muttered something she couldn't hear. "Sorry!" She squeaked again, hurriedly bending down to clean up the mess. The change in elevation wasn't nice to her head, and she she moaned softly, closing her eyes for a moment against the pain as her head started to pound. She'd just gotten the pain under control when he got his results and she bolted right back up again, the magazines in her hands fell right back to the floor as she winced at the increased pounding. Perhaps shopping while hungover hadn't been the best idea.<br><br>"We were, the best, at the moment, I'm not so sure," She admitted. "We had a fight last night, I think." She hoped more accurately. A yelling, screaming, no force possible because they were both too drunk fight would be much better than what she feared. "I've been saving up since she first saw it. I was gonna surprise her with it at Christmas. I would have known the title then, this was just so sudden," She was babbling. Why was she babbling? "Anyway, if you let me look at it? I'm sure I'd know it it I saw it. I do a lot better with things I can see and touch than with words. By the time we'd gotten back from college I'd forgotten at least half my classmates names, and my class wasn't even very big."<br><br>God, how much of a dunce did that make her look like? Babbling more at this point would only make it worse though. She cleared her throat, turning her attention back to the cat for a moment so she could collect herself before looking back towards him. "So, book?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>24-01-2013, 03:48:18</strong>
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				"Oh, you didn't have to clean that up,"&nbsp; James said, though he was glad he wouldn't have to.<br><br>He listened as she rambled on, then said "A fight, huh?&nbsp; Someone sleep with someone they weren't supposed to?"&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; <br><br>James went over to one of the clear display cases at the end of the counter and slid the back door open.&nbsp; "Whatever happened between you two, it must have been pretty rough.&nbsp; I don't think I'd buy someone a nine-hundred-dollar book as just a Christmas present.&nbsp; Of course, I probably wouldn't buy it as a 'I'm sorry' present either..."&nbsp; He reached in and pulled the book out, blowing a slight film of dust from the cover.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Part of him wondered if she was attracted to him... no, he was far too old... wasn't he?&nbsp; He'd guess at least a ten year distance between them.<br><br>James sat the book on the counter in front of her.&nbsp; "Here it is, Wuthering Heights.&nbsp; Not my kind of reading material, but to each their own I suppose."
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>24-01-2013, 04:20:59</strong>
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				Cassie's cheeks only just cooling from her earlier embarrassment flamed an even brighter shade of red at his mention of sex. Was it written over her forehead or something? Maybe he just thought that was the only thing that women their age fought over? Her hand came up to toy with the loose tips of her hair hanging over her shoulder. "Something like that, I think. " She spluttered, thinking nothing of the invasive question, she'd been known to ask worse. "There was a lot of alcohol involved." Was she really having this conversation with a near stranger that she had a massive crush on? "Honestly, I don't really remember much, I guess I had more to drink than I thought."<br><br>He was pulling the book from the case then and her eyes caught on the cover. This was the book, this was what Izzie had been wanting for so long now. It may not fix what had happened, but at least she could give her something happy to hold onto. Some semblance of something that she wanted.<br><br>"That's the one," She whispered reverently, reaching out to trace the cover softly with her fingertips. She knew something precious when she saw it, even if she didn't understand what was so fascinating about the old book any more than Mr. Heidermann did. "That's what Izzie wanted."<br><br>A smile bloomed on her face as she turned back to the man beside her. "Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for," impulsively she moved to hug him her lips angled up towards his cheek. He'd done it, he'd found it, and it was well within her reach with less than she'd anticipated ending up on her credit card.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>24-01-2013, 18:24:28</strong>
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				When Cassie's cheeks went bright red James knew he'd hit right on the mark; someone had slept with the other's boyfriend, brother, ex... wait, maybe each other?&nbsp; Perhaps...&nbsp; He found himself intrigued.&nbsp; Or maybe yet she was blushing because she had a crush on him and the talk of sex was making her uncomfortable.&nbsp; He didn't know how to feel about that, were it true.&nbsp; At least ten years difference, but then again the world was changing, and that wasn't too uncommon.&nbsp; Not a May-December thing by any stretch, sure, but enough to raise some eyebrows.&nbsp; <em>Should I make a play for her?&nbsp; I mean, she's obviously distressed, and I would come off as a total creep.</em><br><br>"Alcohol and romance, typically not a good combination.&nbsp; Typically.&nbsp; Sometimes, with the right person..."&nbsp; he trailed off, remember some of the things he been involved in during his years wandering the nation.<br><br>He was about to had the book to Cassie when she hugged him, her lips brushing his cheek.&nbsp; It caught him off-guard and he froze for a moment, unsure of how to react.&nbsp; "Uhm, you're... welcome?" he said; at the same time, within his head, he screamed at his own incompetence.&nbsp; <em>Way to go, slick...</em><br><br>With only a moment of hesitation he returned the hug, lightly, and smiled.&nbsp; "Hey, glad I can help a damsel in distress,"&nbsp; he said with far more confidence than he felt.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>25-01-2013, 04:56:38</strong>
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				For just a moment, Cassie was mortified, and then he hugged her back, and she relaxed. It felt nice, to be in someone's arms right now when she felt to up in the air. It didn't hurt that he smelled nice. For just a moment she cuddled closer, only to remember that this was a near stranger and she was already invading his personal space. She jumped back then, face reddening again as she looked to the ground, her lower lip between her teeth. <br><br>"I'm sorry that was inappropriate, we barely even know each other, not that I wouldn't like to get to know you better," She stopped dead in her speech as she realized what she'd just said. Even if it was true, she'd never intended to say it. "But, I'm here to buy that book for Isabelle, and you're here to sell books..." She took a nervous step farther away. Considering retreating for the time being all together and coming back for the book later. She'd already managed to make a large enough fool of herself for one day. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>25-01-2013, 06:51:55</strong>
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				James liked the way Cassie felt, pressed up against him like that, pulling closer to him.&nbsp; It had been a while since he'd had that much physical contact with another person.&nbsp; Small towns were always insular, and even if they were James always felt like the outsider and that perhaps caused him to push people away; or maybe he'd just been unlucky for a long while.&nbsp; Whatever it was, having her that close was exciting.<br><br>He studied her for a few moments after she pulled away so suddenly, unsure what to make of things.&nbsp; She seemed to want to be close to him, and then in an instant she wanted her distance.&nbsp; <em>Am I reading this wrong?</em> he asked himself.<br><br>"No, it was fine, really.&nbsp; I didn't mind at all."&nbsp; He made a placating gesture.&nbsp; "You don't have to run off, I usually won't bite."&nbsp; He moved back behind the counter so that there'd be something between them, hoping that this would calm her.&nbsp; <em>Kind of like a startled animal</em>, he thought, <em>unsure of whether to run or stay.</em>&nbsp; He placed the book on the counter next to the register.<br><br>"I'm kind of flattered, actually.&nbsp; Nobody's wanted to get to know me for a long time now.&nbsp; Of course, as much travelling as I did they might not have had the chance to... ah, well, it is what it is."&nbsp; He stopped for a moment, then came to a decision.&nbsp; <em>Hell with it, what do you have to lose?</em>&nbsp; "Listen," he said, trying to gauge her reaction, "why don't we grab lunch together sometime?&nbsp; If nothing else, I can listen to whatever's bothering you."
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>25-01-2013, 07:36:32</strong>
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				"That sounds like fun," Cassie surprised herself by saying as she followed him towards the counter, keeping it between them. "I think I'd like that. The lunch part at least." She really didn't want to talk about what was bothering her. Most especially not when she wasn't sure what exactly had happened. "I can't begin to understand why no one would want to get to know you." She offered him a smile as she pulled out her wallet. "You said nine hundred right?" There was the pesky business of business to deal with after all.<br><br>So what if this was starting to look a little like she'd just agreed to go on a date with him? After all a date wasn't what started the issues. Maybe the issue before had always been that she wasn't really dating anyone? There was no way to know. Not now anyway, the past was gone and could not be retrieved. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to give it a try. Not that that was necessarily what this was, it could just be two people who were in need of some company having lunch and getting to know one another a bit better. Maybe she was reading too much into the invitation. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>26-01-2013, 04:03:53</strong>
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				"Not the open-your-heart-to-strangers type, eh?&nbsp; Me neither, really, but thought I'd offer to be a friendly ear,"&nbsp; James said, relieved that she'd said yes.&nbsp; It could have gone badly, he knew, and it was too easy to go from being the quiet guy who owned the bookstore to the quiet creepy guy who owned a bookstore and liked to hit on younger women.&nbsp; People might start asking questions, and then his stint in prison might come up, and he didn't want to go down that road.<br><br>"As for getting to know me, small towns like this tend to frown on outsiders.&nbsp; Even here in Oregon, which is nice; you should see some of the towns I passed through out on the east coast.&nbsp; Very 'Easy Rider' kinds of places."&nbsp; He looked down at the book.&nbsp; "Oh, yeah, nine hundred for the book.&nbsp; Cash, credit, check, soul, whatever's convenient."&nbsp; He said it with a smile, but as soon as he did he thought that the 'soul' part might be a bit much.&nbsp; <em>You're going to ruin this before it gets going, bozo.</em>&nbsp; <br><br>"So, what day would be good for you?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>28-01-2013, 06:13:29</strong>
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				"Look at that, we've already got something in common," Cassie teased softly. If only it stayed this easy, small talk she was good at. She'd had to be to keep up with all the local gossip. He looked a bit happier and more relaxed now, was it because she'd said yes? Had he been expecting a flat refusal? She gave him a dazzling smile, trying to help relax him even more. She didn't like it when other people were uncomfortable. It made her feel uncomfortable. She'd talked to a therapist about it once back in high school, it hadn't helped. <br><br>"Don't worry about it too much. Part of it is how much time you spend secluded here I'm sure. In general around here we don't pry if you don't want us to," She assured, hoping that she hadn't just made the whole situation worse. "Generally people that come here do it because they're running from something, or they just want to get away. Not the sort of thing a decent person interrogates someone about you know?" She gave him another smile as she pulled out her debit and credit cards. "$600 on the debit, $300 credit, if you can do it that way." She waited then for the transaction to complete, putting it all on the credit card if split payment wasn't possible.<br><br>"I can manage lunch any day," She said ducking her head as she realized that that could make her sound desperate, or too free. "Though I'm off on Tuesday. I guess it comes down to what would be best for you really. My hours are generally pretty flexible unless I have a scheduled appointment."
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				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>29-01-2013, 03:44:02</strong>
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				"Oh, I wasn't complaining, just making an observation.&nbsp; And 'just wanting to get away' is a pretty accurate summary of my situation, I think.&nbsp; Though, honestly you could say that I've been 'getting away' for the past 13 years or so."&nbsp; His eyes widened a little with the realization of how that sounded.&nbsp; "Not on the lamb or anything, just, you know, cursed with a bit of wanderlust and all."<br><br><em>Dumb-ass.</em><br><br>James nodded at her.&nbsp; "Sure, I can split it like that, just give me a moment or two..."&nbsp; He swipe one card and then the other, punching in numbers between them.&nbsp; After a few moments he handed her several receipts.&nbsp; "Just sign this one... okay, and that's your copy of that... now sign this one..."&nbsp; He took a paper bag from under the counter and placed the book inside, along with a couple of fliers about upcoming releases and other literary events.&nbsp; Once all was finished he held the bag out for her.&nbsp; "There we go, I think that's everything."<br><br>He smiled.&nbsp; "One of the perks of owning your own shop is you can close up whenever you like.&nbsp; Not often, but every once in a while.&nbsp; I think Tuesday's fine, say about one-ish?&nbsp; And, is the Dinner Table okay?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Phoenixrisen</strong> on <strong>29-01-2013, 04:01:26</strong>
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				"Of course," Cassie leaned against the counter watching his hands as he did his thing. He really did have nice hands. The blush came back to her cheeks as she thought about the things that nice hands could do. <em>Down girl!</em> She scolded herself sternly. She was a bit of mess it was true, but there were other things to think about right now. Hell, she hadn't even been on a date with the fellow yet. It wasn't time to start fantasizing about him jumping her bones. Maybe it really had been way too since she'd gotten laid. Then it was time for her to sign the papers, and she did so, allowing her fingers to brush lightly against his as she accepted the receipts and bag with a smile.<br><br>"I imagine that there would have to be some perks or no one would do it," She agreed, her heart beat had sped up a bit somewhere along the way and she was feeling just a little giddy. "That sounds wonderful. I'll see you then." She agreed, shyly backing towards the door a few steps before she turned around to leave.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Arion</strong> on <strong>29-01-2013, 16:20:40</strong>
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				James watched her leave, and even though he was disappointed that their conversation was over for the moment he had to admit to himself that he did enjoy watching her... leave.&nbsp; He shook his head at how pervy that might have looked, him staring at a much younger woman's ass.&nbsp; Glancing down, he found that Creeper was looking up at him.<br><br>"I don't want to hear it," he said to the cat, who regarded him with indifference.<br><br>After re-arranging the magazines that his cat had disturbed, James glanced at the clock.&nbsp; It was close to noon, and he was feeling hungry.&nbsp; He made sure that no one was in the store, then flipped the 'open' sign around and locked the door.&nbsp; He put on his his loden coat, long and a graphite grey in color.&nbsp; Exiting through the side-door, he began walking, his destination the bakery a couple of blocks over.<br><br>As he walked he thought about all that had gone on.&nbsp; He was now sure that Cassie had some kind of crush on him, as much as she'd been blushing and toying with her hair.&nbsp; When their hands had brushed it had felt... tingly, almost electric.&nbsp; <em>Was it the right choice, asking her out?</em>&nbsp; he asked himself.&nbsp; <em>Probably not, but when did that ever stop you before?&nbsp; Besides, this could be fun...</em>&nbsp; After a while he pulled his iphone out and pushed the earbuds into his ears, putting it on shuffle.&nbsp; A moment later the sounds of a techno-ish beat and a violin began...<br><br><br>http://youtu.be/EiyPRqP5glY (http://youtu.be/EiyPRqP5glY)
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>22-03-2013, 01:53:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Being a writer and also an avid reader, it stood to reason that a place such as Pacific Pages would attract Matthew's attention sooner or later. Entering the quaint little bookstore the place was rather quiet, but such was to be expected from such an establishment. With little trepidation the young man began to wander the various shelves, primarily being attracted to the section aptly labeled 'fiction'. There was no particular genre within said category that caught his eye, with his taste in literature truthfully being rather varied. Perusing the selection of assorted books the stock was quite ample and far from disappointing.<br><br>A soft yawn escaped him. Sleep was something still eluding him as of late, along with writer's block.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>22-03-2013, 02:24:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Sounds like someone's not getting much sleep of late," Molly said from the other side of one of the large bookshelves.&nbsp; She moved to the end of the shelf and came around the end, "I didn't know anyone else was in here."<br><br>The mayor smiled and put out her hand.&nbsp; "I don't think we've been formally introduced....I'm Molly Roth."&nbsp; <br><br>As the mayor, she was always on the lookout for residents she hadn't met before.&nbsp; She didn't go around bragging about the job....but it never hurt for people know her face.&nbsp; "Find anything good?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>22-03-2013, 18:12:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Stirred from his slight daze by the soft, gentle sound of a female voice in his proximity, Matt's gaze began to wander briefly before locating the source of the address as Molly emerged from the other side of the bookshelf he'd been browsing and introduced herself. Returning the smile he extended his hand in return and shook hers. "Matthew Parker, pleased to meet you." He said with some attempt at sounding cheerful. He had certainly never met this woman before but she was pleasing to the eye and had a bright personality to match, or so it seemed. He wasn't aware of her status as mayor, not that such a status would have made much difference to him or affect how he treated her.<br><br>"Ah, well..." He began and trailed off, a bit caught off guard by the question. "Not just yet..I mean there are certainly plenty of familiar titles and some that might be appealing. It's really just a matter of taking the chance of reading something and finding out. You know, don't judge a book by its cover and all that."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>23-03-2013, 04:01:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Oh...I've found this one rather interesting so far."&nbsp; She smiled and held up the book.&nbsp; "But I'm keeping it for myself....so you'll have to find one for yourself."<br><br>Molly laughed. She didn't know this man...but she was in a good mood today for whatever reason.&nbsp; It made her feel a bit silly....but that was ok, even for a Mayor.&nbsp; "Oh I never judge a book by it's cover.&nbsp; I much prefer to read what's just on the side of the cover before I judge it."&nbsp; <br><br>"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Parker.&nbsp; I take it you're new to town?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>23-03-2013, 21:07:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the book was shown to him Matthew gave the cover a glance, it looked intriguing enough. Despite her teasing remark he grinned, lightly shrugging his shoulders in reply. Pleased that she shared his notion about literature, a smile overtook his handsome features. His eyes wandered but did so discreetly.<br><br>"The pleasure's all mine. And yes, you'd be correct. I figured it couldn't hurt to start finding my way around here and possibly make some new acquaintances in the process."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>24-03-2013, 04:31:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well...you'll find the town to be a pretty friendly place.&nbsp; In general, we're a pretty open, accepting bunch."&nbsp; Molly let that sink in for a moment....then continued.&nbsp; "Are you married?&nbsp; Any family? What do you do for a living?"&nbsp; <br><br>She left it there...not wanting to give the man question overload....though she figured that the questions might stop those eyes of his from wandering too much.&nbsp; A lot of men thought they were so slick with their stealthy ways of checking out women.&nbsp; However...what they didn't realize was that women knew it was happening....mostly because they weren't all that stealthy in the first place...and allowed it to happen for the most part.&nbsp; It was always a boost to the ego.&nbsp; <br><br>Even if one didn't prefer the male of the species.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>24-03-2013, 17:35:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Whether or not his glances were noticed it didn't stop Matthew from checking Molly out, if only a little. He was hardly in a state of possessing an agape jaw accompanied by drool. Few women left him that helpless and enticed. After all, the two of them had only just met so there was no need to think or believe that they would get past the point of friendship. Of course with someone of her beauty more than friendship wouldn't be a bad thing by any means.<br><br>Of course that line of thinking was far too quick, and his mind shifted to consider her questions.<br><br>"Yes, you seem to have made that impression, and I'm glad for it." He remarked then went on to deal with her inquiries, personal but not too invasive. "Oh, married? Heavens no, never even been close. My longest relationship was two years, but that didn't end so well. No kids..that I know of." The young man teased her slightly with such a statement. "I'm a writer...well sort of, truth is that I've only had one published work and am working on a second. Writer's block has gotten a hold of me lately so it's been difficult..." He said almost solemnly but then smiled.<br><br>"What about you? Pretty lady such as yourself must be spoken for." Matt insinuated with a bit of a grin.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>24-03-2013, 22:41:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Molly leaned against the book shelf that was against the wall and regarded the man in front of her.&nbsp; Her arms crossed her chest, clutching the book to it.&nbsp; "No children you know of, hmm?&nbsp; Quite a statement."<br><br>The words came out with a hint of amusement.&nbsp; "Would I have heard of your first publication?&nbsp; And I'm sorry to hear of your writer's block.&nbsp; I know how difficult that can be....being creatively blocked.&nbsp; You never know what might break it free....a sound....some specific sight....I even had a smell spark something for me once.&nbsp; Though I'm certainly not a writer."<br><br>His last question certainly brings a smile to her face. My but he is a smooth one.&nbsp; "Spoken for?&nbsp; Oh....no...I'm not spoken for.&nbsp; There have been a few attempts....but no lady has laid claim to my heart just yet."<br><br>Perhaps the words were a bit flowery....but it was the truth. Molly certainly hoped one day to find that special someone....everyone held that hope to some degree or other.&nbsp; "But one day....one day we will find each other, I'm sure."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>24-03-2013, 23:11:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Her assessing remark made Matt flush, but only a little, hopefully not too noticeably. His attention was slightly drawn to her chest when her arms crossed by his gaze lingered there briefly before rising to her attractive complexion. "Not to say that I'm...promiscuous. So don't go drawing that conclusion."<br><br>He chided her playfully, enjoying their conversation. When questioned about his only published book, it provoked a hint of self-consciousness. "I, well, reception was mixed and you won't find it in most bookstores...it's called <em>Soft Meadow</em>. If you really want to read it...I have a copy at home."<br><br>Trying not to be nervous, the young man felt as though he was failing in that regard. Upon being informed of the fact that Molly was single, he was more drawn to the fact that she said <em>no lady</em> had claimed her heart. <br><br>"Oh, I see. Well that's an encouraging notion. I'm sure there's somewhere out there for each of us."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>25-03-2013, 01:32:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yep....I like to think that there's someone out there for everyone.&nbsp; Helps me to stay positive and all....like all I have to do one day is walk around the right corner and there she'll be.&nbsp; Of course it won't be that easy....but you get my point.&nbsp; It's enough to keep going....around that next corner...over the next hill."<br><br>That line of thought had the potential to go in a not-so-pleasant direction, so Molly decided to quit while she was ahead.&nbsp; "What is your book about?&nbsp; If they went to the trouble of publishing it, it has to be pretty good."<br><br>It was pretty obvious that he was somewhat self-conscious about the subject....so she tried to be encouraging at least a little.&nbsp; Not every book that was published was good...but that wasn't the point here.&nbsp; "Anyway...where are you living?&nbsp; Are you local to the bookstore?&nbsp; If you'd like...I could point out some good places to hang out.&nbsp; The bakery's not far from here....and everything they make is incredible."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>25-03-2013, 01:54:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yeah, finding the right person usually isn't easy. Plenty of trial and error, that's for sure." He answered cheerfully, grinning as Molly asked about his already published book. "Now that would ruin it. You'll have to read it to find it. Like I said, if you want to borrow a copy, I'd be more than happy to lend it out to you..." At that Matthew trailed off, eyeing the woman over just a bit more, admittedly being less discreet about it. Despite her perceived sexual orientation, there was simply no denying her attractiveness. It wasn't as if he was going out of his way to be charming towards her, especially now considering what he knew.<br><br>As the flurry of questions hit him he considered what to say. "Oh, just over on the Hill, or so I've been told that it's called. Pretty nice neighborhood. Oh? That'd be very nice of you...I don't know my way around too well yet, so a tour guide would be quite useful. And especially pleasant if it'd be someone as lovely as yourself."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>28-03-2013, 03:57:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Cool. My house is in that neighborhood as well.&nbsp; We call it The Hill for pretty obvious reasons.....being on a hill and all."&nbsp; Molly smiled at that.&nbsp; "But....I'm sure you guessed that already.&nbsp; As for the area....you're on the main drag right now....and the bakery is not far away.&nbsp; Couple streets over....on the other side of Town Hall and the Sheriff's Office.&nbsp; Lots of shops of all kinds.&nbsp; We have a pretty lively downtown.&nbsp; Lots of towns this size seem to be sort of imploding in on themselves, but not Elliquiy."<br><br>There was a hint of pride in her voice...because that hadn't always been the case.&nbsp; When she'd been elected to office the downtown area hadn't been all that active.&nbsp; But with a bit of hard work and some public improvements, well...the people had started coming back and it had something of a snowball effect.&nbsp; The more people that came, the more that wanted to be there.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>28-03-2013, 04:06:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Sounds like this town as a lot to offer, at least that's the impression I've gotten from everything you just said." Matt answered with a smile of his own. Molly certainly had a way about making the place sound appealing, although as mayor it was likely a point of pride being able to emphasis the points of interest in the area. "There must be a lot to do. What do you like to do, though?" He questioned, curious in getting to know more about the woman.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>01-04-2013, 23:35:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Me?&nbsp; I do whatever comes to mind when I'm not busy with work. The Sheriff is nice enough to let me use the Department's shooting range a couple times a week...so I do that when the mood strikes me. I work on my cars in my garage.....the Datsun roadster out front is mine.&nbsp; I like it for nice days like today."&nbsp; Molly thought about it some more, "But mostly I work.&nbsp; My jobs keep me pretty busy."<br><br>She laughed at that.&nbsp; "What about you?&nbsp; What do you do for fun?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>01-04-2013, 23:41:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Nodding in approval at what Molly had to say, it seemed that her interests were quite varied. "Oh yeah? Nice car, if I may say so myself." Matthew complimented cheerfully, considering the question when it was turned back on him. "Ah, well..." He started and trailed, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about it. "I read, write, watch movies, that sort of thing. I guess you could say I'm an artistic enthusiastic...I tried to stay cultured. Not easy in this day in age, though.." The young man went on to say. "Oh, I also have interesting conversations with beautiful women in local bookstores. My newest hobby, actually." Grinning as he said this, Matt hoped not to sound too bold.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>04-04-2013, 03:14:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Molly decided to ignore that last part.&nbsp; No sense in encouraging him.&nbsp; "You know...I'm sure there are book and film clubs here in town...if that's something you wanted to look around for.&nbsp; I'm sure a book club would love to have an actual writer as a member. I'm sure you'd have some different insights."<br><br>"And thank you for the compliment on my car.&nbsp; It restored it myself.....it's one of the great loves of my lives."&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>04-04-2013, 04:04:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Matt felt a little discouraged but tried not to appear so. "Good suggestions, I'll have to see what I can find." He said cheerfully. "Oh? And what are your other great loves?" He asked, truthfully curious but hoping not to be asking something out of line or overly personal.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>NaughtyKitty</strong> on <strong>10-04-2013, 02:03:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Architecture and design mostly.....driving fast.....that sort of stuff. I'm an architect in my day job....so if you decide you need a house built, let me know."&nbsp; Molly smiled and looked over at Mathew.&nbsp; "So...are you planning to write anything about this area?&nbsp; I've always thought it would make a great background for a book."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [ToE] Pacific Pages</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Keaton</strong> on <strong>10-04-2013, 02:05:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I plan to, yes, if I can get past this writer's block that's been eating at me lately." A quiet left him and Matt tried not to appear too visibly frustrated. "I thought this place might provide some good inspiration." He went on to say. 
			</dd>
		</dl>
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