Chapter 3 Charlie
THREE
CHARLIE
As I watched Hunter leave the coffee shop, a feeling of wistful longing stole over me.
He was gorgeous, but also kind. He didn’t have to tend to me after I was the one who ran into him, but he did anyway.
He’d made sure I was okay before he left.
I let out a soft sigh. It wasn’t likely I’d see him again, despite him asking about the bookstore. I was sure he was just being nice.
Kelsey came over to my table with another doughnut. “Well he was smoking hot.”
I chuckled. “He was. Too bad he had to leave so soon. He said he had a job interview.”
She rubbed her hands together. “That means he’s planning to stay in the City. Maybe you’ll see him again.”
I shook my head. “I doubt it. Besides, we don’t even know if he’s anywhere on the rainbow. He could be straight as an arrow.”
Kelsey snorted. “Honey, they’re never straight. And I saw how he was looking at you when he thought you wouldn’t notice.”
I took a bite of the doughnut rather than argue with her.
Men like Hunter weren’t interested in small weak men like me.
I doubted we had anything in common. I had double majored in history and library science at university.
Most people considered my kind of work boring.
I doubted Hunter would be any different.
“I’m sure Hunter has better things to do with his time than spend it with a bookstore clerk. ”
Kelsey shoved my shoulder. “You’re more than that and you know it. Stop putting yourself down.”
My foot nudged the satchel at my feet, reminding me of my task. I took a last sip of my tea and said, “I have to go. I have to deliver a book to Matteo and Julian.”
A crease of worry furrowed her brow. “Are you sure you’re okay to walk?”
I nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just a little lump. I think I passed out because I let my blood sugar get too low. I forgot to eat dinner last night and then I didn’t get breakfast when I got my hot chocolate.”
“You need a handler,” she commented with a shake of her head.
“I can’t help it if I get lost in a book,” I protested.
She put her hands on her hips. “And just how late did you stay up reading said book?” I mumbled something, hoping she’d let it go. She put her hand behind her ear and demanded, “What’s that? I didn’t hear you.”
With a sigh I confessed, “I said three AM.”
She rolled her eyes. “No wonder you’re a mess this morning. Was it at least worth it?”
“Of course,” I replied indignantly. “It was a new fantasy romance by Jocelyn Drake.
“Aren’t all romances fantasies?” she scoffed.
Her question made me sad. “Don’t say that. There’s someone out there for you. I just know it.”
She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and squeezed my shoulder. “Thanks, Charlie. I hope you’re right.” She pointed at the satchel by my feet. “You should probably get going. You don’t want your boss to be upset with you.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I handed her my debit card to pay for my order, which included Hunter’s coffee. I wondered if he made it to his interview on time. I hoped so. I would have hated to be responsible for him not getting a job.
After Kelsey brought my card back I tucked it in my wallet and got ready to go. I wrapped my scarf snuggly around my neck, making sure to tuck the ends inside my coat this time. Then I adjusted the strap of the satchel on my shoulder and headed out the door toward Christopher Street.
Luckily, it hadn’t started raining. I hoped my luck held out until I delivered the book.
The wind was still gusty, making it feel a lot colder than it was.
By the time I got to Matteo and Julian’s condo my fingers were numb, even inside the wool gloves.
In addition, my head ached and I felt more tired than I should have.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for them to buzz me into the building.
I took the elevator to the twelfth floor and walked down the hall to apartment F.
I hadn’t even raised my hand to knock when Julian opened the door.
He was casually dressed in jeans and a cream colored cable knit sweater.
His shoulder-length dark hair was pulled into a messy bun at the back of his head.
His brow was furrowed with concern. “Charlie, thank goodness. I was starting to worry. Zenia called over an hour ago to let us know you were on the way.”
He opened the door wider and ushered me into a small entry foyer.
To my left was a spiral staircase with ornate wrought-iron railings that immediately had me wanting to climb it to see what treasure it led to.
Instead, I lifted the strap of the satchel off my shoulder and handed it to Julian.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. I had a literal run-in with a man at the coffee shop.
” I lightly touched the lump on the back of my head. “I ended up flat on the ground.”
“Oh my goodness, your poor head. Come in, come in.” He put the strap of the leather satchel on his shoulder and guided me into a large living room.
Matteo was seated at a round oak table strewn with books and papers.
He had a pair of pince-nez glasses perched on the end of his nose as he pored over what looked like a very old scroll.
Julian went to his husband and kissed his cheek.
“Darling, Charlie has brought the book we were looking for.”
Matteo blinked owlishly and looked up at Julian. The smile he gave his husband was so full of love it made my heart clench. I longed to have that kind of love. I thought I’d had it once upon a time. I’d been so very wrong.
“That’s excellent,” Matteo said with, still gazing lovingly at the man at his side. “I believe that will be the last piece of the puzzle.” His gaze settled on me. “Hello Charlie. Thank you for bringing this here so quickly.”
I glanced over at Julian, who smiled and shook his head. Matteo was famous for losing time. I would sometimes find him in the loft library at the bookstore completely engrossed in whatever he was reading and blind to the passage of time. “You’re welcome,” I replied.
I looked around the living room, surprised there were only two bookcases. “I thought you’d have more books.”
Both men chuckled. Matteo set his glasses on the table. “The library is on the second floor. We work down here because otherwise we’d get distracted by the many paths our books could lead us down.
“Wow,” I said on a sigh. “I would love to have my own library.”
Julian patted my shoulder. “In time, Charlie. All in good time.” He pulled out one of the chairs at the table and said, “Have a seat.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I should probably get back to the store. I’ve been gone a lot longer than I expected.”
Julian pulled out his phone. “It’s fine. I’ll text Zenia and tell her you’re having tea with us. She’ll understand.”
I thought about objecting, but my head was worse and the thought of walking back made weariness settle on me like a wet blanket. Maybe some tea would help me feel better.
Julian took the book out of the satchel and set it on the table. Seeing the lock on the tome reminded me I still had the key in my pocket. I stood and pulled it out. “Here’s the key.”
“Ah good,” Julian said as he took the envelope from me. “Thank you very much.”
He set the envelope on top of the book and then went to the kitchen, presumably to make tea.
Matteo drew the book toward him, removed the key from the envelope, and opened the lock.
My curiosity was pushed to its limits. I didn’t often get to handle the rare books and never one this old.
Matteo looked over at me and smiled. “Go on, ask your questions.”
Grabbing the opportunity while I could, I said, “I’ve never heard of Ogham being used in a manuscript. The oldest manuscript from Ireland is that psalter supposedly written by Saint Columbia in 600AD, and it was in Latin.”
Matteo launched into a tale of a secret society that used the Ogham alphabet to hide forbidden texts from prying eyes. By the time Julian brought my tea, I’d forgotten about my headache and my tiredness.
I picked up the mug and took a deep breath. “This smells lovely. Is it herbal tea?”
“Yes,” Julian replied as he took the seat next to Matteo. “It’s an old recipe I learned from my grandmother. It will help with your headache.”
I didn’t bother asking how he knew I had a headache. I assumed he guessed after I told him about bumping my head. “Thank you,” I said. I took a sip and closed my eyes in pleasure. It was a delicate blend with just the right amount of honey for sweetness. “This is very good.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Julian replied. “Now tell me how you got that bump on the back of your head.”
“Well it was my fault really,” I began as I launched into the story of how I plowed into a man big enough to not be moved by my small self running into him. By the time I finished my tale, both Matteo and Julian were smiling indulgently at me.
“What?” I asked. “What’s that expression?”
“It sounds like Hunter liked you,” Julian said.
I shook my head. “No. There’s no way someone who looks like that would want someone like me.”
“Charlie,” Matteo chided. “Don’t be unkind to yourself. You are a lovely young man with a lot to offer.”
I felt heat rise in my cheeks. “That’s nice of you to say. I’d like to believe it, but I’ve been told differently.”
The pair exchanged a glance. Matteo cleared his throat.
“Sometimes people we love say awful things about us. It hurts worse because we love them and want them to love us.” He sighed softly.
“It took me a long time to learn not to listen to people who were trying to manipulate me.” He put his hand over Julian’s.
“I almost lost my chance with Julian because I was too afraid to speak up.”
While I appreciated their concern, it was unlikely I’d see Hunter again.
I was sure he was just being polite and kind in the coffee shop.
I wasn’t going to say all that to these two men.
They were very much in love and wanted others to have what they had.
I simply smiled and said, “Thank you. I’ll try to remember that if I see Hunter again.
” I checked my smartwatch. “I should really get back to the bookstore. I’m sure Zenia has work to do and I have orders to pack and label. ”
“Of course,” Julian replied. “I’ll order you a taxi.”
“Oh you don’t have to do that,” I protested.
“We insist,” Matteo said firmly. He looked out the window. “Besides, it has started to rain.”
I sighed in defeat. “All right. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.”
On the short ride back to the bookstore, my thoughts turned to Hunter. I wondered how his job interview went. I also wondered if he’d come to the bookstore like he said.