Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
brIANNA
“Someone’s in a chipper mood this afternoon,” Wren, the youth services librarian, said to Brianna the next morning.
Brianna was in the break room, finishing her extravaganza leftovers of the day, when Wren came in. She was clearly there to drop off her dinner in the staff fridge, her afternoon/evening shift starting in a couple minutes. When she did just that, she turned back to Brianna.
“What do you mean?” Brianna asked.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you smile this much unprompted. I think it took you at least two weeks to defrost to us, but today, you’re practically glowing.”
Brianna blushed, and Wren widened her eyes, sitting down in front of Brianna.
“I have a few minutes before my shift. Tell me everything.”
“There’s nothing to spill.”
One eyebrow raise was Wren’s only response, and she seemed to hold it patiently while Brianna thought it over. Technically, the person she would normally tell would be Nathan, and it would be kind of inappropriate to tell him about what she was thinking about his sister… Oh, what the hell.
“Fine. But you have to keep this between us, okay?”
“It’s a locked vault over here,” Wren said, miming locking her mouth shut. It must’ve been the children’s librarian in her, for Brianna had rarely seen the action from an adult in recent years.
“I went on a date last night, and it was great.”
Wren squealed for her, and Brianna couldn’t help but grin. “That’s awesome. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. I’m…optimistic about it.”
“That’s nice,” Wren said, but Brianna could tell she was questioning Brianna’s particular adjective.
“I just mean. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date, and I don’t know if it will go anywhere, but I’m looking forward to it.”
“Hopefully, it will go somewhere. I’m sure he’s very nice if you like him,” Wren said. “How hot is he?”
This was the awkward part, when Brianna would have to come out and pray none of her coworkers would look at her differently or judge her.
She didn’t want to make it a big deal. She was a little worried that being a lesbian would be her thing, that it would be the only thing people would associate with her, but it had to be done.
She didn’t want to keep it a secret, because she wasn’t ashamed of who she was.
“She’s very hot. Easily out my league,” Brianna said. Perhaps it was a bit rude to emphasize the first word, but it was the most obvious way she could think to do it in the moment.
“I’m so sorry for assuming.” Wren’s eyes went wide in that straight person guilt way, and Brianna brushed it off with a wave of her hand.
“It’s fine. It’s not like I’m wearing a giant rainbow flag at all times.”
“You should, though. It would liven your wardrobe.”
“I’ll think about it,” Brianna said seriously, as if it was really something to consider, and the two young women laughed.
“When are you going to see her next?” Wren asked, going back to their conversation.
“I don’t know,” Brianna answered truthfully. She wasn’t sure whether she should explain the complicated part of it. Technically, Audrey was her driving teacher, and she was Nathan’s sister. Did she need to explain it to him? Did she need to ask him for permission? Should she?
Was it worth the hassle of turning this thing into a capital T Thing?
She had no clue, and though she liked Wren, she was nowhere near close enough to her to start info-dumping about her nonexistent relationship.
“I’m sure I’ll think of something,” Brianna continued when it became obvious Wren was waiting for more details.
“You better. If you need help—” Whatever Wren was going to offer was interrupted by a loud alarm on her phone.
“Crap, I should start my shift,” she said and stood. Brianna waved goodbye to her and then packed up her lunch, trying to bask in the glow of the peaceful five minutes she had left of her break.
She opened her phone and her chat with Audrey. She had wanted to send her a good morning text but thought it may be too clingy, so they hadn’t continued their conversation from last night. What would she even say? “What are you having for lunch?” Ugh. How boring.
Brianna wished she was better at flirting or texting or even conversation.
She briefly debated opening her messages with Nathan, but that required more bravery than Brianna cared to muster in the moment. Maybe he wouldn’t pay too much attention to it. Maybe he’d think it was their small-town thing. Everyone hung out with everyone.
Deciding to stop her daydreaming, Brianna jolted when she looked at the time. She quickly hurried out to relieve Bill at the desk, who didn’t seem to mind one bit. At her previous library, she had one coworker who yelled at her every time she was even a minute late to swap desk shifts.
It was a nice change of pace to be in Beaver Creek, comparatively.
In the afternoon, Mike came to ask if she could cover circulation while he covered the information desk, as Rosie had to go home early with a family emergency. Having attended many trainings and being familiar with the system from her previous library, Brianna had no problem with it.
The circulation desk was interesting, at least far more interesting than the information desk, as Brianna could observe the customers as they came in.
It was perfect fodder for some who enjoyed people watching far too much for their own liking, a habit she inherited from her long commutes on the TTC in Toronto.
It was going all fine and dandy until the one person she had never expected to see in a library walked in.
“Yooooo!” Nathan called out as he strolled up to Brianna, pointing at her in a way that would seem douche-y if it was anyone but him.
“Nathan!” Brianna matched his dude-bro tone. “What the hell are you doing in a library?”
He laughed. “I know, right? I’m here on important boyfriend duty. Grace needed me to grab her library holds. She’s been waiting weeks for some book.”
He pulled out a library card and handed it to Brianna. “Help me find it?”
“Sure,” she said and led the way to the holds shelf.
“I didn’t realize you and Grace were that serious. Maybe I should’ve met her earlier.”
Nathan smiled. “I’m manifesting it. I haven’t asked her yet, but soon. I was hoping to ask her yesterday, but I think sitting next to my sister sorta killed the mood.”
“I know,” Brianna said, mimicking his sigh.
She used the library card’s last five digits to find the book, and when she turned to Nathan, he had a puzzled look on his face. She hadn’t seen him be that pensive since they had to give a last-minute presentation in the eleventh grade on a subject he was failing at.
She handed him the book. Not sure whether to ask him about his internal puzzle, she just led him back to the circulation desk, where she pulled up Grace’s account to check out the book.
“What do you mean by agreeing?” Nathan finally asked.
“Huh. What do you mean?” Brianna countered back.
“You know, when you agreed that me being there ruined the mood. What mood?” Nathan raised an eyebrow.
Busted.
“You know. It was nice getting to know someone new.”
“Right. It’s hard to make new friends in a town like this?” Nathan said it as a question.
If it was a test of her honesty, Brianna would fail immediately, like Nathan had on that project. “Exactly. It was distracting.”
Nathan nodded, seemingly relieved. “Phew. No offense, Bri, I love you, but I don’t think you and Audrey are right for each other.”
Brianna held up a hand to her chest in offense. “What the hell? I’m a total catch.”
“You are. I’m talking about Audrey. That girl’s a menace.”
It was likely all typical roasting between siblings, but still, Brianna felt weird hearing something so negative about Audrey.
“That’s not fair. She’s very sweet, very smart. Understanding too,” Brianna said.
“Sure, sure.” Nathan grabbed the book from the counter where Brianna had slid it over to him after finishing the check out. “Anyway, text you later?”
“Sure,” Brianna said and waved to Nathan as he finally left.
Brianna sighed when he was out of eyesight and briefly debated banging her head on the desk. She wasn’t sure whether she did the right thing by not being entirely truthful with him, but it was too many new things at once.
New town. New job. New crush. New feelings.
Who knew such a life change would really be such a life change?