Page 3 of Somewhere Between Falling

“Russian language and literature.”

“And just what do you plan on doing with that degree?” I teased.

“Probably work in a coffee shop for the rest of my life spouting off pretentious nonsense to unsuspecting customers as they wait for their morning lattes,” he replied with a self-deprecating air.

“At least you have a plan.” I couldn’t help but smile.

“What about you?”

“Currently undecided,” I said with a sigh. It was partly true. While I was undecided, the decision had been made for me a long time ago. I would have loved to explore more literature courses, maybe throw in a couple art classes—if it was completely up to me. But that wasn’t going to happen. My mom didn’t want me wasting my time and talent taking classes that interested me, so instead I was on a very strict course schedule that would have me graduating next spring with a pre-law degree because, according to her, there was no other option.

I had a different idea of what I wanted my life to look like, though. And it didn’t revolve around being stuck in a musty old courtroom for the rest of my life defending people who I knew damn well weren’t innocent. I pushed the thought aside, not wanting to put a damper on things. Today I was just a girl browsing a bookstore with a boy.

Chapter Two

It was easy to lose track of time when amongst books. I took my time browsing carefully, searching for a promised treasure and determined not to leave empty-handed. I ended up finding a copy of Little Women that had a prettily painted cover, and even though the yellowed pages were too loose to actually read it, I felt I needed to have it on my bookshelf.

My phone buzzed from inside my pocket again, and I hit ignore again. I didn’t need to look at it to know who kept calling.

You’d think he’d have given up by now. Did he honestly expect me to wait all day for him there? It was good to let him wonder where I was for a change.

The sun was beginning to set when we finally emerged from Tolstoy and Austen and Dickens. My stomach rumbled rather embarrassingly.

“I guess I missed lunch,” I said with a shy smile.

“I could eat.” Tobias returned my smile, letting me know with his eyes that he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye either.

“How do you feel about Cajun food?” I asked, realizing one of my favorite restaurants was only a couple of blocks from here.

“We’re too far north for that to be authentic,” he answered with a smirk.

“Okay, better question: how adventurous are you feeling?”

“Lead the way” was his response, sending a strange jolt right through my chest.

The Lost Cajun was an accidental discovery last summer during the one and only blind date I had ever been on. The date was terrible, but the food was good, so I suppose in the end it was worth it.

The conversation never slowed as we walked to the restaurant, nor did it as we devoured our chicken gumbo. How strange it was that I felt so comfortable around someone I had just met. Though in all fairness we weren’t really strangers anymore after all; we had just spent the better part of the day together. Sure, we shared no details about our lives. But still, there was some sort of camaraderie between us now as we talked about the places we’ve been and the places we still wanted to go.

We talked about movies and shows we liked. His taste was almost as eclectic as mine.

“I draw the line at Westerns,” I teased.

“Lonesome Dove is an epic adventure,” he insisted. “The book won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.”

“How do you even know that?” I asked.

“I have a knack for remembering random trivia,” he said with a casual shrug.

“I just can’t get into Westerns. Even if they are Pulitzer Prize-worthy.”

“To be honest, I’ve never read it,” he admitted. “But I watched the miniseries with my grandma when I was a kid.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I have heard the book is better, though, so maybe one day I will.“

“I hate it when movies butcher the books they are based on,” I said. “What is the worst book-to-movie adaptation in your opinion?”

“The Hobbit,” he answered almost immediately.

“It’s Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief for me.”

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