Page 40 of Marked by the Demigod

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Funny enough, after the week she's had, the Maine convention is pretty much relaxing. They put her with small groups, they're all relatively young so they have no problem with computers, and all are pretty chill.

The hotel itself is adorable, with a tiny overcrowded bar and tiny rooms. It's about as un-glitzy as possible, with a view of the ocean from her tiny room that she immediately Snapchats to Trixie.

TRIXIE (6:22 PM): Oh my god go to the bar, isn't it late there?

She spares a quick thought for Jake - Iakov - then shakes her head, feeling for a second like she's gonna jump out of her skin. If he honestly thought he could ...leave her forever, never show his face again, then she can flirt a little bit in a tiny hotel on the back end of Maine.

AIMES (6:32 PM): Should I tell Dave about Jake?

KATYA (6:33 PM): I wouldn't.

The bar is full of librarians, but the young hipster type of librarians. The type that still wears sweater vests but wears them ironically.

She gets a quick martini at the bar and tucks herself in enough of a corner that she's out of the way but not out of sight. One of the librarians she spoke to earlier waves, but doesn't come over.

It's enough deja vu that the back of her neck prickles, so she takes a sip of her martini and lets herself survey the room.

There's a broad shouldered guy who's sharply dressed, but something about his burly look suggests a lack of intelligence, despite the over-educated crowd. If she was looking for cheap sex without any flirting, he'd be her first choice. But she's at least the kinda girl who wants some chatting first. Or at least right now she does, where everyone feels kinda vaguely unattractive.

She takes another strong sip.

Her phone buzzes.

TRIXIE (7:40 PM): Please tell me there's good looking guys.

AIMES (7:40 PM): So many hipster librarians.

TRIXIE (7:41 PM): That's not bad.

AIMES (7:42 PM): It has potential.

Someone moves into view, and it's the burly guy, sliding into the booth next to her. "Hey."

She sits up, tucking her phone into her pocket. "Hi?"

He stares at her for a brief second, as if he expected the conversation to come from her. "You were a presenter, right?"

She nods, taking another sip of the martini and finding it rapidly empty. "The comp science and information technologies wing, did you come to the class?"

"My library rarely even uses a computer. Small town, still use handwritten records."

She squares off with him. "You're shitting me."

"We have a single computer, but we're out there. Don't get good cell signal, internet is even rarer. Half our patrons cross from Canada."

And that just can't be real. "No."

He shrugs, and she's trying hard to find his shoulders attractive but they're a hair too broad and a hair too...much. "Small towns, not what we dream of in college, eh?"

She finishes her drink, and he surprises her by grabbing her glass. "I'll buy next round?" And he's so hopeful that she nods, and he disappears off into the overcrowded bar.

It's like he's a librarian linebacker, and she chuckles to herself at the thought.

AIMES (8:01 PM): It's not bad. Guy is buying me drinks. Bar is adorable.

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