Life by the Page 4
4 "The Owls Den" was the only book store in town. It was a small store but every nook and cranny was occupied by a book. They were stacked in every conceivable space, nook, cranny, or overhang. There stacked precariously against the walls all the way up to the ceiling. They were even paced high up in the rafters. There was only room for three tall shelves and all the books on it were stacked in a very unorthodox fashion. Books lay in piles on each side of the shelves as though they were thrown there carelessly. Probably the oddest thing about the place was despite its name it was owned and run by a hyena named Dave.
He loved how quiet it always was inside, all the other book stores he had ever been in always had a stereo or smooth jazz playing in the background. Leon enjoyed music as much as anybody else but he could never concentrate on what he was looking for if it was in the background. It muddled his thinking. Today Leon was looking to find both Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson. He realized this morning that he had never read anything by Hemingway and he had not nearly enough of Thompson either. It was the fox who reminded him of Thompson. Just as he turned the corner to look in the American literature section he heard the bell jingle at the front of the store. Leon paid little attention to it and set out looking for his books. He had just reached the alphabetical section with authors of the last name "G" when he heard someone clear his throat behind him. He turned around ears twitching to perceive Nathan standing in front of him. Leon smiled and said "Oh hi there". On the inside Leon was happy to see the fox and at the same time he was wondering why he was there. Was it because he had got such a good look at him before and he was angry? Was it because he liked him? Was he a fan perhaps?
"Hi" replied Nathan quietly. They both stood there for a moment not sure what to say. Nathan had mustered up the courage to go into the book shop to give Leon his number and ask him out on a date. Leon was confused yet anxious to see what he wanted.
"Sorry again for bumping into you this morning". Said Leon with a light laugh that made Nathan smile.
"Oh it's no trouble" he replied his tail swishing back and forth "you made up for it anyway." They were both silent again for a moment. Nathan scratched his head and looked at a pile of books that lay beside one of the shelves. He stared at one in particular by some author named J. Garney which looked like a book on Astrology. Leon looked intently at the fox wondering what he came into the store for. He figured now it was because of him. They were talking to each other after all. "I was wondering..." he began for a second after meeting Leon's gaze again. "I was wondering if you...could help me find a book". Leon smiled a little embarrassed and thought how silly it was that Nathan came there just to talk to him.
"What were you looking for?" Leon asked with an air of sincerity. Nathan's ears flew back on his head.
"Um..." he hadn't actually had an author in mind. "I was looking for ...Robert Frost." This wasn't actually true; he had a small section of his shelf at home already devoted to Frost.
"Ah Frost!" Leon said rather enthusiastically for he had a special place in his "library" for Frost. He turned around to face the American section once more. "I thought I remembered seeing him in here somewhere. Have you read Frost before then?" he asked smiling to himself.
"Oh yes." Replied Nathan rather quietly. After some looking about he found a copy of one of his plays.
"Have you read 'A Way Out' yet?" He asked holding a copy behind him for Nathan to take while he still looking.
"No I haven't actually." Nathan replied finally speaking up. Nathan took the book carefully trying not to brush against Leon's fingers. Nathan hadn't read any of Frost's plays. Leon turned and asked if he was looking for anything else. "Um...no...I think this will do me fine thank you." Leon smiled.
"Sure." They both stood silent again for a moment then Leon said "I like Frost." Nathan nodded.
"Yes me too." Again they were both silent.
"I haven't actually come across that one yet." Said Leon gesturing the book. Nathan looked down at it and back to Leon again. Nathan's left ear twitched and he cleared his throat.
"I was wondering..." Nathan had what he wanted to say all thought through but somewhere between his thoughts and his mouth the words were stuck, held in suspension by a building feeling in his chest. "...the way we met was kind of funny." He said finally. Leon smiled and his ears went back.
"Yes like something out of P.G. Woodhouse". Nathans ears perked up when he said this and he smiled from ear to ear.
"Oh you like him too?" he replied.
"Yes I do!" Leon said enthusiastically "Whenever I feel down I pick up one of his novels and almost instantly I feel better."
"Yes I know exactly what you mean!" Nathan replied. They were both smiled at each other while their tails wagged to and fro; Nathan's a bit more than Leon's. Suddenly the feeling in Nathan's chest had changed and the words which were suspended suddenly shot to the tip of his tongue, ready for his use. "I was thinking...I know we met a bit strangely...but would you like to get coffee sometime?" He blushed a little as he asked. Leon also blushed being flattered. He was silent for a moment.
"Sure that would be great." he said in awkward reply. Nathan smiled wider and wagged his tail with more energy. "Ok, here is my number" he handed him a small piece of paper and turned to leave. "Im afraid I need to go now...it was nice meeting you."
"Same" Leon replied "Ill surely call...sometime". Nathan blushed deeper and walked out with his book. Leon stood there alone in the book store. Above everything, his awkward reply, and from what he expected of meeting the fox again, he felt good. He laughed to himself as he went back to looking for Thompson. A moment later Dave, the hyena who owned the store, came in and walked up to him.
"Oh hey Leon! Whats so funny?" he asked with a smile. Leon turned and smiled back.
"Oh nothing Dave, its nothing."