amy likes (bookandoptimism) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-05-01 17:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !thread, amarilla renshaw, cian wilde |
first meetings
Who: Amy & Cian (+ nameless customer)
What: Dealing with sad customers and a certain sexy gambler
Where: Lux & Livre
When: Today
Rating: I guess PG for now
Status: Complete
From the moment that man with a trench coat entered her shop, Amy knew how this would end. She couldn't tell his age - he looked old, around fifty or so, but perhaps that was just the lines of worry and sadness etched on his face, the gravity of his horrible life. He looked like he saw far too much, worked far too hard. His coat was obviously too big on him, it hung on his shoulders, and he was thin, sickly thin. If you payed attention closely, you could see dirt spots on his face, like he hasn't been cleaning for days, and there was a huge red gash on his left cheek which looked pretty recent.
He looked poor, there was no other way around it.
Amy watched as he looked around the store, picked up some books and then put them back down, no doubt, too expensive for him. Amy never hungered for wealth, she never wanted to be rich, but a girl had to live from something.
Truthfully, his appearance would have discouraged most people, but not Amy. The poor man didn't look evil, didn't look angry, he just looked sad. And tired. And it broke her heart.
She bit her lip to keep from saying something and looked down at her own book, determined to let him be until he addressed her, - she was sure he didn't want her pity - but the words were all a blur. She couldn't concentrate while this unfamiliar beaten, broken man was in her shop. Her mind already made up imaginary scenarios about his life, his story, and what could have happened to him, the things he must have saw. Maybe he had children, a family. Maybe he lost them and that's why...
"Excuse me, miss," his deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "Do you have anything a bit more... cheap?" The man scratched his neck, avoiding her eyes, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. It was obvious he was embarrassed. If possible, Amy felt even more sorry for him. "My wife likes to read, and it's her birthday, and I just..." He trailed off, still not looking at her.
It took Amy a split second to decide. Looking down at the book she was attempting to read, she took it and pushed it in the man's hands. "Here, take this. It's for free. Does your wife like romance novels?"
The man began shaking his head almost immediately, opening his mouth to say something, probably to object, but Amy was having none of it. "No, no, no, just go, take it. Consider it a... gift. For your wife." She gave him a warm smile and motioned towards the exit with her eyes, silently telling him to go, accept the gift. He was staring at her disbelievingly, eyes wide, but he did take a step backwards, slowly, tentatively, as if afraid she would call him back any minute now, that this was all just a joke. But Amy just kept on smiling, as always, until the man felt close enough to the door to finally turn away from her, and with hurried steps, he left.
Resuming her seat on the chair before he came in, she drummed her fingers against the wood table, quite pleased with herself actually. Daily good deed, check. It was just a book after all.