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Anthony sat at a table by the back window of the restaurant and glanced at his watch.
The bookseller would join him in fifteen minutes.
As he waited, Anthony thought back on the chain of events that had brought him there.
He had moved into the neighborhood, only two blocks away, just a few days ago. After years of research, he had decided to return to his original profession of teaching astrophysics at the university, which would start next semester.
Today, he had decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to familiarize himself with the area, and that was how he had discovered the small, modest bookshop on the corner of a street, to his pleasant surprise.
The surprise was even more pleasant once he stepped inside.
"Uh, excuse me?"
The bookseller looked up from the books he was holding and replied immediately, "Yes, can I help you?"
Anthony replied, “Uh, yeah, I was just passing by, and I saw the shop. I was wondering if you have any books on astrophysics.”
The bookseller hesitated and turned to an old man reading in the corner of the bookshop behind what looked like an old cash register. Anthony didn’t even know those still existed.
In fact, everything in the shop looked a bit old-fashioned, and he found it someway charming.
"Astrophysics. Um, Derek, do we have any books on astrophysics?"
The old man, Derek, barely looked up from his book and replied, pointing behind him, “Er, ye—oh, it’s in there, next to Gardening, across from Philosophy.”
As if trying to remember, the younger bookseller in the lovely yellow vest said, still hesitant, "I knew that," and invited Anthony to follow him.
“Um... this way.”
Anthony took off his glasses and followed the bookseller into another room of the shop. The bookseller began searching through a shelf.
“Er… ah, here we are.”
He pulled out a book that Anthony recognized immediately. He held it up and continued, "Um, Astrophysics for Everyone: From the Big Bang to the Pillars of Creation." Speaking in a slightly lower voice, the bookseller continued, "We've had this for years. I think I could probably give it to you for half price.”
Anthony gave a small smile.
"Hmm...you have no idea how much that hurts me."
He was exaggerating, of course, but for some reason, he was fascinated by the expressions flashing across the man's face. He had rarely seen anyone react so genuinely.
The bookseller stammered, "Oh—well, did I say something wrong?"
Anthony wasn’t mean, though, so he immediately reassured the other man because there was no way he could have known.
In a soothing tone, he said, "No, I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry."
He went on to explain his reaction: "No, um... I wrote it."
"Oh—oh!"
The bookseller looked at the book, then at Anthony, and continued with an apologetic look on his face, "Well, right. Yes, I mean, you don't want your own book. You probably already have a copy.”
Anthony couldn’t resist retorting, “Two boxes in the garage.”
They shared a slightly awkward laugh. Then, the bookseller began rummaging through the other books before pulling one out. "Um, well, how about this? Yes, it’s not exactly cutting edge, but...”
Anthony interrupted the bookseller when he recognized the book he was holding.
"Oh, this is Arthur Eddington's book on relativity."
The bookseller apologized, "Second edition, I'm afraid."
But Anthony didn’t care. "I've always wanted a copy of this."
Flipping through the book, he continued, "Oh, wonderful! This is my lucky day."
“Oh, good, mine too.”
Those last words made Anthony look up. Seeing the bookseller’s smiling face, he asked, "How so?"
The other man looked down, almost shyly, in a way that Anthony found endearing.
"Because I, um... have a book you want."
Anthony looked at him and smiled before replying, "Fair enough."
Then, tapping the book, he said, "Oh, twenty pounds. Wonderful. Thank you," and headed over to where Derek was standing.
This made Derek look up. Seeing what Anthony was buying, he asked, "Er… did you see we’ve got a couple of Brian Cox’s? And that big book, Astrophysics for Everyone.”
Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.
The bookseller came to his rescue, pointing to the book Anthony was still holding: "No, no. He's the author, Derek. He has two boxes in his garage.”
Anthony replied, amused, as he handed the money to the old man, "I definitely shouldn't have mentioned that."
Derek gave him the book back.
"There you are. Enjoy."
Anthony turned to the bookseller, but he didn't know—or rather, he didn't try to figure out—why he hesitated slightly before catching himself and saying in a clear voice, "Well, thank you."
Then, he turned and left the bookshop.
With his book in hand, Anthony walked up the street at a leisurely pace. His gaze was drawn to a piece of graffiti depicting a demon playing Cupid surrounded by a few planets. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out behind him.
"Oi! I mean, excuse me! Stop!"
Anthony stopped and turned around to see the bookseller running toward him.
"Oh, sorry. Did I leave something? Is everything okay?”
Out of breath, the other man simply handed him his book.
Taken aback, Anthony said, "Oh, I told you, two boxes..."
The bookseller interrupted him, raising his hand and saying, "No, I know."
He stopped again to catch his breath. "Um... Sorry, I'm a bit puffed."
Another pause.
"No, I bought it myself.
Would you—could you sign it for me?”
Anthony hadn't actually thought that was adorable. Not at all.
Obviously, he couldn’t refuse.
"Of course."
He took the book and asked, "What's your name?"
The bookseller rubbed his hands together as he replied, "Fell, Asa Fell. With an S.”
Cute name, thought Anthony. Just like the man who bore it. At this point, it was useless to deny that Anthony found the other man cute.
He rummaged through his pockets. Realizing he didn’t have a pen, he asked Asa for one.
"Um, do you have a—"
"Oh, yes, sorry."
Asa reached into his pocket for a pen. Anthony started to sign when the bookseller said, his voice barely hesitant, "Er, yes. I need you to write your number down for me, too.”
Anthony looked up in surprise. Asa looked him in the eye and continued, "So I can ask you to dinner."
Wow, that was bold. Anthony loved that.
But Asa continued, "You'll say no, and... well, at least I'll have asked."
He spoke with the air of someone accustomed to rejection.
But, thought Anthony, he’d dared to ask anyway.
So brave.
Maybe Anthony could be as bold and courageous as Asa, too.
"Um..." He looked up and replied, "I'm not going to give you my number."
Asa, misunderstanding, of course, didn’t let him continue.
"No, no, no, no. Sorry.”
But Anthony didn't let him misunderstand any further.
He said firmly, "I'll wait for you."
The look of happy surprise on the bookseller’s face was his first reward.
Anthony asked softly, “Where are we having dinner?”
His big smile was Anthony's second reward, and he could only respond with a smile of his own.
"Um... Anthony?"
The voice of the person he was thinking about brought him back to the present. He motioned for Asa to sit across from him.
"Have you ordered yet?"
"No, no. I was waiting for you, of course. Say Asa, you know the restaurant, so you know the menu, right?"
Asa looked a little embarrassed, then replied, "Well, just because I know it doesn't mean I've ever eaten here before."
"Oh?"
Asa lowered his eyes slightly and replied, "Um...well...you know, coming to eat alone in a place like this is a little..."
“Lonely?” Anthony finished for him.
Asa looked up quickly before nodding gently.
Anthony smiled at him and said kindly, "Well, I'm glad that, thanks to me, you were able to come in."
They looked at each other in comfortable silence for a few moments, which was quickly broken by the waitress who came to take their order.
After discussing it for a moment, they made up their minds, and the waitress left.
"You know, Asa, even though I told you I was hurt, I actually find it flattering that my book was the first one you suggested."
Asa leaned forward and replied, "Well, it's very well written. I learned a lot from reading it.”
"You read it?"
Anthony looked even more surprised.
"I read almost everything that comes my way. I forget what doesn’t interest me, but never what does.”
The conversation flowed smoothly. Asa was a sharp-witted conversationalist with a wealth of knowledge on many subjects. Anthony’s interest, piqued at the bookshop, was now more than aroused.
It had been a long time since he’d had such a passionate discussion, and he lost track of time.
Asa probably felt the same way because he looked just as surprised as Anthony when the waitress politely asked them, "So, how was everything?"
Anthony took a sip of wine and watched as Asa replied, "Oh, it was scrumptious! Absolutely scrumptious!"
Anthony set down his glass as the waitress walked away.
"I've never heard anyone use that word in real life before."
Asa replied with a smile, "Ah, well, my mother used to say it."
"Right."
Still on a roll, Asa continued, "Another thing she used to say was 'tickety-boo.'"
The way Asa said it was absolutely cute.
Anthony could only nod again, increasingly amused, as Asa continued, "And...and 'squiffy.'"
"Squiffy, that's good."
“Hopelessly, yet amusingly, drunk.”
Anthony was overcome with excitement, the same feeling he had whenever he made a discovery during his research. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to learn more about the man sitting across from him. So he leaned forward and asked, "Um, so, the bookshop?"
Asa’s face lit up as he recounted how the bookshop owner, Derek, had known him since he was a student and was aware of his passion for books, even encouraging it. Feeling his age, and not wanting the shop to fall into the wrong hands, Derek had offered Asa an assistant job, with the hope that Asa would eventually take over the business.
"And that's how I ended up here."
"And how I got to meet you," Anthony replied.
Leaning in closer, he asked the question that had been gnawing at him ever since he agreed to have dinner with Asa.
“Tell me, Asa. Why did you chase after me? Don’t tell me it was for an autograph; we both know that's just an excuse.”
Anthony saw Asa’s cheeks flush slightly as he replied, stumbling over his words, "Well, Derek asked me why I didn't go after you, since I liked you."
Anthony replied, "Oh, yeah. You liked me?"
"Like. Present tense.”
Although Asa was somewhat shy, he sometimes displayed a boldness that flabbergasted Anthony.
"Derek also said that it seemed to him that you liked me, too, but he couldn't be sure. So that’s why I—”
“I like you, too. Present tense as well.”
Asa blushed and smiled at the same time. Anthony promised himself that he would do everything he could to bring out more smiles like that.
He asked, "So, how about I walk you home, and we discuss the details of our next date on the way?"
“Did you say date?”
Anthony winked. "Oh, you noticed," he said, then asked again, "So?"
Asa nodded, and after splitting the bill and putting on their coats, they left the restaurant and started walking toward the building where Asa lived.
By the time they exchanged phone numbers and decided on the day, time, and, most importantly, the place for their next date, they had arrived in front of the building where Asa lived, which was actually just a stone’s throw from the bookshop.
They stopped in front of the door. Asa rubbed his hands together and said, "Well, we're here. I’m going to—”
He stopped because Anthony had placed a finger on his mouth.
"Before we say goodbye and part ways, let me tell you something." His voice grew even softer as he continued. “I’m glad I stumbled upon the bookshop by chance. I’m just as glad you ran after me. I’m also glad I accepted your invitation to dinner. You’re someone worth getting to know, and I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
He removed his finger from Asa’s lips and dropped his hand.
Despite the lump in his throat, Asa whispered, "Me too, Anthony."
Anthony moved closer, tilted his head down, and brushed a light kiss on the bookseller’s lips before taking a step back.
“Good night, Asa.”
“Good night, Anthony.”
“See you tomorrow, then.”
"Hmm, see you tomorrow."
Anthony turned and walked away with long strides.
When he reached the intersection leading to his street, however, he turned around to look back at Asa.
The bookseller was exactly where Anthony had left him, looking in Anthony's direction with a finger pressed to his lips.
Anthony waved, and Asa waved back before stepping inside the building.
Anthony continued on his way, his stride bouncier than usual.
Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.