The door to Looney’s Bookshop chimed softly as Jane glanced up from her desk. A man had entered, scanning the shelves with quiet deliberation. He was tall, with dark hair and muted blue eyes that flickered from book to book but never seemed to settle. His attire was neat well-tailored coat, with summer shades he took off and put away.

Curious, but detached, Jane thought, her gaze following him as he wandered deeper into the store. She noticed how he lingered at certain shelves, fingers brushing over the spines without pulling anything down. A man who doesn't quite belong here or perhaps he's trying to escape something?

She moved quietly from behind the counter, watching him pause at a poetry section. He picked up a book, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. Jane took a breath, her heart rate quickening as she studied him more closely. There was something about him, intelligent, but hiding something. Vulnerable, yet closed off.

He approached the counter after a few moments, still holding the book. “Hello,” he asked, voice low but polite. “Do you work here?”

Jane gave a small smile, letting her gaze meet his with an intensity that felt almost too intimate. She didn’t rush her words, letting the silence stretch just a moment longer than necessary.

“Guilty,” she said, her tone light, but the glint in her eyes suggested something more.