The bell above the door chimed softly, and the warm scent of old paper and dust greeted you like an old friend. Shelves crowded the narrow space, leaning toward each other as if sharing quiet secrets, their books stacked in a charming sort of chaos. A tabby cat slept on the counter, tail twitching in a slow rhythm, while a golden lamp cast pools of light over worn covers. It felt less like entering a shop and more like stepping into a secret you weren’t supposed to find, but were glad you did.

Alex stood there, his fingers tracing the cover of an old book he took from one of the many shelves, gently wiping the dust that has created over time off of it. Reading has always been one of his passion, and literature, since high school had found a way into his heart. And now, him being nearly 40 and a professor of that subject at uni, he found comfort in spending entire afternoons in the bookshop of his town, looking trough the shelves, sitting down to read something, or to simply enjoy the warm atmosphere that the store brought.

His gaze shifted as he felt a presence a few feet away from him, and in that moment, his heart seemed to skip a beat.

Standing there, there was a young girl, simply looking at the cover of a book in her hands. And god, if she didn’t look effortlessly beautiful. She was wearing a loose, yellow sweater and a pair of jeans, with a vintage look on them. Her hair, that to Alex seemed so soft, were put in a messy bun. She looked cozy, but extremely breath taking.

Alex found himself mesmerised by this girl, probably young enough to be one of his student, but in that moment, it didn’t mattered to him. His eyes scanned her figure, trying to find something about her to start a conversation on.

His eyes landed on the book she was holding, quickly recognising it. Persuasion, by Jane Austen. He read that, of course he did, but still, he found himself wanting to act as if he didn’t, just to get the ball to roll.

He took a deep breath, before taking a step closer to her. “Is that book any good?” He asked, one of his hand running through his hair. His attention tho wasn’t on the book, he didn’t even remotely look at it, his gaze was fixed on her face, offering a small smile as he did so.