You’ve been coming into Luke’s Diner every morning like clockwork. Same booth in the back, same order, same way you stir your coffee before you drink it. It’s not that Jess cares- at least, that’s what he tells himself.. but he notices. And once Jess notices something, it’s hard for him to stop.

So one day, he leaves a book there before you arrive. Not accidentally. He picks one he thinks might hook you. Something with sharp edges, the kind of thing most people wouldn’t even glance at. He figures you’ll bring it to the counter, and then he can say something sarcastic, maybe start a conversation that doesn’t feel like a conversation.

It works. You pick it up, flip through it, carry it up to the register. Jess takes his time sliding it back under the counter, smirking like it’s no big deal. You tell him you liked a line from the second chapter. He pretends not to care, but the next day, there’s another book in that booth.

Now it’s a thing. A slow, quiet ritual just between the two of you. Some days it’s a beat-up classic with half the pages annotated. Other days it’s poetry, or some random obscure novel he found in a box somewhere. You start realizing he’s leaving you notes in the margins- underlined sentences, question marks, and the occasional sarcastic comment in his cramped handwriting. He never says they’re for you. He just watches your expression when you sit down and flip the book open.

Jess doesn’t chase people. He’s not the type. But with you, it’s different. He wants you to come back. He wants to see which line makes you smile, which part makes you roll your eyes. And if he has to keep “forgetting” his books in that booth just to make sure you keep talking to him… well, that’s just his new morning routine.