corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile. “Ah…that explains the stained fingers.”
Gabrielle glanced at the perennial dark smudges on her fingers—a result of handling publications all day. She curled her fingers in embarrassment. “Washing my hands a dozen times a day doesn’t seem to help. Some of my coworkers wear cotton gloves, but I confess that I like the feel of the paper.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it much longer,” he offered.
Gabrielle frowned. “What do you mean?”
He reached inside his jacket pocket and withdrew a slim electronic device with a screen the size of a paperback. “Electronic books are going to eliminate the need for paper books.” He chuckled. “No offense, but your job is almost obsolete.”
Her mouth tightened—he’d managed to push her number one hot-button. No one was more aware than she that library circulation numbers slid more every day as people turned away from books to other forms of entertainment, or away from printed books to other mediums. Her own branch was desperate to find a way to bring more traffic through the doors. “I’m well aware of the e-book craze,” she said, trying to keep her temper at bay. “I’m also convinced that there will always be a place for paper books.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he said lightly. “I have over a hundred books on this device.
How many books do you have with you?”
She straightened her shoulders. “One.”
“What happens if you get tired of it and want to read something else?”
“I always finish a book.” She tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice.
“What happens if you’re finished and you need something else to read?” he pressed.
“What if this train broke down and you had finished reading the one book you had in your bag?”
“I’d read it again,” she said triumphantly.
He laughed, a big rumbling noise that mimicked the sound of the wheels beneath them moving along the track. He looked up as the train began to slow. “This is my stop. Enjoy your paper book.” His eyes twinkled. “Ma’am.”
Gabrielle bristled at his mockery. “I will.”
He stood and she realized he was very tall, maybe six-three or -four. He was handsome, ruggedly so, and everything about him so blocky and male, she felt a pull on her body as he moved away. She opened her mouth to say something— goodbye…who are you…don’t go —but the train doors opened and he was gone, swept up in crush of bodies. Gabrielle craned for a glimpse of him in the disappearing crowd, but her view was obscured by passengers boarding.
Then the doors slid closed and the train sped away.
CHAPTER Two
Gabrielle stared after the handsome stranger in vain. Her skin tingled, as if something extraordinary had just happened—a brush with fate. And when she could breathe again, she felt bereft, as if gold dust had slipped through her fingers.
Gabrielle tried to read her book, but her concentration was shot. Finally admitting defeat, she sat in a daze, replaying the brief encounter in her head until she reached her stop at Buckhead and walked the short distance to her historic brick townhome.
Mellors was meowing before she unlocked the door, and was so thrilled to see her that he almost tripped her rubbing his orange head against her shins.
“Let me get in the door, sweetie.” She set down her bags and crouched to pick him up, cradling the fat feline as she walked through the foyer and into her bedroom. His deep purr was always music to her heart…but today it reminded her of the rumble of the stranger’s laugh. As she stroked her warm pet, she reviewed what she knew about the man.
He had gotten on the train at the North Avenue station, near Georgia Tech University.
Was he a professor? His enthusiasm over the e-book reader certainly fit the profile of an early gadget adopter. He’d gotten off at the Lindberg Station, which could’ve been a destination, but was also the transfer point to
Gabrielle glanced at the perennial dark smudges on her fingers—a result of handling publications all day. She curled her fingers in embarrassment. “Washing my hands a dozen times a day doesn’t seem to help. Some of my coworkers wear cotton gloves, but I confess that I like the feel of the paper.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it much longer,” he offered.
Gabrielle frowned. “What do you mean?”
He reached inside his jacket pocket and withdrew a slim electronic device with a screen the size of a paperback. “Electronic books are going to eliminate the need for paper books.” He chuckled. “No offense, but your job is almost obsolete.”
Her mouth tightened—he’d managed to push her number one hot-button. No one was more aware than she that library circulation numbers slid more every day as people turned away from books to other forms of entertainment, or away from printed books to other mediums. Her own branch was desperate to find a way to bring more traffic through the doors. “I’m well aware of the e-book craze,” she said, trying to keep her temper at bay. “I’m also convinced that there will always be a place for paper books.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he said lightly. “I have over a hundred books on this device.
How many books do you have with you?”
She straightened her shoulders. “One.”
“What happens if you get tired of it and want to read something else?”
“I always finish a book.” She tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice.
“What happens if you’re finished and you need something else to read?” he pressed.
“What if this train broke down and you had finished reading the one book you had in your bag?”
“I’d read it again,” she said triumphantly.
He laughed, a big rumbling noise that mimicked the sound of the wheels beneath them moving along the track. He looked up as the train began to slow. “This is my stop. Enjoy your paper book.” His eyes twinkled. “Ma’am.”
Gabrielle bristled at his mockery. “I will.”
He stood and she realized he was very tall, maybe six-three or -four. He was handsome, ruggedly so, and everything about him so blocky and male, she felt a pull on her body as he moved away. She opened her mouth to say something— goodbye…who are you…don’t go —but the train doors opened and he was gone, swept up in crush of bodies. Gabrielle craned for a glimpse of him in the disappearing crowd, but her view was obscured by passengers boarding.
Then the doors slid closed and the train sped away.
CHAPTER Two
Gabrielle stared after the handsome stranger in vain. Her skin tingled, as if something extraordinary had just happened—a brush with fate. And when she could breathe again, she felt bereft, as if gold dust had slipped through her fingers.
Gabrielle tried to read her book, but her concentration was shot. Finally admitting defeat, she sat in a daze, replaying the brief encounter in her head until she reached her stop at Buckhead and walked the short distance to her historic brick townhome.
Mellors was meowing before she unlocked the door, and was so thrilled to see her that he almost tripped her rubbing his orange head against her shins.
“Let me get in the door, sweetie.” She set down her bags and crouched to pick him up, cradling the fat feline as she walked through the foyer and into her bedroom. His deep purr was always music to her heart…but today it reminded her of the rumble of the stranger’s laugh. As she stroked her warm pet, she reviewed what she knew about the man.
He had gotten on the train at the North Avenue station, near Georgia Tech University.
Was he a professor? His enthusiasm over the e-book reader certainly fit the profile of an early gadget adopter. He’d gotten off at the Lindberg Station, which could’ve been a destination, but was also the transfer point to
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