Her Name Was December

Day 5

When Greyson arrived at the bookstore on Friday, December 23, Ryan and Emily both looked over at him at the sound to the bells ringing above the door frame. Emily quickly scurried past him, and didn’t even look up at him when he offered her a smile. Greyson’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and he followed Ryan to the other side of the shop when he gestured him over with his finger.

“What’s going on?” Greyson asked, confused.

“Emily told me that the girl is still vandalizing my merchandise.” Kyle told him, crossing his arms. 

Greyson rolled his eyes, mentally cursing at Emily. “She really isn’t doing anything wrong.”

“Really? She isn’t?” Kyle asked, eyes widening. “I can’t sell books with writing all over them.”

“She pays for it.” Greyson said. He felt the need to defend December.

“Make sure it never happens again,” Kyle started, pressing his finger to Greyson’s chest. “or you’ll be the one paying for it.”

Greyson sighed, running his fingers through the soft brown hair on the back of his neck. He watched his feet as he walked over to December’s table, stalling a bit by paying more attention to the ugly rug than he ever had before. He wiped his hands against the legs of his pants, and looked down at December as she worked. After a slight hesitation, Greyson pulled out the seat across from December’s and sat down. She looked up, and it took a few moments for her pen to stop moving.

“Whatcha doin?” Greyson asked. “It seems pretty important- whatever study you’re working on.”

December chuckled. “I’m not studying anything.” She grasped a lock of her hair that covered her face, and twisted it between the tips of her fingers.

“What are all of these notes for, then?” He looked across the span of the table. A receipt from Starbucks was laying on the corner of the tabletop, facing away from Greyson. He tried to distract himself by deciphering the upside-down text.

“Why should I tell you?” December asked. Greyson shrugged, fiddling with his hands in his lap.

December sighed into the shirtsleeve she held in her right hand. “I’m looking for someone.” she said. She tapped the end of her pen against the leather edges of the notebook. Neither of them looked at each other. They were in separate worlds, connected only by a conversation that neither of them were interested in having.

“And who is that?” Greyson asked her. Hazelnut, he read. Hazelnut macchiato.

The tapping of the pen stopped. December set her hands into her lap, and let a dirty blonde mask cover her face. “Somebody that I used to know.” she said. Greyson nodded, and silence filled the space between them.

“I gotta tell you,” Greyson started. Whipped cream, he thought, She seems like a whipped cream kind of person. “the reason I came over here is to warn you about my boss.”

At this, December looked up. “Yeah?” she said, asking him to go on.

Caramel drizzle. 

He met her gaze after reading the last of her order. He felt his face go hot when her shimmering eyes met his, but he forced the heat back by looking down at his hands. “Emily-” he stopped himself. “The, uh, morning clerk; she decided to tell him that you kept writing in the books.” December now looked down at her hands, too. “I’m supposed to be telling you to stop, right now.” Greyson said. He peeked back at Kyle, who was in some heated conversation with someone over the phone.

December nodded.

“But, I don’t really want to do that.” he added, scratching the back of his neck again. “I can give you his schedule if you want it.”

She nodded again.

“Well, Kyle isn’t a very organized person.” Greyson said frankly. “He’s usually here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; a little bit before Emily’s shift ends and for a couple of hours after mine begins.” 

December didn’t move. 

“Put emphasis on the usually part.” he said, grinning. “A lot of emphasis.” 

“Okay.” December said.

“So yeah, watch out for Emily and stay away from Kyle. I think then you’ll be okay.” Greyson told her. “We’re being so sneaky.” he added after a moment’s hesitation, “We’re like spies or something.” 

He laughed awkwardly, and December half-heartedly smiled at her lap. Silence cut through the air like a dagger, and it took a minute of December staring at her hands and Kyle yelling into the phone and Greyson waiting for her to say something before he got the hint. He stood up from the chair and pushed it back under the table, and then turned to walk to the counter.

“Thank you.” December said under her breath. It was so quiet that Greyson hardly heard her, but when her smooth voice reached his ears, he smiled.