Wish (Wishing Well #1)

Chapter 2

It had been a week since the whole library debacle and Emily was starting to get twitchy.  She was so glad that she had paid time off, but not working was starting to make her crazy. Well, not working and this crazy DJ Inn CD. The morning after having thrown away the CD when she stumbled bleary eyed and hungry into the kitchen she noticed it sitting on the counter. She paused and blinked stupidly at the CD. She was sure, SURE that she had thrown it in the trash last night, but now it was on the counter.

“Well, yesterday was crazy. Maybe I just thought I threw it in the trash. I was pretty overwhelmed,” Emily reasoned with herself.

She would have left it at that, but every time she threw it away it somehow reappeared, each place more random than the last. It showed up in her backpack, stuffed in the couch cushions, on her bedside table, in her dresser. The first time, Emily could have called it a coincidence, but now she was starting to think her apartment was haunted. She had had another thought, but she was trying not to entertain it; maybe there was something special about the CD since it kept coming back to her no matter how she tried to get rid of it. It was like it had called out to her in the beginning, so maybe she was supposed to keep it for some reason. Maybe it was meant for her. Every time Emily had thoughts like that she shook them off and threw the CD away again. What a ridiculous idea.

Emily had just unearthed the CD from the bottom of her bag, AGAIN, when her phone started ringing. Emily chucked the CD into the nearest trash can and answered the phone as she made her way to her favorite park bench.

“Hello?” She said, not bothering to check the display.

“Emily!!” Angela crowed. “The construction got done a week early! We can come in whenever to start assessing the damage to books.”

Emily was so relieved.

“That's amazing, Angela!! Can I some in today?” She asked eagerly.

Angela chuckled on the other end of the line.

“I knew you would say that! How about I meet you there in thirty minutes?” Angela suggested.

Emily was only a ten minute walk from the campus at best and wasn't sure what she would do to kill time, but rather than being difficult she agreed to meet Angela in thirty minutes and got off the phone. Emily stood up from the bench, shouldered her bag, and made her way from the park towards her favorite coffee shop.

She was just about to the coffee shop when she slammed into a solid body and lost her balance. She windmilled her arms frantically, trying to keep from crashing on the sidewalk. Just as she realized she was in fact going to eat sidewalk she felt a strong grip on her arm pulling her upright. When she was steady, she looked up to see her savior, and initial cause of the collision. She was ready to very firmly remind him to watch where he was going, but when her eyes met his, her breath caught in her throat and her irritation wilted within her. She could feel her eyes widening of their own will and she felt a blush break out over her face. She had never seen a more handsome man in her life. He was just a bit taller than her and though he was dressed casually he looked more put together than most men she'd run across in her life. Her eyes scanned him, taking in his messily styled, jet black hair, multiple piercings, gentle eyes, and numerous rings and bracelets, all of which seemed to perfectly compliment his outfit of black boots, torn jeans, and an oversized grey sweater.

Her first coherent thought was to wonder who would be crazy enough to wear a sweater in June. She was still staring dazedly at him when she realized his brows were furrowed with concern and he had been speaking to her.

“Uh, I'm sorry. What?” Emily asked, shaking herself out of her daze.

“Are you okay?” The man asked, concern coloring his tone. “I'm really sorry I ran into you. It was an accident.”

He was fidgeting the ends of his sleeves. He looked down at his shoes and then flicked his eyes towards her again.

“It's okay. I guess neither one of us were paying very good attention where we were going.” she said, trying to make him feel better.

She knew what that was like. Worrying. She could tell he really felt bad and she didn't want him to feel worse. Accidents happen.

“Were you going to the coffee shop?” he asked.

Emily nodded and shot him a small smile. He grinned back at her bashfully.

“Could I buy your drink as repayment for almost running you over?” he asked.

“Oh, that's not necessary.” Emily replied, feeling flustered.

“Please? It would make me feel better.” he said, sincerity shining in his eyes.

Emily didn't want him to feel like he had to buy her a drink to make things right, but he looked so sweet and so eager she decided to just go with it.

“Well, when you put it that way,” she said, grinning at him. “Sure!”

A real smile lit up his face, turning his eyes into little crescents.

“Great!” he said, walking to the door and holding it open for her.

“By the way,” he said as she stepped past him into the shop. “My name is Jimin.”