He wasn't the most normal guy you had ever met, you could tell that in the first few minutes of meeting him. Joe actually paid attention to you and listened to every word that you said. He watched you as you spoke and made sure that he helped you in every way that he could. He was very calm and his movements seem to have been decided minutes before he does them.
"I probably spend far too much time reading" You laughed.
"Reading it the best was to spend your life. More intellectually pleasing" Joe spoke.
"What books do you recommend, Joe?" You pulled the sleeves of your jacket down your arms, so that they covered the majority of your hands. It was more of a reflex than anything else but no one really ever noticed.
"What are you interested in?" He asked.
"Romance. Mystery. Horror. Anything that could make my cry" You joked.
"I think I have the perfect book for you" Joe walked off and followed after him down the long aisle. You got to the end and reached a small corner that held a small bookcase. On the third row he picked out a large dark book.
"The Tattooist of Auschwitz" You read the title of the book.
"It's a true story and maybe the scariest one you could read" Joe explained and stared through into your eyes.
"If it's as good as you say, I think I'll be interested" You replied honestly and gazed down at the floor.
"You have a tendency to look away when I talk to you. You don't need to be afraid" Joe told you.
"I'm not afraid" You replied, but you lacked the conviction in your voice.
"You are. You look away from me. You pull for sleeves down to hide yourself and you've hid yourself behind countless amounts of books since we started talking" Joe had noticed things about yourself that even you hadn't noticed.
"Huh" was all that you could say to him.
"How about you tell me all the things you've noticed about me, over some food?" You didn't know where this confidence came from, but as you waited for a reply, the confidence was disappearing.
"That would be great" Joe's response helped you breathe again. You didn't really want to be turned down yet again by a guy.
"I'll be back tonight Joe" You told him after purchasing the book.
You had to be worried. Dating had never been a strong point of yours so you were basically running around your ground floor apartment. There were clothes thrown everywhere as you aimed to find something perfect. You had settled on 2 dressed, you just didn't know which one would be better. There was a khaki green silk maxi dress, or a navy blue shorter dress that would keep you a little warmer. In New York life, you should have gone for the warmer dress, but the shape of the dress was one that flattered you. So you settled on the khaki dress and began changing. The silk material made it a little harder to pick some underwear but you figured it out eventually. And then you began questioning whethe e a dress was too much for wherever you were going to go. Maybe Joe would think it was too much, and not be attracted to that kind of outfit.
"Stop being stupid. Go to the book store" You spoke to yourself.
You managed to make yourself leave the apartment and get a cab back to the familiar shop. The lights were on inside but you saw Joe stood outside the door. You paid the man in the cab and quickly collected your thoughts, and then got out and walked towards the man.
"You look beautiful tonight, Y/N" Joe complimented you.
"What does my dress say about me?" You were intrigued to know what he thought about you.
