𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 - 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒘 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒈𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒓

literature, among other things

Vienna shot up in the unfamiliar bed to the sound of a knock at the door. Rubbing her eyes, she wandered toward the door, opening it halfway.

"Oh...Vienna I'm sorry..." Matthew looked down sheepishly.

Vienna mimicked his actions, looking down at herself. "Shit." Her legs were bare, her t-shirt barely meeting her thighs. Her underwear were in plain view. Matthew tried to direct his gaze away.

"Oh, oh my gosh I'm so sorry." She tucked herself behind the door, avoiding eye contact with the handsome man in front of her. She giggled, trying to hide her embarrassment, "To what to I owe the pleasure?"

"Are-are you ready to go to the store?" He ran his hand along the back of his neck, Vienna tried to pull her gaze away from his deep brown hair.

She pulled herself back to reality. "Oh, um. Yeah of course. Give me ten minutes, okay?" Matthew nodded, turning from the door. She closed the door, leaning against it when it shut behind her. "What is with you right now, Vienna?"

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Matthew walked alongside Vienna as they neared the bookstore. "Oh, one second." He pulled off to the side. "Wait here." He disappeared into the building to their right.

Vienna parked herself at a bench nearby, taking in the town she had gambled on. The early-morning light crept over the trees, casting painted shadows along the worn sidewalks. A blue building sat across the road from Vienna, inside was a grocer, vending out eggplant and strawberries to an awaiting customer. Contentment rang in the air here.

Matthew stepped back out with two mugs in hand. He handed one to Vienna, "I wasn't sure what you'd like so I played it safe. Coffee with cream. I forgot my reusable cup, but I promised to return the mugs after our work in the store."

This simple act of generosity was foreign to Vienna. She tucked her hands around the mug, taking in its warmth. "Coffee is always a safe bet with me." She smiled up at Matthew.

"I'm pretty much obsessed with coffee, I physically cannot say no to it when it's offered." They walked past a handful of storefronts before stopping at a tired, brick building. "It's not much, but it has an undeniable charm." Matthew fumbled with the keys in the lock.

Inside the store were walls of shelves. Stacks of books lined the windows, a thin layer of dust piled along the top of each one. Matthew flipped a switched in the corner and light cascaded down from a gold chandelier perched overhead. Her gaze remained fixed on the light overheard, years of stories trapped inside the walls of the tiny store.

"It's wonderful isn't it." His joyful voice pulled Vienna away from her trance. "The previous owner had that installed in 1963, I like to imagine the dance parties and colorful conversations held in this room."

Vienna smiles back as Matthew draws a box from a table in the corner and sets it in front of her. "Let's get down to business." He smirks at her, as if inviting her more into his world.

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At the bottom of her box was a tired, worn book, the title worn away from the years. She lifted it, flipping open the cover. "Hey Matthew, you wanna come look at this?" Inside, reads the weathered title page: Wuthering Heights. She ran her finger down the page, searching for a print year. Matthew stepped behind her, glancing down over her shoulder. Vienna's breath hitched, noticing his presence looming over her. She felt his breath on her neck, smelled his cologne drifting off his clothes.

She swallowed a knot in her throat, the smell all too familiar. The scent her father wore for so many years. She had given him the cologne a few christmases ago. It was the last thing she noticed of him before discovering his lifeless body. Her breathing quickened and she dropped the book in the box in front of her, sliding it away as she stood.