Page 21 of Dragon Compelled
“A small town,” I lie.
“Siblings?”
“Only child.”
“Both parents?”
“Just a dad. I never knew my mom.” I keep it as truthful as possible, just in case part of his abilities as a council member is discerning a lie.
He eyes me curiously then smiles. “I have three brothers, and let me tell you—you’re not missing out.” He winks. “Okay, so, only child, raised by a single dad. Are you in a relationship?”
“Yes. But I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
“That one was a personal question.” He grins. “And now that I know you are, I can save myself the embarrassment of letting you know I find you intriguing.”
“You just told me anyway,” I reply with a smile, disarmed by his easy personality. There’s a kindness about him that Tawny is completely lacking. And I honestly don’t think he’s rooting for me to fail. Not like she is, anyway.
“Fair point.” He looks down at the computer. “Tell you what. In exchange, you can ask me anything you want to know.”
“Okay.” Even though I have no idea how it’s going to help us work together better, I decide to play the game in return. “Where did you grow up?”
“Small town outside Boston.”
“Parents?”
“Both. Though I’m closest with my uncle.” He grins, adding, “And in case you’re wondering, I’m single.”
I clear my throat, but he doesn’t let the uncomfortable moment last long. “So, tell me what you need help with most, and we’ll go from there.”
I give him a rundown of the way I’ve been selecting which books are allowed to be cataloged and which ones I turn away. Then, I show him the cataloging system and run through the books I've already approved.
After that, he gets a quick speech pertaining to Blossom and Mag and their schedules as well as that of Bingo, the gnomes, and Kitty.
By the time I’m done, he’s still listening just as intently as when I first started, and the personal conversation is forgotten. “Honestly, it seems like you have a pretty solid handle on the basic administrative work.” He smiles ruefully. “To be honest, I wasnotlooking forward to going through all of the paperwork anyway. So, the fact that we can avoid it is a major plus.”
“A plus? The new arrivals that still need shelving is a stack I’ll never see the bottom of.” I blow out a breath. “I feel like I’m playing captain on a ship with no sails.”
He chuckles. “That’s why we’re here. To help.”
“Tawny doesn’t seem too interested in helping.”
Oliver runs a hand through his hair. “She comes across as a total bitch, but to be honest, she just cares. She liked Hoc. Considered him a friend, so losing him is hard on her.”
“Friend? How were they friends? I never saw you guys here, and the head librarian cannot leave.”
“They spoke through email mainly,” he explains. “From what I understand, it was personal for them both. A forbidden type of attraction if you know what I mean.”
I did. And honestly, I wish I didn’t. Because I can’t help but be a tad disappointed in Hoc and his choices in women. “Great. So, she somehow blames me for him being taken.” I shut the top of the computer and grab my notebook. “And now she’s threatening me.”
“Eh, she’ll get over it. It’s likely just because she misses him and doesn’t want to see anyone else running the place. But we’ll get you caught up, and then she won’t have a leg to stand on.” He smiles again and opens my door. “Now, how about I shelve some books with you.”
“Seriously?” I stare at him, hoping he means it.
“Absolutely. Come on. Let’s take a walk and go get you some sails, Captain.” He grins, and I move out into the hall as he falls into step beside me.
“Any particular section you’d like to start in?”
“You decide. Although, I’d love it if you had a couple of minutes to show me around first. I’ve never actually been here before.”
