"Dad didn't want Claire to know that Rita was coming over the next day," I said as I continued to reveal the truth behind the novels that Claire had given to the bookstore. "She brought these special edition classics in a beautifully wrapped box. There was a note, too. She gave it to Claire, who was still upset from the previous night."
I stared at the books that sat in front of me. They appeared innocent in their unmoving state, but the ugly secret that they held gave them a lifelike quality. I looked at the other books stacked around me, wondering what possible secrets they could hold.
"I knew something was wrong," I murmured. "It seemed like Claire didn't even want to touch the books. She was almost crying, but she looked furious."
Zach picked up one of the novels and turned it over in his hands. "What happened?"
"Well, Claire kind of exploded," I said, cringing at the memory. "She read the note from Dad and ripped it to pieces. She looked at us and said, 'He thinks he can just shut me up by buying me something expensive.' Rita and I just stood there, not knowing what to do."
I ran my fingers along the spine of the novels as I recounted how Claire had shoved the pretty box into Rita's arms.
"I don't want it," she hissed, a single tear escaping from her eye and rolling down her reddened cheek.
"But, Mrs. Faye," Rita faltered, her eyes wide with alarm. "I can't take it back. It's for you."
"No, please," Claire whispered, her voice cracking as the tears began to flow freely. "I don't want it."
Unable to digest the heartbreak and disappointment in her face, I reached out to hug her. My throat constricted with hurt when she pulled away. Mumbling an unintelligible apology, she hurried into her bedroom. The sound of her bedroom door being slammed against its frame echoed throughout the entire flat.
"Don't," Rita interjected softly when I tried to follow Claire, placing the gift back on the coffee table. "She needs to be alone for a while."
"Okay," I concurred.
"I can't take it back," she said, referring to my father's ill-fated surprise.
"I know," I muttered glumly. "I'll put in my room."
"I've never seen Mrs. Faye like this," she mused.
I stood in front of Rita in silence, suddenly repulsed by the beautiful box and its contents.
***
"Things were never the same between Dad and Claire, but I was shocked when they told me about their divorce a few weeks later," I said to Zach. "Do you really think that that one present could have led to their separation?"
"I don't know, Leena," Zach sighed. "But one thing I do know is that even the smallest things can make or break a relationship. These things might seem silly to us, but a marriage is like a house of cards. You need time and patience to preserve one because all it takes is a little breeze to knock it down."
"I guess you're right," I murmured, pondering over Zach's words, wondering what incident could have given him his unexpected wisdom.
"Hey," he shouted suddenly, interrupting my train of thought. "If those books were with you, how did Claire give them to the store?"
"Oh," I said, relieved to know the answer to that question, at least. "A few weeks after the divorce papers were dealt with, Claire made arrangements to move here. I snuck the books into one of her boxes after she packed her things. She must've found them when she unpacked her things and decided to give them here. I don't know why I did that. I guess . . ."
"I guess," I whispered, sudden tears stinging my eyes. "I didn't want her to leave."
Zach took my hands in both of his and held them silently.
"Come on," he said, hoisting me up to a standing position. "I can't stand seeing you like this. I'm going to buy you coffee."
"But you aren't allowed to lock the store yet," I reminded him.
He winked. "I can if there's an emergency."
"What emergency?" I asked, puzzled.
"There is a dangerous lack of caffeine in our systems," he said, lowering his voice to mimic an overly-dramatic TV show host. Slapping his palms to his cheeks, he gasped, "It's horrifying and fatal. We must hurry before it's too late."
I burst into giggles as I let him lead me to through the entrance of Athena's Used Books, my worries temporarily forgotten.
***
"Hi," Jason greeted Zach from behind the billing counter. "Welcome to Java Lava!"
With a laugh, I realised that I was completely concealed from Jason's view by Zach's towering, bulky frame.
"Leena!" Jason exclaimed, his face lighting up with a huge grin when I stepped out from behind Zach. "I didn't see you back there."
"Hi," I greeted him with an equally sunny smile.
"I take it you two know each other," Zach said, raising his eyebrows at us in amusement.
"Yeah! Zach, this is Jason," I gestured as the two greeted each other, shaking hands over the counter. "Jason, this is Zach. He works at the bookstore nearby."
Jason tried to introduce Emily as well, but after three failed attempts at trying to divert her attention from her phone, he gave up with a sigh. It seemed that she sprung into action only when the quaint café was jam-packed with customers.
"So," he said, turning back to us. "What can I get you?"
Zach ordered a cappuccino and a Tex-Mex sandwich. Keeping in mind that I would be meeting Claire for lunch soon, I opted for a simple iced coffee.
"I'm buying," Zach declared, stopping me when I grabbed my purse from my backpack.
"Fine," I grumbled, dropping a generous tip into the half-filled glass jar.
"Your order will be ready in a few minutes," Jason announced, straightening his t-shirt. "Please take a seat."
After settling into a table a few paces away from the shiny glass display, my gaze unwittingly wandered towards Jason. He was chatting to Emily, who had snapped back to reality. She nodded, her black hair catching the light emanating from the display case.
"Have you been here a lot?" Zach asked, drawing my notice towards him.
"Well, not a lot," I clarified. "A couple of times, maybe."
"You and Jason seem to know each other quite well," he observed.
"We went out once, and he came over to Claire's house for dinner," I said. "As friends, I mean."
"Mmm-hmm," Zach appraised me knowingly, his cerulean eyes filled with humour.
"Here you go, guys," Jason appeared in front of us, setting our food down on the compact wooden table. His fascinating eyes lingered on me when he said, "Let me know if you need anything."
As soon as he turned away from our table, Zach leaned over and stage-whispered, "I can sense it."
"What?" I asked, looking at him quizzically.
"You know," he said impatiently, waving his hand between Jason and me.
"What, Zach?" I asked, utterly confused.
"The sexy frisson vibes," he said as though it were the obvious answer.
I snorted with laughter, thinking I'd misheard him. "The what vibes?"
"The sexy frisson vibes," he enunciated slowly and loudly, digging into his sandwich.
"Oh my god," I whispered, mortified. "Keep it down!"
I searched for Jason frantically, relieved to find that he was busy tending to another customer.
"I can totally sense it," Zach said again, taking a sip of his cappuccino.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I deadpanned.
"The air around you two is filled with it," Zach said, totally confident in what he claimed he could sense.
"No, it is not," I insisted, dipping my head to conceal my flaming cheeks. "The air around us is not sexy because Jason and I are just friends."
"Yes, it is," he grinned in response, revealing his perfectly aligned teeth. "Trust me, I know."
"Just shut up and eat your sandwich," I ordered him jokingly.
Zach obliged with a laugh.
Tentatively, I sipped my iced coffee. From behind the rim of the cup, my eyes scanned the room, landing on Jason as he headed towards the coffee station.
Much to my chagrin, he turned and caught me staring. He broke into a smile, the skin around his eyes crinkling. The intensity of his gaze sent my heart hammering, its erratic beat pounding all the way down to my toes.
It doesn't feel like that when a friend looks at you, a small voice inside my head spoke up.
I forced a large sip of the ice-cold coffee down my throat, hoping that a brain freeze would cause the stupid voice to shut up.