Chapter 3 : The Proposition

Mia's POV

Today’s lack of a call from Mayor Pippins is a good sign. A sign that I still have a job, and that I still can make things work here. I pray the heavens I can stay away from trouble from now on.

There was a book missing. Samuel Richardson’s famous Pamela was nowhere to be found. I checked the library’s log online to see who had last checked it out, but to my surprise, it said the book had been returned two weeks ago. So where was it? I scoured the classical novels section, hoping it was just out of place.

Nothing. I felt surprised. I didn’t lose books. I had managed to keep every book in its place for the last five years and I was not about to break my record today.

I heard the library doors open but I didn’t bother to leave the classical novels section to greet whomever had entered. I had already retrieved my step stool and was practically hanging off the top shelf trying to find the missing book when I heard an unfamiliar voice say my name.

“Mia?” The voice said.

It startled me, and I jumped. I lost my balance completely and slipped from my step stool. I let out a small yelp as I braced myself for the fall. But I didn’t hit the ground. Someone caught me. I looked up to find Ethan Black, the man I’d met yesterday, cradling me in his arms. I blushed as he put me down.

Goosebumps. All over my skin. Why does this man affect me so much!

“Thank you.” I sighed, smoothing out my clothes.

“You’re welcome.” Ethan said. “It seemed only fair that I catch you since I’m the one that made you lose your balance. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

“It’s fine.” I started struggling to make eye contact. “What can I do for you, Mr. Black?”

“Please.” Ethan looked at me, his eyes so deep, I felt like he was looking through my soul. “Call me Ethan. I am not fond of being called Mr. Black.”

“Right. Sorry.” I remembered. “What can I do for you, Ethan?” There was something about him that made me hesitate and stumble over my own words, his presence definitely had an effect on me.

“I was wondering if we could talk?” Ethan said with confidence, and I perked a brow at him.

“About… About what?” I asked with some hesitation.

“The library.” He said. “About its future.” His confidence made me mad.

I wanted to tell him that after how he behaved yesterday, he was lucky to be allowed in the library at all. As good as that would have felt, I was already on thin ice. Apparently Mayor Pippins overheard our little encounter yesterday and told me that I had better play nice or it’d be my job.

“Sure.” I shrugged, I don’t know why I wanted so badly to show him how unaffected I was by him. “But I’m busy now. Can it wait?”

“Of course!” Ethan feigned enthusiasm. “When do you close?”

I checked my watch. It was three o’clock.

“In an hour.” I said, secretly hoping he would leave and my confidence would come back. “You can come back then.”

“Actually, if it’s alright with you, I’ll just wait here.” Ethan said.

He pulled a random book off the shelf and held it up to me. To my annoyed surprise it was Pamela.

“I’ll read this while I wait.” He started walking away with it.

I sighed, both relieved and annoyed that he had found it. I wanted to tell him no so I could check every page to make sure it was still in great condition, but Mayor Pippins’ words echoed in my mind. My job was locked behind how polite I was to this rude stranger.

I continued to make myself busy around the library. There were returned books that needed to be sorted, and new books that needed to find homes on the shelves. These were the moments that made me love working at the library. It was my therapy.

I spotted Ethan sipping a coffee at the cafe and turning through the pages of Pamela at a table in the corner. I rolled my eyes. Something about him just got under my skin. Every passing minute was a reminder that I’d soon have to talk to him. He was already threatening to take my library, what else could he possibly want from me?

It wasn’t long before I was locking the doors to the library and turning out the lights. I double checked the returns bin to make sure all books were put away. I wrote down a few reminders for myself on a sticky note before gathering my things and heading for the double doors.

Ethan was sitting just outside on a nearby bench. I took a deep breath as I approached him. He spotted me coming and rose to greet me.

“Thank you for making time to meet with me.” He began nicely. Was he really wanting to talk with me?

“Of course!” I said with a phony smile.

Ethan gave me a strange look but chose to move on.

“So, do you know any good places to eat around here?” He rubbed his hands together.

“Are you cold?” I asked, judgingly.

“A bit.” He blew into his cupped hands. “I’m not used to these temperatures.”

“Welcome to Greenbrooke.” I said coldly before remembering that I needed to be nice. “There’s a bar not too far from here. They’ve got pretty good food if you’re interested.”

“Sounds perfect.” Ethan gestured for me to lead the way. “After you.”

We started to walk down the sidewalk a bit when I noticed a well dressed man standing next to an all black SUV. He opened one of the doors to the back seat and nodded at us. Ethan shook his head and waved him away.

“Is that your car?” I asked as we walked.

“Yeah.” Ethan turned to look at me. “If it’s alright with you, I’d rather take your car.”

“I don’t have a car.” I felt annoyed that he would just assume.

“Oh.” Ethan said with eyebrows raised. He seemed completely baffled at my lack of transportation. “So then, how do you get around?”

“Like this.” I pointed to my feet. “Greenbrooke’s a small town.”

He chuckled. “Right.” I could see he was amused. “Shall we?”

I nodded and we made our way across town. King’s Bar was just a few blocks away, and the fresh air was nice on my skin. Ethan continued to walk near me, and I could have sworn I saw him shiver from the cold and I laughed to myself wondering how he was ever going to make it here.

“So how long have you lived in Greenbrooke?” Ethan asked as we crossed a main street.

“All my life.” I answered. “My parents were high school sweethearts, and settled down here after they had my sister.”

“You have siblings?” He said with more excitement than I was prepared for.

“Two sisters.” I answered. “One older, one younger.”

Ethan was quiet for a moment. I could tell he was thinking about something but I wasn’t sure if I should ask. We approached King’s Bar and Ethan opened the door for me.

“Leprechaun!” Everyone in the bar shouted as we entered.

I saw Ethan flinch a bit and I laughed.

“Sorry.” I said as we searched for a table. “That’s just something they do whenever someone walks in.”

“How festive.” Ethan laughed as he removed his coat. “What’s the story behind it?”

“Well, apparently there’s an old wives tale about Greenbrooke being infested with magical creatures that love booze.” I said, laughing at how ridiculous it all sounded. “People believe if you call on a leprechaun when you enter a bar, it’s supposed to bring you good luck and keep the pesky creatures away from your liquor.”

“Wow.” Ethan commented as we slid into a booth. “I’m sorry I asked at all.”

We both laughed and for the first time since I’d met him, I felt myself relax. A sweet waitress approached our table and asked us if we wanted anything to drink.

We ordered two beers and the waitress told us she’d be right back with our drinks. We were both quiet for a second while Ethan looked around the bar. I didn’t know what to say, but I was eager to hear what he wanted to talk about.

“So.” I began tapping my fingers on my leg. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, right.” Ethan seemed amused by whatever he was about to say. “Well, firstly, I’d like to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was totally out of line and I want you to know that I’m not always that much of a jerk.”

“Oh.” I was surprised. “Thanks, I guess. Was that all?”

Ethan took a deep breath and I braced myself for the worst. My stomach was in knots and I knew he was going to tell me that Mayor Pippins was selling the library. I told myself not to cry when he told me so it wouldn’t be more awkward than it already was.

“Well actually, there was one more thing.” Ethan locked eyes on me and moved closer.

Before he could spit it out, our waitress returned with our beer. We both thanked her and she disappeared behind an employee door.

“So?” I pushed him, taking a sip from my beer.

“I have sort of a proposition for you.” Ethan said, and he was so serious and calm that I started to wonder if I was even ready for whatever this proposal might be.

“What kind of proposition?” I asked with one eyebrow raised.

Ethan dabbed at the sweat beads forming on his forehead. I didn’t know what to think.

“Are you alright?” I asked with concern.

Before he could answer, Barbara King approached our table, holding a foamy pitcher of beer. She had a bar towel tucked into her belt and her curly blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail.

Barbara King and her husband Walter were the owners of the bar. They had been in business for as long as I could remember. She was a much older woman but she was quick witted and funny, which was why everyone loved coming to King’s Bar.

“Mia!” Barbara said, approaching our table. “I haven’t seen you in a couple of days. Did you get tired of my potato soup?”

“Hi Barbara!” I chuckled, already lighting up. “You know I could never get tired of your potato soup. I’ve just been swamped at the library lately.”

“Figures.” Barbara was nodding. “You were a godsend to that place. It was in shambles before you took over.”

“That’s very sweet.” She was such a kind woman. “Where’s Walter?”

“Oh, you know Walter.” Barbara said, waving her hand. “He’s probably out back having a cigarette.”

“I thought he quit.” I felt disappointed that I couldn’t see him. He always knew how to cook the perfect burger.

“Yeah, well, that’s Walter.” Barbara shook her head. “Anyway, who’s your friend? We hardly ever get new faces in here.”

“This is Ethan Black.” I said, politely. “He’s a friend of Mayor Pippins.” I knew Barbara would not be intimidated by that.

“Pleasure to meet you.” The two of them shook hands and I smiled.

“Barbara and her husband own the bar.” I informed Ethan with a nod, he nodded back courteously.

“Lovely place you’ve got here.” he said, looking around again to admire everything. I couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or not. “It’s cozy.”

“Well, thank you.” Barbara drew a big smile. “Listen, you two give me a holler if you need anything, alright?”

“Yes ma’am.” I grinned. “Thanks Barbara.”

Barbara nodded and walked away. I turned my attention back to Ethan who seemed to be lost in thought.

“You were saying?” I said, waiting for him to finally tell me what he wanted to say.

“Yes.” He answered. “I wanted to, well I was wondering if you… I suppose there’s no right way to ask a person this so I’m just going to come right out with it. Would you be my girlfriend?”

“W-what?” I felt completely thrown. “I don’t even know you.”

“No, no, no.” Ethan laughed. “Not like that. I just want you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“Pretend?” I asked, still confused. He knew this was ludicrous, right? “Why would I pretend to be your girlfriend?”

“Well actually, I was thinking you’d first start off pretending to be my girlfriend, and then if all goes well in about six months you could pretend to be my fiance.”

“You’re insane.” I began reaching for my purse. “Have a nice day.”

My purse was already in my hand and I was ready to leave when he spoke again.

“I’ll make it worth your while.” He said, practically yelling.

It was the confidence in his voice that made me hesitate. I decided to hear him out but I was ready to bolt if anything got fishy. I was quiet for a moment. I couldn’t tell who was more insane, Ethan for asking me to do this, or me for being curious enough to stay.

“I’ll give you five minutes to explain yourself.” I said, sternly. “If it gets weird, I’m walking out of here.”

“Thank you.” Ethan said, amused as I sat back down. His cocky confidence could be the death of me. It made me want to punch him but, then again, it also gave me reassurance that he was being serious.

I put my purse back on the table and folded my arms as I waited for him to explain himself.

“I have a little sister. Lily.” He began. “She’s sick. She’s been sick for a long time. A few months ago her health took a turn for the worst and the doctors told us to start preparing for the end.”

Ethan’s face changed, his cocky smile faded as he spoke about her. My heart hurt for him as I imagined what that kind of pain could be like. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost one of my sisters. They were my everything.

“Anyway, she told me that her dying wish was to see me happy.” Ethan continued.

I nodded as I realized where he was going with all of this. I suddenly realized what my role in all of this would be. I supposed it was kind of sweet to see the lengths he would go just to make his sister happy.

“I don’t want her to pass without making her wish come true.” Ethan continued, his voice was low and measured. “I just want to make her happy. Anyway, I know it’s a long shot, but you’d be well compensated. I do quite well for myself and I’d be willing to pay you for your help.”

“Wow.” I said after a moment of silence. “Wait, so what does the library have to do with all this?”

“I was thinking perhaps we could do a trade?” Ethan said, and his business persona came back. “I’d be willing to pay you one million dollars for your time and I’ll throw in the library as a bonus.”

It shocked me to hear that number. One million dollars? That kind of money was laughable to most people in Greenbrooke. It was something most of us could only dream of. It would help my parents, my sisters, and leave me enough money to be independent once more, this time without going back.And the Library as well?!

“So?” Ethan said, his cocky smile returning. “What do you say?”