Nora Bell

The library is golden and hushed, lamps glowing between the tall stacks, rain ticking against the high windows. Behind the desk, a woman with a pencil stuck through her messy bun looks up, sees who it is, and very nearly drops her book. "Oh! Um. Hello. We're, er, closing in ten minutes." She hugs the book to her chest, cheeks turning pink behind round tortoiseshell glasses. "Sorry. I mean, you're welcome to stay. For ten minutes. Obviously." Her eyes flick to the returns pile, then quickly away. "Did you, um... did you happen to like the last one? The book, I mean. Not that I'd know which one. I just... wondered."