The Life of Anna, Part 5: Emerged by Marissa Honeycutt Read Free Book Online Page B

came back. It’s a beautiful building.”
    The man leaned his shoulder against the end
of the bookcase. “It is. I couldn’t imagine working anywhere
else.”
    “You work here? What a wonderful job to
have!”
    He tilted his head and studied her then
nodded with a smile. “I’m Max. Max Richardson. I’m the head
librarian here.”
    Anna stood and shook his hand. “A...Katrina.
I just moved here from California.”
    “California, eh? That’s quite a change. What
brought you here?”
    “Oh, uh...dancing.” She shrugged
sheepishly.
    “Ballet?” he asked with a grin.
    Anna looked down at the book she was holding.
“Yeah. I just joined the City Ballet.”
    “Wow. That’s quite impressive.”
    Anna didn’t feel that Max was trying to flirt
or come on to her at all. He was just a nice, older gentleman who
was very friendly. “Thank you.”
    “I take my granddaughters to the Nutcracker
every year. They love it.”
    “I understand the Nutcracker is very
different here than what I’m used to.” She laughed. “Well,
everything is very different here.”
    Max laughed with her. “Yes, the East and West
coasts do tend to be quite different. We’re a bit
more...uptight.”
    Anna decided she liked Max. He was funny and
didn’t seem uptight in the least.
    Max studied her for a long moment. “Why is a
pretty thing like you hanging out in a library on a weekend?”
    Anna blushed again. “I like reading. I
haven’t been to a library in years and...,” she sighed. “There’s
nothing like it.”
    The man chuckled again. “You’re an unusual
young woman.”
    “I’ve been told that.”
    He smiled. “Have you been on the tour?”
    “Oh, yes. It was wonderful.” Anna sighed. “I
was going to go again but I got here too late.”
    Max chuckled “I’ll let you get back to your
reading. I was just curious about you. Most young people don’t come
in two weeks in a row.” He gave her a last smile and then walked
away.
    Anna smiled and then sat down again where she
had earlier and finished looking through the book, happy at finding
a new friend.
*****
    Aaron was there when she got back to her
apartment. She laughed and ran to him, hugging him tightly. “I
missed you,” she said, gazing up at him. “How was your trip?”
    He smiled, but not as enthusiastically as
she’d expected. “Good. Interesting. Dancing went well.” He glanced
at the kitchen table. “Who got you the flowers?”
    Anna followed his gaze and smiled,
remembering Hugo standing at the apartment door with the huge
bouquet of different types of beautiful flowers. “Hugo. He brought
them last night before he took me out to dinner.”
    “Oh.” Aaron frowned and stepped away from
her. “Are you guys dating?”
    She blinked in confusion at his sudden
coldness. “I...I don’t know. We went out a few times after
practice. Why are you upset?”
    Aaron turned and walked to the window, hands
in his hair on top of his head. After a pause, he lowered his hands
and turned around to face her, his eyes pained. “God, Anna, you get
here, I have to leave for a week—
one week!
—and when I get
home you already have a boyfriend.”
    “I don't think he’s—”
    “I have waited and waited for another chance
with you.” He stormed across the room and grabbed her upper arms.
“I was your first boyfriend and we never got a chance to try again
like we said we would. You kept pushing me away. I thought....” He
paused and swallowed. “I thought with you moving out here, we could
give ‘us’ a chance. But no!” he spat. “You have to go out and—” He
turned away again. “God, don’t I ever get a second chance?” His
voice softened.
    Anna stared at his back, speechless. “Aaron,
I didn’t know you wanted—”
    “You didn’t know?” he exclaimed spinning
around. “Anna, you can read men like a billboard, and you think you
can claim you don’t know I’m still in love with you?”
    Anna’s chest tightened. “You’re my