CHAPTER 2 : MEETING

"Oh wow look at you! five hundred likes. Impressive" Cherlynn said with a smirk as she glanced at Marley's phone.

Marley was a bit of an introvert. She wasn't really outgoing or flashy,and she let very few people into her little world. But on social media it was a different story. Marley was nothing short of beautiful. She had deep brown eyes, curly brown hair, caramel skin, baby pink Cupid's bow lips and the cutest little baby teeth you'd ever seen. Her quiet ways made people want to know more about this aloof sight for sore eyes, and because they couldn't do that in the outside world, social media was their loophole, hence she had quiet a following on social media for an average girl.

Marley quickly tucked her phone away in her jacket pocket and flicked Cherlynn's nose.

"Ow!" Cherlynn shrieked, "that hurt!"

"Peeking at other people's phones is rude" Marley responded with a jokingly serious face. She stood up and tagged down the hem of her skirt. "We better get going, We'll be late for work."

Cherlynn let out a long sigh of disappointment. "You're so uptight" she spoke, "you don't even need this stupid job, why don't we just quit"

"I told you it will look good on my resumé" Marley responded, " if I wanna.."

"Yeah yeah yeah if you wanna go to a good college you need a resumé that stands out" Cherlynn completed her friend's sentence while rolling her eyes, "I've heard it a thousand times"

Marley smiled at Cherlynn. They were complete opposites but got along like PB and J. Marley was a bit of a stiff, an over thinker and introverted, while Cherlynn was the kind of girl to get married in Vegas to a man she met playing poker.

Cherlynn stood up and the two girls began walking towards 'Moe's bookshop', a little bookstore where Marley had been working for a couple of months. She figured if she was going to work, she might as well do it around what she loved, books. Cherlynn on the other hand hated reading unless it was off the screen of her phone. But she loved her best friend, so she got a job at the bookstore too.

"So have you thought about which college you're going to apply to?" Marley questioned Cherlynn

"Nope" Cherlynn responded while sipping on her soda, "I'll just go wherever you're gonna go"

Marley rolled her eyes and chucked, "you do realize this is literally your entire future at stake?"

"It's no big deal"

Marley eyed her best friend. It was crazy how she could say that so casually. "Yeah, picking a school that will decide whether you become a potato farmer or a successful clothing line owner is on the line here.." Marley shrugged her shoulders mockingly, " but hey! It's no big deal right?"

Cherlynn laughed and shoved her friend's shoulder, "oh my gosh I'm kidding! I swear I can't joke around with you."

*

At the driver's seat of a matte black AMG G 63 SUV, golden eyes hovered over a phone screen, staring at a picture of a curly haired girl in an emerald dress and red lipstick. How on earth could a mortal be so beautiful?

"You could maybe try calling her instead of staring at her picture like some predator" another man with blue eyes and sleeked down brown hair spoke.

The golden eyed man scoffed and tucked his phone away. "You know I can't do that."

"Then forget about her" the blue eyed man responded mockingly.

"I can't do it cause you idiots got the wrong number" the golden eyed man corrected his brother, "I probably would have called her a thousand times by now"

The blue eyed man rolled his eyes and lay back on his seat. He'd never seen his brother like this before. It's like a spell had been cast upon him. He was being irrational and careless, and this worried him.

"Apollo?" The blue eyed man began to speak

"I told you, whenever we're here call me Akira"

"Whatever!" The blue eyed man exclaimed. He sat up and turned to look at his brother, "is she really worth it?"

Akira sat up straight and glanced at Marley's picture one last time before turning to face his brother. "Hermès" he spoke, a strong sense of determination in his voice, "she most definitely is."

*

"Thank you so much, have a wonderful day" Marley spoke as she waved off a customer. "Next please"

"Uh good afternoon"

Marley looked up at her next customer and smiled, "good afternoon sir, what can I do for you?"

Akira awkwardly scratched the back of his head thinking of what to say next. Damn that smile she gave him. Now everything he'd rehearsed just went out the door.

"I uhm. Actually I"

"First time?" Marley cut him short

"Well"

Marley giggled, "it's nothing to be ashamed of" she spoke with a reassuring smile, "come with me, I can help you out"

Akira gladly followed the girl to some nearby bookshelves.

"So what are you into?" Marley asked the man

"What am I into?" He spoke confused

"Yeah" Marley responded, "do you like fiction or thrillers? Maybe Romance or action packed?"

Akira stared at the girl as she ran her fingers past the different books on the shelves. What beautiful fingers she had. Seeing her up close gave him the opportunity to take in every little detail of her. The world around him seemed to slow down as he watched her lips part and call out to him. Sir. Sir

"Sir?" Marley repeated herself

Akira snapped out of his trance and nodded his head

"Oh perfect!" Marley responded, "it's actually my favorite book. I hope you'll like it"

Marley handed the man a thick book with a deep blue cover. On the cover was a picture of a glass rose laying on a stone floor.

Akira took the book from the girl utterly confused. He had zoned out for half of their conversation and had no idea what had just happened. But not wanting to seem rude he kept his cool.

"You can come this way and check out" Marley spoke as she headed to the counter.

Akira paid for the book which Marley placed in a paper bag and handed to him. He turned to leave but stopped midway stride and turned back to the girl.

"Actually," Akira spoke, "I might need some more book recommendations when I'm done with this one."

"Oh for sure" Marley responded excitedly. She tore out a piece of paper from her notepad and wrote down some figures. She then handed the paper to Akira. "I'd give you the store number but our phone hasn't worked in years" she spoke, "that's my personal number. You can call me anytime you need a book suggestion. Plus I'd love to know what you think about that book when you're done"

Akira took the paper, thanked the girl and headed back out to his car.

Hermès, who was known as Hisaki now, eyed his brother with anticipation.

"Well?" Hisaki asked

Akira breathed in and out, " I made a complete fool of myself in there", he then turned to his brother, a sheepish smile on his face, and flashed him the piece of paper with Marley's digits on it, "but it was all worth it"