The Arrangement

"Alex, why did you open up Book and Stone anyway?"

Alexander looks up from his book and gives an annoyed look at his neighbor Cecilia. A month ago if you told Alexander that anyone would move into the empty house next door, he would've called you crazy. It had been abandoned ever since he was a child. Yet, now in his bookshop, is the exact person who did. It was barely two months ago that Cecilia Arkos moved in and set up shop as an apothecary. She's been a thorn in his side ever since.

"I enjoy reading", said Alexander going back to his book. "I figured I'd make the option available to anyone who wanted to read as well."

Cecilia looks up from the book on plants she grabbed and was skimming through. Anyone is welcome to borrow a book and read it at the table he had built for the store. Cecilia was all too happy to take advantage of it. "That's rather wholesome coming from you. I expected something like I wanted to be alone with books," She says mockingly with a smirk.

"Just because I want nothing to do with you doesn't mean I'm that way with everybody else." Alexander wonders how everybody else doesn't see her as annoying. From the moment she came into Stoneway, and said she was an alchemist who wanted to set up an apothecary everybody flocked to her. Blond hair and amber eyes are a big attraction apparently. Alexander was intrigued as well when she first showed up, but now she just bothers him whenever she's in-between patients. Doesn't she have anything else to do?

Cecilia stands up from the table and walks over to the counter where Alexander is and puts the book down. "How much for this one Alex?"

Alex looks over the exact book she's been reading for the past half hour. Plants and Toxins: A Comprehensive Guide. Bringing out a ledger where he keeps track of prices for his books, he finds the entry for the book. "It's three silver, and I need you to make a signature here that you bought it." He taps an empty spot next to the price he bought the book for. Alexander makes sure all purchases and transactions are kept track in a ledger. He has about two more sitting in a back room that have been completely filled out. The perks of living in a crossroad town. A lot of people coming and going from Stoneway means business for everybody.

"Two silver, take it or leave it," Cecilia says holding up two fingers. Alexander looks almost appalled at the suggestion.

He shakes his head and says sternly, "I paid one silver for it. I need to make a profit on it Cecilia. Three silver, no more no less."

Cecilia pouts and pulls out two silver. "Then what about this? Two silver, and we go on a date? The Starlight Festival is coming up soon, right?"

Alexander slams his ledger shut. What the hell is this girl playing at? She's made jokes before, but this is a new low even for her. Alexander waits for her to start laughing and saying she's joking, but she looks at Alexander expecting an actual answer. Is she for real right now?

"Why me? I'm sure there's a lot of guys in town who'd love to take you. Besides, I don't really go to the festival anyway."

Cecilia shakes her head and says, "I know other guys want to go with me. I've been asked by people to go with them leading up to it, but I want to go with you. C'mon, at least consider it?"

Cecilia actually looks saddened by his response. Alexander sighs and takes the two silver for the book. He looks at Cecilia. Doesn't seem like she's backing down. "Fine, under one condition. Stop bothering me up to the day of the festival. If you agree to that… I guess one date won't kill me."

Cecilia's face instantly brightens at that and she clasps Alexander's hands in her own. "Really, you mean it? Okay, on my honor as a woman of science, I won't bother Alexander Sadri up to our date," Cecilia says with a mocking seriousness. She giggles to herself and says to Alexander, "Alright, it's a date. Oh, and here's the last silver for the book. I got what I wanted now." She bounds out of the shop with a noticeable happy bounce.

Alexander glances down at the silver and the ledger, which was still not signed by Cecilia.

"What did I just get myself into? Is a week of peace worth having to deal with a whole night of her antics?"