1 Mr. Book Store

MR. BOOK STORE

CHAPTER 1

MCKINLEY P.O.V

"Kin, just take the day off." I shook my head at my boss. I knew that I hadn't been feeling...myself but I knew that I could push all of that aside and show up to work.

"No. I'm fine."

"McKinley, your hands are shaking and you can't sit down for more than thirty seconds, you're not fine." Although she was my boss, Courtney was also my friend. Along with Courtney being both of those things, she worried about my health a lot more than she needed too.

"I'm fine. I swear."

"Whatever Kinley." She said walking away clearly getting annoyed with whatever I was doing.

"No, Court, I'm sorry. I'll take tomorrow off okay?" She nodded.

"I'm just really worried about you." She said looking me right in the eyes. I gave her a small smile, I knew she was worried and I had been trying my hardest to act normal.

"I know but can you just trust me that I'm okay?" I questioned. She knew the story of why I was this way, she knew that there were things that made me freak out and she was totally fine with that.

"I don't trust you." She said squinting her eyes at me and I laughed. "Head home, Kin, we're fine here."

"No, I'm honestly fine. Please believe me."

"No, McKinley, go home. Rest. Take a bath or something." I sighed.

"Fine." I said grabbing my stuff, I mean I didn't really mind. I would go home and drink some tea, take a bath, watch some Netflix or read and my life would be complete. "I'll see you soon." I said as I left the office. The walk to my apartment took about ten minutes or so, without stops. But I decided to stop and get a tea from Starbucks so it would take me closer to fifteen minutes to get home.

"McKinley, you're home early." My neighbor, Sam said and I rolled my eyes. Sam had a crush on me and has since I moved in here over a year ago.

"Yup." I said. Sam didn't have a job and he was living with his parents at the young age of 25.

"Why are you home?" He always asking me so many questions, it was like he was at the age where all he asked was why just over and over.

"My boss let me go early." I answered shifting through the mail that I pulled out of my mail box.

"Do you have any plans tonight? I can cook you dinner."

"No thank you, Sam." I declined his offer and I heard him sigh. I looked up at him and he was giving me sad eyes. "Sam, I've told you before that I'm not interested in dating anyone. I don't want to get married and what's the point of dating if we're just going to break up?" I explained myself. I had this while thing planned out when I was younger of when and where I was going to get married and what my wedding dress would look like.

And then my father crushed and broke every single one of my dreams and ever since that day I have deemed that men are not worthy of my time and I spend little to now time with them.

"I know but if you just give me a chance I might be able to change your mind." He said and I rolled my eyes. I really didn't want to deal with this right now.

"Sam, please stop. I've told you no over and over again and it would be nice if you would stop asking. No mean's no. I wish men would realize that women are allowed to say no." I walked away from him before heading up the two flights of stairs to my apartment. It was a small place, one bedroom of decent size, a bathroom that I wish was bigger but that's okay, a living room, and a kitchen. It was all I needed for one person.

I leaned down to pet the cat that I never really named but found on the street. I put my keys down on the table beside the door along with the mail, opening the bill that I had paid this morning. I sighed as I flicked on the t.v and pulled my laptop out. I had been trying to write a book for months now and more often than not, the words never came to me.

I gave up on the book writing and decided to run a bath, trying to calm down for a little bit. My hands were still shaking and I still felt like I was out of control. It happens a lot for no reason. Before getting in the tub I set out a glass of wine for myself not caring that it was barely three in the afternoon.

I could hear my phone buzzing on the table in the living room while I soaked in the bath. The warm water and scents calming me down to the point where I almost fell asleep.

"Why can't people just leave me alone?" I groaned as I got out of the bath and wrapped a towel around myself. I of course had several text messages from Sam and Courtney, I also had a missed call from my mom but I probably wouldn't call her back. After texting both Sam and Court back, I made some dinner before grabbing a book and heading to my room.

I got situated under the blanket with the cat next to me. I had one hand holding the book and the other petting the cat, every so often flipping a page. I smiled every so often when something cute happened or when something funny happened. I watched as the sun set in the distance behind all of the tall buildings that I could see through the window, the cat purring beside me.

I glanced around the room that was almost dark but the little lamp beside my bed was just bright enough for me to see my book. I sighed as I glanced over and it seemed that the city was ready to sleep although people claim that it's the city that never sleeps.

*LUKE P.O.V*

My life revolved around being in the studio trying to record music that I prayed to God would someday make it onto the radio for the artist that I was helping. Of course I had the help of my three best friends but it was still challenging trying to help an artist write good songs and sing well.

"Mr. Hemmings, it's late, can I head home?"

"Yes! Of course! I didn't know you were still here." I said to the girl who worked at the front desk. I really wish she had gone home at the regular time, she didn't need to stay with me. "Are you going to be safe or do you need a ride?"

"I'll be safe, I drove today." She smiled at me. "Have a good night, Mr. Hemmings." She answered before walking away and I sighed as I played the track back. I would be sending it over to L.A for their music producer's to listen to before I went live with the tape.

"Heading home." Michael said coming into the room and I nodded. It was past seven, the time that he usually left.

"I'll be out shortly." I answered nodding at him.

"Have a good night, man." He called. "See you tomorrow." I sighed when I heard the door close and I ran my hands through my hair. Calum and Ashton both took today off because they had both gone to a concert last night and now they're both super hungover and tired.

Once the track ended, I placed it in a case before placing it in the package that I was going to ship it in. I quickly stood, grabbing my bag and heading to the front door to lock up, shutting the lights off before I did.

I walked to the back of the building, getting into my car and driving to my apartment that was just outside the city. The dog, Loki, met me at the front door, her tail wagging as she greeted me. I'm sure she was starving.

"Hey, babe." I said petting her head before stepping into the apartment, going into the kitchen to grab the dog food and placing it in her bowl along with a second bowl for water. There was a left over pizza in a fridge that I placed on a plate and ate cold. This was my life, cold pizza and working. Just the best.

I showered, letting the scorching hot water run over my body, turning it bright red, my hair falling in front of my eyes. I stepped out before I got third degree burns, wrapping myself in a towel and heading to my room to get dressed in a pair of boxer's. I laid in bed, answering emails on my laptop with the dog next to me watching the moon rise higher and higher into the sky.

Once I felt that I had answered enough emails I checked my phone. New twitter follower's were popping up and each one were asking about new music so I answered some of those too. Loki looked at me with sad eyes and I could tell that she was telling me to find a women to settle down with and get another dog so she can have a friend. My mother had been telling me the same thing.

I turned the t.v to watch a few episodes of Ghost Adventures to scare myself right before bed so I couldn't sleep but that total opposite happened. I fell asleep on only the second episode and woke up to Loki crying for food and the alarm on my phone going off. I groaned before rolling over and covering my face from the sun that shined in the window.

"I don't want to go!" I groaned to no one in particular. I rolled out of bed even though I really didn't want to and fed Loki before heading back into my bedroom to find a button up shirt to wear with pants to match. Once I did that, I went to brush my hair, and style it up. Brush my teeth, and put on deodorant before getting dressed and grabbing my laptop and placing it in my bag. I knew I would be stuck in traffic and it didn't matter what time I left my house, I would have been late.

"Good morning, Mr. Hemmings." I was greeted by Amanda at the front desk. I smiled at her before answering,

"Please call me Luke." I smiled as I continued to walk and was greeting by Michael's bright red hair, talking to Ashton and Calum. "Hey, Guys." I said sitting down and setting a few things up. "Want to hear the tracks before I send them off?" I asked.

"Sure." I heard at least one answer and I slipped the disc into my laptop, playing the tracks for them. "They sound amazing. I think it's ready to be sent out." I nodded before putting it back into the package before going out to Amanda.

"I need you to head to the post office and have them send this out. It's very fragile, do not break it." I said and she nodded as she took the package from my hands. "Alright, boys. I need to head out, my mother's birthday is coming up and she asked me to get her a book so I'm off to the book store." I said grabbing my bag and phone before heading out the door. I sighed, I remember her telling me to get her a book but I can't remember which one.

I have never stepped foot into a book store so I was very confused on where I was looking, I should have sent one of my brother's. I walked into random aisles before I found one with a girl who had shoulder length brown hair and from what I could, blue eyes, and freckles.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She said stepping to the side.

"It's no problem." I smiled at her and she smiled back at me. She sighed before putting back the book that she wanted before moving to the shelves about a foot away. I watched her as she looked at different books and I wondered what she loved to read.

*MCKINLEY'S P.O.V*

The book that I had put back once already was calling my name but that man with the blonde hair and blue eyes was still standing there and I thought it was weird if I went back over to him. But, I did it anyway.

"I'm sorry, I just have to look at it again." I said and he laughed a little.

"It's cool." He answered. We both stood there reading the backs of the books that were placed in our hands and I made a few glances his way. I wasn't going to lie, he was a very attractive man and I'm sure he was shopping for his girlfriend.

After thinking about it, I put the book back with a sigh and officially walked away from the area. I looked at the little things that they had lying around before I heard some heavy foot steps coming my way. The man from before came over to me and handed me a book.

"What's this?" I asked looking down at the book and then into his eyes.

"It's the book you wanted but put back twice." He answered with a smile. "I bought it for you." He seemed so proud of himself and I smiled at him giving a little laugh.

"You didn't have to do that!" I said with a wide smile. No one has ever bought me a book that I've picked out in a book store let alone a stranger!

"You looked really sad when you put it back so I figure I could make you happy." He smiled again while looking at me and I finally noticed that he had a lip piercing that was rather attractive.

"Thank you so much." I smiled down at the book as I clutched it in my hand, not wanting to let go of it.

"Can I take you out to dinner some time?" The breath in the back of my throat suddenly felt like it was choking me. This stranger was standing in front of me, just bought me a book and now wants to take me out to dinner. I had always told myself that no man was good enough for me but seeing that this man just did what I thought no one else would do, I might just give him a chance.

"I would love that." I smiled at him writing my number down on a piece of paper and handing it to him. "Thank you for the book." I smiled as my thumb touched his as I handed him the paper. He smiled before turning to walk away. "Wait! What's your name?" I questioned.

"Luke. Luke Hemmings." He answered with a smile. "What's yours?"

"McKinley. McKinley Davis." I answered and he nodded before holding up the piece of paper, waving and leaving the store. "Please don't change my outlook on life Luke Hemmings."