Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Annette Anders (shoe dog free ebook TXT) š
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- Author: Annette Anders
Book online Ā«Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Annette Anders (shoe dog free ebook TXT) šĀ». Author Annette Anders
But the million-dollar question wasā¦ Had he lost his damn mind? He hadnāt asked a woman out in years, and he alone knew the reason why.
So why her?
CHAPTER 2
StellaāJuly 2015
S
tella gave her book another quick shake before slipping it in her purse, then hoisted her bag on her shoulder. āBy the way, Iām Stella.ā
āIām David. Nice to meet you, Stella.ā He bowed and tipped an invisible hat.
Stella bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a grin. Is this guy for real?
They fell in step and walked past Carpenterās Hall, crossed Chestnut Street, and entered a sunny courtyard planted with trees and perennials.
He pointed to a low building with a long glass front. āAh, now I know where we are. Last time I came in from the other end of the yard. I have to come back later to buy a birthday gift for my sister.ā
She didnāt even think before she offered, āWe can go in now, since weāre here.ā
āAre you sure?ā
āYup.ā Inside the little gift shop, she said, āIāll check out the postcards. Take your time.ā She skimmed through a few cards with quotes until she read, āThe person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesnāt know how to read.ā Stella was tempted to buy it and use as a bookmark, but decided against it.
Being a library curator, she agreed one hundred percent with the popular Ben Franklin saying. How empty would the world be without books?
Letting David poke around by himself gave her the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at him.
He was a little taller than her brother, maybe 6ā4ā. His black, curly hair was closely cropped, and the stubble of a five oāclock shadow covered his chin, even though it was only noon. There was something familiar about him, but she knew theyād never met. Must be one of those āIāve seen you beforeā faces.
His black polo shirt showed well-toned arms and hinted at an athletic body, and the way his jeans hugged his hipsā¦ Stop ogling, Stella!
āStella,ā he beckoned her over to a display of glass vases and matching bowls. āDo you think I should get the blue or the green?ā
āWithout knowing anything about your sister, itās difficult for me to choose. Whatās her taste in tableware?ā
David looked sheepish. āIām a guy and donāt pay attention. As long as a glass is clean, Iām good.ā Luca wouldāve said the same, Stella thought of her brother.
āWhatās her furniture like?ā
He scratched his chin, then said, āLots of black and white.ā
āThen Iād go with clear glass. Your sister can dress it up with colorful flowers and fresh fruit or candy in the bowl.ā
āGreat! Give me a few more minutes to pay and get it wrapped.ā
She walked back to the postcards but glanced to him. It was hard to believe that sheād accepted a total strangerās invitation to lunch. Yes, he startled her in the park. But his voice was so melodious, and as soon as her heart rate came down, she wanted to hear more of it. And the twinkle in his dark brown eyes told her he was only teasing her.
Her best friend, Naomi, often accused her of being too trusting, but Stella disagreed. She believed in the good in people and listened to her gut feeling.
Another thing Naomi often told her was to take off her thinking cap and to have a little fun. Which is exactly what she just did!
Hours later, Stella stood dithering in front of her closet. Naomi bought them tickets to the touring Broadway production of The Phantom of The Opera as a birthday gift, and Stella couldnāt decide what to wear. Images of her handsome lunch companion kept popping up in her headāas they had all afternoon, together with snippets of their conversation.
He had asked lots questions about her, and she told him about growing up in Philadelphia, then about living in Boston while attending college and grad school, and about moving back only a few months ago for her dream job as curator at the Library Company of Philadelphia. She was almost embarrassed at how much she rattled on about working at Americaās first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution.
What did she find out about him? He said he was from Chicago and traveled a lot for work. But whenever she asked for more details, he managed to reroute the conversation back to her.
She narrowed down her dress choices to three, then decided on her new emerald green maxi-dress. At the last minute, she added a lightweight sweater in case the air-conditioning was set to arctic temperatures.
After getting dressed, she went to the kitchen and munched on a few crackers with cheese, since she and Naomi were going out to eat later.
While she ate, her thoughts circled back to David again. Stella was surprised how at ease she was with him, as if theyād known each other for a long time. To any passerby, they might have looked like old friends catching up. But it didnāt explain why some people stopped and stared. A few even took photos, which she thought was very rude, but he didnāt seem bothered. Sometimes he even smiled at them, but mostly he focused on her.
When they parted ways, he said, āThank you for a wonderful time, Stella.ā
There was no hugging, no cheek kissing, no handshaking. A smile, a nod, and a wave was all.
Washing down the last crumbs of a cracker with a sip of water, she regretted one thing. She shouldāve mustered the courage to ask for his phone number. She had felt a connection she couldnāt describe.
But it was too late; sheād never see him again.
CHAPTER 3
StellaāJuly 2015
S
tella and Naomi still sat in their seats at the Kimmel Center. The performance was over, the curtains remained closed, and the audience was leaving the theater. All lights in the auditorium were
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