Page 39 of Once Upon a Beast

After a few minutes, Nic turned to look at me. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I’m more curious what we are going to eat for dinner in the East Room,” I admitted.

“Then let’s go find out,” he said and we walked across the rotunda to the East Room.

It was by far my favorite room of the library and museum. If I ever were to have a library it was what I wanted it to look like. With its three stories of bookshelves and tapestries along the wall, it felt inviting and exciting all at the same time. The light brown of the walls contrasted beautifully with the red wood of the bookshelves and the painted ceilings. I walked in to see that a small table with two chairs had been set up in the middle of the room. There was a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket next to it.

My eyes caught the staircases that lead to the two balconies of bookshelves and that the gate that protected them. I walked over to one and then the other, seeing that they both were not locked. I looked over at Nic, the question in my mind clear on my face.

“I don’t think Henry will say anything. Go for it,” Nic said.

In all the years I had been at the library, I had never been able to walk up to the other levels and look around. I had longed to and couldn’t believe that I was going to that night. I looked over my shoulder a few times, half expecting someone to come out of the shadows and tell me to stop. I wouldn’t have put it past Mr. Morgan’s ghost to appear. But no one did and I leisurely checked out all the books that were on display.

Most of the books came from Mr. Morgan’s personal collection but there were many that had come since he had passed and been donated or acquired by the library. It was an impressive collection. I could have spent all night looking at them, but Nic wouldn’t. I turned around and looked down at Nic who was looking up at me. He had a sweet smile on his face as if he was enjoying himself but I knew he couldn’t be.

“I’m sorry. I got lost in the books and being able to check them out. I’ve never been this close to them before.”

“There is nothing for you to apologize for.”

“I’ve been neglecting you,” I admitted.

“Not in the least,” Nic said and then laughed when I gave him an exasperated look. “Okay, maybe you did, but I knew what I was getting into when I brought you here. I’m surprised you even remembered I was here.”

“You’re a hard person to forget,” I said.

“As are you.”

I could feel myself blushing as I walked down the stairs. Nic was waiting for me to help me down. I took his hand and kept it in mine as we walked over to the table. He dropped my hand to pull my chair out for me. I nodded my thanks as I sat down.

Nic sat across from me and as if on cue, Henry appeared. I had no idea he was even around. I hadn’t seen him as we had explored the library. I guess he had been truthful when he said he would be available if we needed anything.

“May I pour you your drinks?” Henry asked and held up the bottle.

I looked over and started laughing. “Sparkling cider? We’re having sparkling cider?” I asked.

“What else did you think we would have?” Nic asked.

“I don’t know, a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio from Mr. Morgan’s private collection.” I teased.

“We only bring those out on Christmas and for large donations,” Henry said with a straight face.

“How large of a donation?” Nic asked.

“I was, there isn’t. I’m sorry, sir, I was joking,” Henry stammered.

Nic laughed and nodded to Henry to pour the wine. I saw Henry with a half-smile on his face. When the cider was poured, I lifted my glass and brought it over to Nic. “To us.”

“To new and old memories,” Nic said and touched his glass to mine.

I wasn’t sure what he meant by the comment but I was enjoying the evening and him so much, I couldn’t wait to find out.

Chapter 21

Nicodemus

I couldn’t remember a time that I had enjoyed an evening with a woman more. It was easy to understand, there had always been an ease, a comfort, an understanding between me and Layla. We didn’t need to talk, we didn’t need to fill the silence between us, we could just be. And that was exactly what we did. We spent hours in the library and we barely talked, but we didn’t need to. There was so much we were saying to the other without speaking a word.

When it came to our first date, I needed to do something special, something different, something that Layla would never forget. It hadn’t taken me long to come up with the idea of having dinner at the Morgan Library. I just wasn’t sure if it was possible. Luckily, Steve was able to handle all the details. I only needed to tell them what food I wanted. That also had been an easy answer.