This choice: Hand the book over and pray nothing embarrassing happens. • Go Back...
Chapter #7
Hand the book over.
by: Unknown
Carol has never been a 'bad' girl once in her life and even now finds herself handing over the strange find to the grim Mr. Jaspers. The idea of running off with the panties is tempting but in the end unnecessary she thinks. She looks up at the tall man as he glances at the cover never once betraying a hint of interest, if anything, appearing to find the selection dull as usual.
Carol has bought many things from the man over the years and has learned to tell when Mr. Jaspers really does secretly approve, usually of classics and more obscure novels, he doesn't think it shows, but it does and the young girl will then walk out of the store clutching the book to her chest and feeling like she and she alone has good taste.
Yet Mr. Jaspers poker-face this time is tough to read. He turns the book over and Carol has a moment of dread that it will spill open and that mysterious pair of panties will tumble out onto the counter and just lay there. Well, if that did happen she would just grab them and run of course. Right? But no, Mr. Jaspers is just skimming the back.
Carol is in agony. She is absolutely certain that she has sweat straight through her shirt and fidgets, bites her short nails, shifts her weight from one foot to the other. She fights the urge to sniff at her armpit, knowing that all of this nervousness will have had it's way with her deodorant and that the faint bitter smell of her anxiety will fill her nose. Why is this so hard! Why won't Mr. Jaspers just set the damn thing down and ask for her $8.50 already!?
"Miss? Can you hear me?," The voice of the old man comes at her as if from a great distance. Carol shakes her head and blinks twice, hard. How long had she been standing there in her trance?
"Uh, y-y-yes Mr. Jaspers. I'm sorry. I've got a really tough final coming up," Carol says, impressed with her own lie on the spot.
"I see...," Mr. Jaspers says. Like he did not see at all. Why were all young people so distracted all the time? Must be all the texting and email and video games. A tough final? More like some boy she was trying to impress. This girl seems different though. Or at least she usually did.
Carol then takes the initiative and hands Mr. Jaspers the ten dollar bill unasked. It is crisp and new and she can't wait to be rid of it. The shop-owner takes the bill even though he has not yet checked the price. He does not immediately recall this text, and will have to open and check how much it is. (Quite obviously) Mr. Jaspers gets a lot of really odd things in stock and can't possibly remember each and every one.
With a flick of his wrist the old man opens the book. To Carol's horror, the book flops open and there they are. The purple panties. Laying there in the declivity. Calling out to her as strongly as ever.
The question is, does Mr. Jaspers know about this hidden treasure or not?
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