Gemotions

He glared at the book. The bookstore clerk, a nervous young man with thick glasses, kept telling him the book was “in good condition for its age.” Fine. Whatever. But the price was still higher than he wanted to pay. And the letter? It only made things more infuriating.

He'd found the note tucked between the pages of a well-loved copy of "Moby Dick." It was addressed to someone named "Clara," and the language was flowery, overly sentimental. He’d barely glanced at it, but the audacity of the writer! To include it in a book! He wouldn't let it win.

He slammed the book shut. The clerk flinched. He wasn't going to let this little piece of paper, this cheap bit of drama, influence his decision. He’d come for the book, and he'd get it, even if it meant arguing for half an hour.