Chloe Bennett was having a "great" day at Whispering Pages, the independent bookstore where she worked part-time. As a college student with a penchant for accidentally knocking over things, she had a special talent for making the mundane extraordinary. Today was no exception.
She was reaching for a book on the top shelf of the poetry section, her fingers just barely grazing the spine when... CRASH.
A cascade of rare first editions came tumbling down like a bookish avalanche. Chloe's eyes widened in horror as she watched the books fall. She instinctively reached out to catch them, but instead, she ended up knocking them into the chest of the man standing directly behind her.
"OH MY GOD! I AM SO SORRY!" Chloe cried, her voice rising an octave. "I'll pay for them! I'll work extra hours! I'll... I'll give you my firstborn!"
The man's eyes widened in surprise. He was tall, impeccably dressed in a suit that probably cost more than Chloe's entire wardrobe, and he had the kind of face that should be on a magazine cover. He looked like he'd just been hit by a book, which, technically, he had.
"Uh... what?" he asked, his voice smooth as aged whiskey.
Chloe's face turned bright red. "I didn't mean... I mean, I wasn't actually... Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'm Chloe. I work here. I'm so clumsy. I'm going to get you the most expensive book in the store to replace these, and I'll... I'll even clean your shoes if they got dusty."
The man gave a small, amused smile. "I'm Sebastian Black. And you don't need to replace them. I was just looking at this section anyway."
Chloe's heart skipped a beat. Sebastian Black? As in, the CEO of Black Industries? The billionaire who had been in the news for buying up half the city's real estate? She was talking to him! And she had just offered him her firstborn.
"I'm so sorry," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not usually this... this... book-accident-prone."
Sebastian chuckled, a low, rich sound that made Chloe's stomach do a little flip. "It's okay. Happens to the best of us."
Chloe's eyes darted around the bookstore, searching for an escape route. "I should probably go get a mop. Or maybe a team of book surgeons. Or... a time machine to go back to before I dropped those books."
Sebastian's smile widened. "You're quite the character, Chloe."
"Thanks," she said, her voice cracking. "I've been told I'm... unique."
Just then, a customer walked up to the counter. "Excuse me, where can I find the gardening section?"
Chloe turned to point, but her foot caught on the edge of the rug. She stumbled forward, her hand reaching out to catch herself on the counter. Unfortunately, she caught the edge of a display of coffee table books, sending them flying.
"NO!" she yelled, but it was too late. The books hit the floor with a loud thud.
Sebastian sighed, but it was a soft, almost fond sigh. "I think I've seen enough of your book-accident-prone tendencies for one day."
Chloe buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry. I'm going to go work in the back room and never come out again."
"Actually," Sebastian said, "I was just about to ask you something."
Chloe peeked through her fingers. "What?"
"I need someone to help me with a... project," he said, his voice low and serious. "And I think you might be perfect for it."
Chloe's heart pounded. "What kind of project?"
Sebastian leaned in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's a bit complicated, but it involves... well, let's just say I need a wife."
Chloe's eyes widened. "A wife? But I'm just a bookstore clerk!"
Sebastian's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You're exactly what I need. And you're not the first person to say 'I'll give you my firstborn' when they're nervous."
Chloe's face turned even redder. "I didn't mean it like that! I was just... panicking!"
Sebastian chuckled. "I know. And that's why you're perfect."
Just as they were about to continue, another customer walked up. "Excuse me, do you have any books on... I don't know, how to not be a klutz?"
Chloe looked at the customer, then back at Sebastian. "I'm working on it," she muttered.
The customer gave her a sympathetic smile. "Good luck with that."
As the customer walked away, Chloe turned back to Sebastian. "So... about this 'project'?"
Sebastian's eyes gleamed with something that looked suspiciously like mischief. "Let's talk about it over coffee. I know a great place."
Chloe's stomach did another flip. "I'm not sure about coffee. I might knock over the coffee cup too."
Sebastian's smile turned into a full-blown grin. "I think I can handle that. And maybe even the coffee cup."
Chloe's heart was pounding. This was either the best or worst day of her life. And she was pretty sure it was going to be the worst, because she was pretty sure she was going to knock over the coffee cup.
As they walked out of the bookstore, Chloe couldn't help but think: This is going to be a disaster. But maybe... just maybe... it could be the best disaster ever.
Just as she was about to say something, Sebastian turned to her and said, "You know, you're the first person who's ever made me laugh about a book spill. Most people just run away."
Chloe smiled shyly. "I try to be memorable."
Sebastian's smile softened. "You're doing a great job."
As they walked to the coffee shop, Chloe couldn't help but feel a little bit of hope. Maybe this wasn't going to be a disaster after all.
But then she tripped over her own feet and almost fell into a trash can. Sebastian caught her arm just in time.
"See?" he said, his voice full of amusement. "You're already doing a great job."
Chloe sighed. "I guess I'll just have to get used to it."
Sebastian's eyes met hers. "I think I can handle it. And I'm not just saying that because you're the first person to offer me your firstborn."
Chloe's face turned bright red again. "I'm so sorry about that. It just... slipped out."
Sebastian's smile deepened. "It's okay. And maybe... maybe it's not such a bad thing."
As they entered the coffee shop, Chloe couldn't help but wonder: what kind of project required a wife? And why did she have a feeling that this was going to be the most complicated thing she'd ever done?
But for now, she was just glad she hadn't knocked over the coffee cup. As she sat down, she couldn't help but glance at Sebastian, who was watching her with a look that was equal parts amusement and something else she couldn't quite name.
"Okay," she said, trying to regain her composure. "Let's talk about this 'project'."
Sebastian leaned back in his chair, his eyes twinkling. "You know, you're the only person I've ever met who could make a book spill sound like a marriage proposal."
Chloe blushed. "I told you, I wasn't serious about that."
"Of course not," Sebastian said, his voice warm. "But it's the most honest thing anyone's ever said to me."
Chloe couldn't help but smile. "I guess I'm not very good at pretending to be normal."
Sebastian's smile turned into a full grin. "You're not normal, Chloe. And that's what makes you perfect."
As the barista brought their coffee, Chloe accidentally knocked the sugar bowl off the table. Sebastian caught it before it hit the floor, and with a laugh, he placed it back on the table.
"See?" he said. "You're getting better."
Chloe sighed, but she couldn't help the small smile that played on her lips. "I'm going to need a lot of practice."
Sebastian leaned forward. "I think I can help with that."
And as they continued to talk, Chloe couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to take a turn she never could have imagined. But for the first time in a long time, she wasn't scared. She was actually kind of excited.
The question was, would she survive the next hour without knocking over anything? And would Sebastian still want her as his wife if she did?