Page 138 of Devil Inside
We pull a book off the shelf. “Have you read this one?”
He takes the book from our hand. Studies it. “Can’t say I have, no.”
“You might like it...”
“You think?” He holds it up, presenting the cover to us.“Eat, Pray, Love?”
“Oh, I know.” We are tempting fate. Taking a great risk. Still, we push. Press. “You strike me as the soul-searching type.”
“That so? Well, now... You learn something new about yourself every day.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Surprise me.”
So Jordan wants to play. “What’s the last book you read?”
“Me? Let’s see...” He sighs, reflects. “Been a while since I was in the best headspace for a new book. Now I’m trying to get out of my mind. Live in someone else’s for a spell.”
“Why is that?” We are curious, so curious.
“Long story.”
“We have time.” To prove our point, we turn to take in the emptiness of the store. This shop is ours. No one else’s. He is our only customer. Even our last vessel has left, stumbling out of the store, probably wondering how in the world they got here.
“Fair enough.” He laughs a bit, nothing but air. His exhaletastes good to us. “I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but... I’m actually looking for something.”
“Thought so. What is it?”
“You can’t laugh.”
“We would never.”
“Promise?”
We hold up our hand. “Cross my heart.”
Hope to die.
“Okay.” He takes a moment. Is he blushing? “Do you have any books about...”
We hold our own breath.
“...Possession?”
“Pardon?” We are taken aback by this.What a lovely surprise, Jordan...
He wishes to do his homework. Researching us.
How adorable.
“What kind of... possession are you interested in?” We have to be coy in our reaction. “Are we talking about ghosts here? Or the Russian literature kind? Or...”
“Demonic.”
“Really?”
Jordan nods. He’s definitely blushing now. Look at the blood rush to those cheeks, flushing his skin in a red warmth. We want to bathe in it. Bask in that beauty.
