Self-Help Aisle

There I was at the bookstore. I tried to be discreet as I walked through the store. I didn’t want anyone to know what section I was heading towards. I took a detour into fiction. All the romantic unrealistic novels. I looked around furtively. Good, no one was watching. I walked through the mystery section. They were fun, but predictable. Finally, I glanced around and then walked over to self-help.

Luckily, most of the people in the aisle were high school boys, glancing at titles like "How to Pick Up Girls." I had mastered that a long time ago. I didn’t need a book to tell me how to get a girlfriend, I more needed one to tell me how to keep a girlfriend. Being a 21^st century woman was hard. Most people were finding love on the internet. But I wasn’t interested in that. I still wanted to go out and meet women in real life. I slid down the aisle. I saw some of the boys eyeing me.

"Sorry boys, I’m a little too old for you," I smiled at them. They scuttled away, shocked that a woman was talking to them. Finally, the aisle was empty. I looked at all the books, and finally found the one I was looking for, "How to Find Love in a Complicated World." I flipped over to the dedication page. Tears came to my eyes as I read it, "To Robin, thanks for inspiring this book."

I went to the front cash. "She’s going to be reading here tomorrow," the cashier told me.

"Huh?"

"The author. Denise Rivers. She’ll be here tomorrow, signing copies. You could come back and get it autographed."

"I might do that," I said. The woman handed me a poster, as I paid for the book. I got back to the car, and dumped the book and the poster on the seat. There was Denise’s picture starring up at me. I hadn’t seen her in over a year. Not since she had submitted the book to the publisher, and I realized that our entire relationship had been a way for her to get material for her book. So I had left. But after a year spent mostly alone, except for a few meaningless dates, I realized that maybe I had been too hasty.

When I got home, I went to bed with the book. As I read through it, I realized how good it was. Our relationship had inspired her to help others find love. I fell asleep.

In the morning, I was first in line when the bookstore opened. There she was. Denise. The one that I had let get away, because I thought she’d been using me.

Denise was talking to her editor, so she hadn’t seen me yet. I looked as she twirled her hair. I always liked the way she did that. I sat down, with everyone else. I sat in the back, so she wouldn’t see me.

"Welcome everyone," the bookstore employee said. "We are pleased to have our very own Denise Rivers back here to promote her book, "How to Find Love in A Complicated World."

Soon Denise stood up to talk. She glanced around. "This is for Robin, the one who got away," she said. Then I realized she was looking straight at me. She smiled.

I listened as she read. As everyone lined up to get their books signed, I slid into the back of the line. Soon it was my turn. I put the book down in front of her.

"Who do I make it out to?" she asked, not even glancing up.

"Well you already dedicated it to me, but maybe you could sign it?"

She glanced up and smiled at me. "Of course, Robin." I loved the way my name sounded on her tongue. "You’ll wait right?"

"Of course." I stood at the back of the store, as she finished the last few signings. Then we walked outside together.

"Long time no see," she said. She leaned into hug me.

"I read your book last night."

"I’m glad."

"I was an idiot."

"You’re not an idiot."

"I got all angry, thinking you were just using me to get material for your book. But I realized in the last year that there is a lot more to our relationship. I know you’re probably seeing someone, I know I’m probably too late."

"Robin, I’m not seeing anyone."

"Me neither."

She kissed me then. Right there in the parking lot. I didn’t care who saw. It was like the whole year had just faded away. It was Denise and me again.

"Let’s go home," Denise said.

"My place or yours?"

"Well I don’t have a place here right now so yours."

I smiled. We held hands and walked to my car. Everything was alright with the world.