Irving Library Timings Novels & Stories

His eyebrows lifted softly, like he’d unlocked an achievement. “There it is!” “What?” I said, catching my breath. “Your laugh. I was starting to think you were incapable of laughing.” I rolled my eyes at him and handed most of my notes over to him. The monitor suddenly said, “The library will be closed in fifteen minutes.” Holy shit. It was almost 8pm. “We should get going.” Adrien said and helped pack up our stuff. London has always been more beautiful at night. People were still chatting, others with their partners.

Iris picked up a small ledger from the desk, tucked it under her arm, and gave us a brief look. “I have patients waiting,” she said simply. To Lewison: “Do not be an idiot about this.” To me she offered a slight nod and then a small smile. Then she was gone, swallowed by the deeper stacks. The library felt even larger with just the two of us in it. I waited, arms crossed over my chest as if that could hold everything inside. Lewison moved to one of the heavy chairs but did not sit. He stood behind it, hands gripping the backrest.

ADRIAN I step into the study room ten minutes late, the door creaking as I pushed it open. She is already there, sitting at the center table with her books spread out like she was prepping for a thesis defense. “VIP tutoring, huh?” I toss my bag on the chair and flash a smirk. “Didn’t know I rated this kind of service.” Iris doesn’t even look up. “You’re late.” “I’m charming. It balances out.” She glances at me then, her expression dry. “Charm doesn’t decode Caravaggio."

Maybe she needed to think of the vampires as a lost race, a lost people, a lost city. Caitlin returned to the librarian with a freshly printed list, and he looked down and frowned. “There are seventy-one books on this list,” he said forcefully. “You know the limit.” “I’ll take the first six,” Caitlin said. He sighed loudly, plainly annoyed. “It’s four-thirty, ma’am. The library closes in fifteen minutes.” He stood there, clearly not wanting to go to the stacks again for her. “Then go quickly,” she replied, not giving in.

I am becoming someone who knows rhythms. Bastien comes in at half past three and sits in his chair and opens his laptop and we spend an hour in the same room doing separate things, which is something that now happens naturally and regularly and is the version of the library evenings that has grown from the almost-conversations into the real ones. At four thirty Ivy gets off her call. The Northern Highland Alpha wants to know if you will speak at the inter-pack governance conference in the spring, she says. When in the spring, I say.

Irina didn’t finish her word, she remembered unpleasant event. Two days ago, Irina stood in front of library’s doble doors, reading a sad announcement that hung on the door. It said that library would be close for few days due to the passing of senior librarian, Mr. Herald, all the library’s staff were mourning and would attending his funeral. Irina knew Mr. herald since she was child, when her father brought her to the library for the first time, it’s Mr. Herald who greeted her and recommended some good books to her. Encouraging her to be smarter than boys with the help of books.

2:47 PM was yesterday. “Maybe she’s got class,” Adrian said. Didn’t look up from Ivy. 61 BPM. Calm, but listening. “Her class is at 11,” Alex said. “She told me. She said she’d call before.” _Silence. 9:04 AM._ Phone didn’t buzz. *9:17 AM. [SFX: TYPING. THEN DELETE. THEN TYPING AGAIN.]* *UCLA. Library Steps. 9:17 AM.*

Polly’s loud and obnoxious voice called throughout the bedroom, my ears ringing slightly as they were also not expecting to be bothered this early in the morning. “But the ceremony doesn’t start until 11:20, it’s 5 o’clock in the morning!” I exclaim after taking a look down at the clock which sat beside the bed, the sun hadn’t even started to rise outside yet due to spring slowly approaching. “Exactly, the hours will tick by faster than you expect Iris so you must get up now! Alban, you are to head over to Lincoln’s to shower and get ready, to leave us with Iris. He is waiting for you.” Polly began to explain whilst clapping her hands together, this noise seeming to annoy Alban even more as

Was he avoiding her? “Ms. Hansley, please, can you handle Mr. Laurier’s appointments? There are so many, you need to schedule them efficiently.” Mr. Greene handed her a folder before leaving. It was already evening, and Iris’s stomach grumbled for food. Yet she sat there working on his schedule. Mrs. Lewis had left, and it took her almost two hours to complete the task. Maddox’s schedule was tight: business meetings, work tours, and so on. Where was the time to meet her for five minutes?

I just had to not put myself in such a position ever again. I pushed my feet into slippers and walked toward the bathroom, keeping my face deliberately impassive in the mirror as steam from the shower I’d run earlier fogged the glass. My phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I picked it up, needing the distraction. “Yes, Iris?” Iris, my assistant, spoke with her usual clipped voice, “Good morning, Sir. Larkspur Media’s representatives have agreed to the meeting. I’ve secured a brunch at Aurelia tomorrow—Marlowe Salon, eleven-thirty.