Just fifteen more minutes and he would close the library for the night. Thomas had spent the last eight hours running the library with two other co-workers. They left home a few hours ago, but Thomas stayed behind to close up the place. Castlewood Library wasn't enormous like the one in Los Angeles. It still had plenty of space, about the size of a high school cafeteria. It had plenty of books for the citizens of Glendora to borrow and read, plenty of computers for those who lost internet connection at home, and excellent Wi-Fi for students and businesspeople alike. Thomas didn't mind the silence that libraries had become famous for. In fact, the forty-one-year-old librarian enjoyed many things about his permanent career. But sometimes, a little monotony could creep in at any moment.
And on this cool and pleasant Thursday evening, the feeling of absolute boredom had settled in his thoughts. Perhaps he felt exhausted after working such a long day. But he pictured himself going on vacation and exploring the world instead of staying in such a small space. Unfortunately, he just didn't have the time, so he accepted his defeat for now and went on with his work day. The patrons in this library were far more important.
Thomas looked at his watch. Only fifteen minutes remained before closing time. He looked out the window to see a clear and beautiful view of the San Gabriel Mountains. A full moon completed this fine image of Mother Nature. It made him want to leave the city of Glendora and climb a mountain in Sierra Nevada.
He checked the library to see if everyone had left. So far, the computer room and the bookshelves looked completely devoid of human existence. But when he surveyed the lounge, he couldn't help but smile. Eighteen-year-old Preston had fallen asleep on one of the sofas. The young black student must have been exhausted from whatever he had written on his notebook.
Thomas had known Preston for a few months now. He had seen the high school senior several times before. It started off as small talk, but then the two of them connected with their love for literature. Thomas let Preston do most of the talking, since the latter had read everything from The Grapes of Wrath to The Count of Monte Cristo to even The Hunger Games. His love for skateboarding and rock music didn't sit well with Thomas, but that didn't matter to him at all. He liked the young man for his other hobby. He also liked him for his youthful looks. His long dreadlocks suited him fine. In fact, it almost made Thomas want to cuddle the student and smell his hair. But he snapped out of it. It would have been best not to bother the young man at all.
Thomas walked up to him and was about to wake him up. But then, he noticed the open notebook on the coffee table. He looked down to see the entire right page written with excellent handwriting. But that's not what grabbed his attention. The first paragraph started with the librarian's own name. It probably didn't mean much, but Thomas had a strong curiosity for random things. He tried to stay quiet while picking up Preston's notebook and reading the first paragraph.
At first, Thomas didn't know what to make of it. Preston had written a story, and the first paragraph involved Thomas being Preston's next-door neighbor and using a pair of binoculars to spy on him. This sort of story looked intriguing.
The librarian made sure that Preston's eyes remained close while lying down on the sofa. He left the lounge and returned to his desk. He paid close attention to the story that Preston had written on paper. It started out with Thomas taking a peek with his binoculars. He had just seen Preston finishing his shower and now had a towel wrapped around his waist. In actuality, Preston had provided plenty of details into his own narrative. Despite a few passages that could have qualified as the dreaded "purple prose," Thomas could feel the passion in the words. The scene continued as Preston took off his towel and became naked for Thomas to see. And when Preston finally realized that he had been watched, he gladly accepted his role as Thomas's victim. In the last few paragraphs, Preston lay on his bed and masturbated, all the while having Thomas do the same. They watched each other masturbate without any shame whatsoever. The scene ended with both men shooting out their semen and smiling at each other.
Thomas didn't know what to think at this moment. He flipped through Preston's notebook and found another story that featured him and the young man as the main characters once again. This time, it was set in outer space. The science-fiction story started as both Thomas and Preston travelling through space together. They admitted to each other that they felt lonely after weeks of travel. Soon after, they made love in their spacecraft. Thanks to zero gravity, they floated above the floor naked and ambitious. Preston described the sex in full detail. He wrote how the librarian dominated him from beginning to end, and how his submissive behavior made him feel content with their changed relationship.
Thomas had read the story for the next several minutes. When he finished, he spotted someone in the corner of his eye. He looked to his left to see Preston standing still with a shocked look on his face. It took Thomas only a second to realize how this real-life situation unfolded. He slowly closed the notebook and set it down.
Preston almost had trouble speaking. "Can I, uh...can I have that back?"
Thomas sighed. "Of course."
He lifted up the notebook for Preston to take. Preston took his time when he took a few steps forward. He looked absolutely mortified. "I didn't mean to write all that stuff down."
Thomas didn't say anything. He just let Preston take back his notebook. The young man looked like he was about to say something else, but he immediately turned around and walked back to the lounge.
Thomas tapped his fingers on his desk. He wasn't surprised. Nor did he feel any embarrassment for what he had done. He could see why someone like Preston would be attracted to someone like him. Thomas did indeed look handsome with his brown hair and eyeglasses. He would have been a model in his younger years.
He licked his lips. The written words in the notebook must have done wonders for his ego. He got up from his desk and locked the front doors of the library. No one else would have to see what might happen inside the building.
He returned to the lounge to see Preston putting things back in his backpack in a casual manner. He stood up straight and caught sight of his featured character. He almost dropped his backpack.
"I'll just be going now."
Thomas shook his head. "I don't think so."
Preston never looked so nervous. "Why not?"
Thomas stepped closer. "I'd like to know what makes me a good target. What makes me such a good choice for your stories?"
Preston looked as if he faked a smile. "To tell you the truth, it's because you're such a handsome guy."
Thomas didn't have to fake his own smile. "That's a given."
"I've always liked you, and that's why I, uh...wrote all of this stuff in my notebook."
Thomas took one more step forward, and this time, he was only inches away from the young man. "Is that why we're always together in these stories?"
He whispered in Preston's ear, "It's because you WANT us to be together?"
Preston took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's about right."
The librarian grabbed him by the shoulders. "Well, why didn't you say so?"
He gave his favorite visitor their first kiss. He could hear Preston dropping his backpack. The young man didn't resist. He just let it happen. The kiss was long and warm, appropriate for the truth that had just been revealed.
