⋆•°.🤍*࿐LOVE IS BLIND!⋆౨ৎ˚⟡🫧🕯️˖ ࣪

THE STRAND BOOKSTORE
new york, new york
march 1990, 12:15pm

annie stood at a podium infront of about a hundred people to give a short reading from her new book as well, answer questions, and to do a signing.

"i'm annie munro, the writer of this book...the weight of her will." she introduced herself. "it's truly an honor to be here standing in front of you all with such a hefty book." she joked.

the crowd chuckled, clearly enjoying her sense of humor already. she was dressed in a simple yet elegant suit with a matching skirt., her hair straightened, which was different compared to her usual curls. despite the simplicity of it, she still managed to look as effortlessly attractive as ever.

"now, before i read the excerpt, are there any questions anyone would like to ask?" she said as she looked out at the audience. a few hands went up, and she pointed to a woman in the front row.

"hi, i'm a big fan of yours." the woman began, her eyes bright with admiration. "my question is, where do you get the inspiration for the characters in your books?"

annie smiled, taking a moment to consider the question. it was one she had been asked many times before. she knew exactly how to answer.

"that's a great question, and it's one that i get asked quite often." she said, her tone warm and confident. "for me, the inspiration comes from different places. it can be an experience from my own life, a passing comment from a friend, a piece of music, a moment i witnessed. other times, i just imagine it all. if you can't tell, i have lots of free time."

as she looked out in the crowd, annie spotted a man towards the back, his hand raised in the air. however, due to the lighting and his position, she couldn't quite make out his face.

"i can see the hand but i can't see the man." she said with a laugh, earning a few chuckles from the audience.

as john stood up, annie recognized him immediately. she had to stop herself from gasping, though her eyes widened slightly, betraying her surprise.

he cleared his throat before reciting a quote from the book, "sometimes loss is the only thing that brings us back to ourselves." he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "what does this quote mean to you?"

annie's surprise quickly gave way to a mix of amusement and delight. she couldn't believe he was here. "i see you've already read the book." she said, arching an eyebrow at him.

he shrugged nonchalantly. "in one sitting."

she chuckled, taken aback. "wow, i'm not even sure if i can read a three-hundred page book in one sitting."

john cocked an eyebrow at her as the crowd laughed along with her quip. "if it's made by such an amazing author like yourself, you can."

annies heart skipped a beat at his words, his tone, and his compliment. hearing him say those words had butterflies fluttering in her stomach. she did her best to compose herself.

she smiled which was followed by a soft chuckle, "do you mind repeating your question again?" she asked him kindly.

he smirked, not missing the effect his words had on her. "sure. what does that quote mean to you?" he repeated, his tone playful. "the quote is: "sometimes loss is the only thing that brings us back to ourselves."" he said, remembering the quote.

she took a moment to think, choosing her words carefully. "the meaning of that quote is complex and multifaceted. for me, it speaks to the idea that sometimes we don't realize who we are or what we want until we lose something or someone we care about. it's the pain of that loss that forces us to reevaluate and reflect, and ultimately leads us back to ourselves in a new way." she paused, meeting his gaze. "does that make sense?"

"complete." john said, unfazed by the cameras that were focused on him and annie's conversation. "thank you miss. munro, it was a complete joy to read."

"thank you, mr. kennedy." she replied, her throat going dry. she couldn't help but to notice the way he sounded addressing her, the slight change in his tone when he said her last name. "is that all you're gonna ask?" she asked jokingly, trying to keep a nonchalant façade.

he chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "i have plenty more questions, but i'll save them for after the reading. don't want to steal the spotlight from you."

"oh how kind of you," she said with a smirk, her heart racing. "i'm sure the audience is eager to hear them."

she could see the way the crowd was watching them, completely focused on their interaction. the cameras continued to click away as reporters took notes and recorded her response to his questions.

as annie started her book signing, the line was already forming in front of her. fans waited with anticipation, their books clutched in their hands. the line continued to grow as people waited for their turn to meet the author.

despite the crowd, annie was in her element. she smiled and chatted with each fan, taking the time to personalize each book, and engage in conversation. she was gracious, humble, and incredibly charming.

a few hours later, the line had finally died down until there were only a few people left. annie took a moment to take a sip of water, catching her breath.

just as she was about to take a break, a familiar figure appeared at the head of the line.

she looked up, her heart skipping a beat as she saw john standing there, waiting to get his book signed. he smiled as their eyes met, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"i believe this book has already been signed." she told him.

he nodded, "only a signature and i couldn't help but notice some people were getting personalized notes."

annie chuckled, realizing he was asking for a personalized note. "so demanding." she teased, taking the book from him. she opened the cover and looked up at him expectantly, "and who should i make it out to?"

"you're funny." he replied.

she giggled, enjoying the banter between them. she grabbed a pen and started writing, carefully crafting her note. as she was writing, she glanced up at him to find him staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"what?" she asked, feeling her cheeks warm under his gaze.

"i ruined the book like we talked about. highlighted everything that stuck out to me, dog-eared the pages, and wrote so much in the pages." he said.

she chuckled at the thought of his marked up copy of her book, picturing him with a pen in one hand and a highlighter in the other, marking every page that caught his eye. she wasn't mad at all. in fact, she was touched. the idea that he had been so enthralled by her words that he had physically marked them as significant was both flattering and comforting.

"don't look surprised. you know i do this often." he said.

annie looked up, meeting his gaze. "i do know that. i don't know why i'm surprised." she replied with a soft smile. "you've never done it to one of my books though."

he shrugged nonchalantly. "well there's a first time for everything, right?"

she looked up at him and nodded, "yes. yes there is." she replied before a man walked in wearing a suit. dugan.

"there's my superstar!" he said to annie as he stood right next to john. "how'd it all go?" he said as he looked at the almost empty bookstore.

annie smiled at her boyfriend's presence, pleased to see him. "it went great, dugan. thanks for asking." she said, before her eyes flicked over to john.

dugan glanced at john, clearly noticing his presence for the first time. his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked back at annie. "i'm glad it went well." he then turned to john and extended his hand, "dugan vanderbilt."

john returned the handshake, his grip firm but polite. "john kennedy." he responded in a cool tone.

"don't forget the junior!" dugan said with a laugh.

annie tried to hide her cringe, sensing the tension between the two. she knew dugan's tendency to exaggerate his upbringing and social status to make himself appear more prestigious. she looked at john, unsure of how he was taking it, but he remained impassive.

"yeah, junior." john said dryly, he looked at annie and took his book back. "thanks, anne."

dugan took a look at john's book, "your book looks like it's gone through hell and back! all of those scribbles, the post-its, the highlights. it's blinding, man."

her boyfriend's comment had stung. she knew he didn't see books as anything more than a means to an end. a piece of property to be looked at but not touched or enjoyed. for her, books were treasured possessions, filled with stories and adventures that deserved to be experienced fully, including the messy, marked up pages.

"each mark tells a story." she said in a low voice. "it shows that the book has been read and loved. it's not just something to be shelved and never opened again."

dugan rolled his eyes. "it's all about aesthetics. you know how i feel about my things being perfect and untouched."

she knew exactly what he was talking about. she had learned early on in their relationship that he was obsessed with perfection. his home, his belongings, even his appearance had to be flawless. anything less than that was unacceptable.

"annie, i'm gonna go...thanks again." john said smoothly.

"yeah, no problem." she replied, watching as he walked away. she couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. she had hoped he would stay longer.

dugan wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "so, you ready to go?"

"i'm gonna help clean up." she told him.

dugan shook his head, "that's what the workers are for."

"dugan, just wait outside, okay? i'll be there soon enough." she told the man.

he let out an exaggerated sigh, clearly not pleased with her request. "fine." he relented before stomping off.

annie rolled her eyes at his overdramatic exit. she couldn't help but be annoyed by his behavior. she quickly dialed her best friend, summer who answered almost immediately.

summer was out of breath and seemed to be running, "annie! hi! how'd the book press go?" she asked the girl.

"oh it went fine. john came, and so did dugan." she informed her best friend.

"ah yes, the twins." summer said, referring to the fact that she thinks the two men are alike.

"they're not that similar personality wise." annie informed her.

"no?" summer questioned.

"absolutely not. john's polite, charming, and has great manners. dugan on the other hand..." she trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe her boyfriend.

"is rude, obnoxious, and entitled?" summer finished the sentence for her, earning a light chuckle from annie.

"i thought you liked him." annie said.

"no! i tolerate him, i think that i'd go crazy if i had to date him. sorry, honey." summer replied.

annie sighed, "i don't know, i guess it's just easy with him. comfortable."

"isn't being comfortable the same as being bored?" summer asked.

annie paused for a moment, considering summer's question. her relationship with dugan was predictable and lacking in excitement. it was the same old thing every day. they had fallen into a routine that felt more like a rut.

"yeah, i suppose it could be..." she admitted. "i don't know, summer. something's just...missing."

"or someone!" the blonde replied, her voice become a bit more muffled as the activity that was going on got louder.

"what the hell is going on over there?" annie asked.

summer chuckled. "i'm working out! i'm doing this diet where i have to work out three times a day!"

despite her best efforts, a chuckle escaped annie's lips at her friend's obsession with dieting and exercise. she knew summer was constantly trying out new and extreme ways to lose weight, even though she was already very thin.

"three times a day? isn't that excessive?" she asked.

summer grunted as she continued to move, "i want those extra pounds gone stat, baby!"

annie shook her head, equal parts amused and alarmed by her friend's determination. "just don't overdo it, okay? i don't want you collapsing from exhaustion."

"stop worrying so much." summer replied, a hint of irritation in her voice. "i can handle a little workout."

"i know, i know." annie said, not wanting to anger her friend further. "i just worry about you. that's all."

summer's tone softened, "i know you do. but i'm fine. i'm good." she reassured the writer, her breath in ragged pants.

annie took a deep breath, knowing that it was pointless to argue with summer when she was in one of her intense "dieting" phases.

"okay, just promise me you'll take care of yourself, okay?" she asked.

"i promise, mama hen." summer replied, a hint of humor in her voice.

annie rolled her eyes but couldn't help but chuckle. "i hate you sometimes."

"love you too! and have fun with your boyfriends." summer joked.

annie rolled her eyes, "yeah, yeah. bye summer!"

"bye!" the blonde replied before hanging up.

annie set her phone back in her pocket and finished tidying up the book signing area. as she worked, she found herself thinking about their conversation. summer's words had hit a nerve and she couldn't shake off the nagging feeling of doubt that had settled in the pit of her stomach.

housekeeping notes !

gulp the two met...thoughts on their meeting?

anyone catch the sex and the city reference?