Was it getting hotter? I honestly thought maybe it was getting hotter. I thought it was getting hotter and quieter, as if the air itself was becoming more intense around us.
“It would be crazy,” I said, matter-of-factly, doing my best to stop this before it started. He wouldn’t. I knew he wouldn’t. Right there in the library? I was certain that I was the only one actually considering it. And so I put my foot down. I stepped away slightly, put the book in my hand into its place on the shelf, and announced that we needed to go check on Mr. Callahan.
“Okay,” Ben said, putting his hands up in surrender. He then put one arm out as if to invite me to lead us there. I walked in front of him, and when we were almost out of the World Religions stacks, he teased me.
“I would have done it,” he said.
I smiled and shook my head. I had never felt so desirable, had never realized how feeling that desirable made me feel like I could do anything in the world.
We found Mr. Callahan right where he’d said he’d be.
“What is all of this?” Mr. Callahan said to me as he saw us coming up to meet him. “I thought there would be a few books back here. This section is bigger than the new releases!”
I laughed. “There are a lot of young adult books lately, Mr. Callahan. Kids love reading now.”
He shook his head. “Who knew?” Mr. Callahan already had a book in his hand.
“Mr. Callahan, I’d like you to meet Ben.” I gestured to Ben, and Mr. Callahan grabbed Ben’s outstretched hand.
“Hello, son,” he said and took his hand back. “Strong grip on you, good to see.”
“Thanks,” Ben said. “I’ve heard a lot about you and I wanted to meet the man behind the legend.”
Mr. Callahan laughed. “No legend here. Just an old man who forgets things and can’t walk as fast as he used to.”
“Is that for you?” Ben asked, gesturing to the book.
“Oh, no. My great-granddaughter. I’m afraid I’m a bit lost in this section. This book takes up a whole shelf, though, so I figured it’s pretty popular.” Mr. Callahan held up a copy of a supernatural franchise. The kind of book that gets the kids reading in the first place, even if it is insipid, so I couldn’t knock it. He had the third book in his hand, and I had a hunch he couldn’t tell that the whole shelf was actually four different installments with similar covers and motifs. His fine vision probably was not what it used to be, and they probably all looked the same.
“That’s actually the third one,” I said. “Did you want me to find the first one?”
“Please,” he said.
Ben gingerly grabbed the book out of his hand. “If I may, Mr. Callahan.” He put the book back in place and stopped me from picking up the first of the series.
“I’m categorically against all books about vampires in love with young women. Those books always make it seem like being bitten to the point of death is a form of love.”
I looked at Ben, surprised. He sheepishly looked back at me. “What?”
“No, nothing,” I said.
“Anyway,” he continued, focused on Mr. Callahan. “I’m not sure it’s the best influence for your great-granddaughter. I can only assume you want her to grow up believing that she can do anything, not just sit around lusting for the undead.”
“You’re exactly right about that,” Mr. Callahan said. When Mr. Callahan was a child, he was probably raised to believe that women were made to follow men, to stay home and darn their socks. Now, he was an old man who had changed with the times, who wanted to reinforce for his great-granddaughter that she should not stay home and darn socks unless she wanted to. It occurred to me that you could see a lot in a lifetime if you stuck around as long as Mr. Callahan. He had lived through times I’d only read about.