Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Hartland, however, was wonderfully different. It stole Anah's heart from the very first moment she stepped off the bus, with its cozy but vibrant vibe that somehow felt like this strange, whimsical fusion of the Wild Wild West and the chic side of Paris. Historic buildings, made either of brick or natural stone, lined up the sides of the main streets, and their signages were either hand-painted in charming script or bright and colorful with incandescent lightbulbs outlining their business names.
There were streets permanently closed to vehicular traffic, and then there were also streets where she had seen a couple of horse-driven wagons rattling down and even a cowboy riding up to the local church.
It was a good thing, Anah reflected cheerfully to herself, she had decided to come up early to Hartland. The extra hours she had allotted for herself gave her a chance to explore the town at leisure while still having time to spare upon arriving at the community hall.
All newly-hired interns like Anah had been emailed a detailed printout for their job orientation. This also served as their entrance pass, and Anah duly presented this at the reception desk stationed outside Function Room B.
After having Anah sign her name, the guy behind the desk provided her with an ID. "Just grab a seat inside," the admission officer advised, "and wait for your name to be called."
After thanking him with a polite smile, Anah placed the ID securely inside her shoulder bag while taking her paperback out. She went straight to the first available seat she glimpsed, and since she had started reading as soon as she was seated, she was oblivious to the curious looks she had drawn from the other interns.
With her braids, braces, and make-up-free face, Anah looked far younger than her sixteen years, but in contrast to this was her air of quiet pleasantness, and it had her peers looking at Anah as if they couldn't quite understand how to place her. Wasn't she a little too young to be here?
The same question occurred to Ethan as well when he caught sight of Anah on his way down to Function Room A, a steaming cup of vendo-dispensed coffee in his hand.
With a majority of the fifty-plus interns inside Function Room B busy texting and chatting between their ongoing stream of selfies, the petite redhead seated at the back easily stood out, and the sight was interesting enough to have Ethan's steps come into a temporary halt. He watched her for a few moments, and he couldn't keep his lips from twitching at how oblivious she appeared to the noise around her.
Good for you, kid, Ethan thought, but he forgot about her soon enough as he rejoined his friends and continued on with their meeting about Hartland's current progress. He might've forgotten her completely even, if not for his visit to the library the next day and finding a familiar face behind the library counter.
It was the little redhead again, Ethan thought in pleased surprise, and his curious gaze went straight to the book in her hands. There had been too much distance between them yesterday for Ethan to see what she had been reading, but now he saw that it was an author he also read.
He was already moving forward before he realized what he was doing. It had been a long time since he found something that stirred his interest like this, and it made Ethan realize just how empty his life had been lately.
Anah was still lost in a world of serial killers and smart, handsome detectives when a deep male voice broke into her thoughts.
"Hello."
The sound startled her, and she automatically responded even before looking up. "Hel...lo." Her voice caught at the end, with Anah finally seeing who it was that had addressed her.
The dark-haired stranger was incredibly tall and impossibly attractive, but it was his hazel eyes that had her heart nearly stuttering into a stop. There was something sinfully mesmerizing about them, and they gleamed at her in such a way that had Anah's pulse leaping crazily under her skin.
"New intern, right?"
Anah's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"I saw you yesterday at the community hall."
Anah didn't quite know what to feel about this. He had seen her yesterday, and he still remembered her?
"Aren't you a little too young to be working away from home?"
Anah's brows furrowed. "Am I?"
"You must be what? Fourteen? Maybe even—-" Ethan stopped upon seeing the girl shake her head.
"I'm sixteen," Anah corrected him with a smile.
Ethan didn't bother hiding his surprise. "Seriously?" A nod, and Ethan could only grimace in return. "I'm sorry. You seemed a lot younger."
"It's fine," Anah was quick to assure him, and because she could no longer contain her curiosity, she then asked in a rush, "Are you a resident here?"