Sam wasn’t sure what to have for breakfast. Cereal, or take the extra time to make some eggs and bacon? He opted for the cereal and spent five minutes scrolling through news on his phone beside the empty bowl. His dog, Watson, rested on the floor beside him.
There was an article that caught Sam’s eye just as he was almost done scrolling, or so he told himself. The title of the article read ‘Who Reads Books Anymore?’ and a smug look curled up the sides of Sam’s face. He was an avid reader, just not lately. He glanced over to his bookcase at the stories he’d read over the years, then back to his phone, his smirk still intact, then his mind wandered for a moment. It’d been almost two years since the last time he’d actually read a book.
Sam started to read the article and learned that most people were feeling the same way he was feeling, at least according to a poll of a hundred people. So many others had considered themselves readers without having read a book recently.
He put his phone down and walked over to the sink to rinse out his bowl, mulling over what kind of book he’d like to read. It’d needed to be something spectacular in order to pull him into the fold again. Surely reading all those articles was the same? He pulled his hands from the sink when the water grew too hot. Did he read the articles from his reading chair, alongside a coffee or tea, with the reading lamp on? He glanced over to his lamp and thought about the last time he’d bothered to turn it on, but couldn’t remember.
Sam’s work day droned as usual. He answered emails with a bit of personality in an effort to make the day a little different from the one before. Around noon he went into the cafeteria and sat down with his lunch of a sandwich and soda beside a few other co-workers.
“How’s it going, Sam?” asked Clark. The words sloshed from side to side as he spoke and chewed at the same time. “You take a look at that email I sent this morning yet? Could use your opinion on which stain to use for my deck.”
“Not yet, Clark,” Sam replied. “I’ll look into it as soon as I find myself in front of the screen again. You going to eat that pudding cup?”
“Have at it, pal. Hey, Dennis, you ever get that volleyball net put up in your backyard?”
“It’s going up tonight,” replied Dennis. “Why, you fancy a game?”
“So long as my back doesn’t give out before the day is up,” said Clark. “How about it, Sam? We could ask Jake to come over too. He’s been cooped up in his cubicle all day working on a side project for the boss. I’m sure he could use some fresh air once this day is over.”
“I don’t know if I’m feeling it tonight,” replied Sam. “Can I ask you guys a random question?” He looked around the table at the uninterested faces of his co-workers. “When is the last time you read something? Like, an actual book I mean.”
“What year did I graduate?” asked Clark, followed by a hearty chuckle. “I read plenty enough when you send over those emails of yours. I don’t have the time for that anymore, what with the kids and this job.”
“Same,” added Dennis. “You feeling guilty for not reading enough or something?”
“An article I read this morning has me thinking about it,” replied Sam. “That’s all. Anyway, I suppose I can make it over tonight if you’re setting the net up.”
“I’ll send along the details to the group text,” said Dennis.
After lunch Sam meandered back to his cubicle, where he sat down at his desk and deleted emails.
“Excuse me?” said an unfamiliar voice from behind him.
Sam turned from his screen before clicking the icon to empty his deleted folder and lose all of his witty email replies forever.
“What can I help you with?” he asked. Standing before him was a woman he didn’t recognize. “Are you new here?”
“It’s my first week,” she replied. “Stacey. And you’re Sam?”
“I’d be impressed if my name wasn’t stuck to the outside of my cubicle.”
Her face grew red.
“Actually, I overheard you talking in the cafeteria with your friends. You mentioned not having read a book in a long while and thought I’d pass along a recent favorite. I started it Monday during lunch and finished it today.”
“It’s only Wednesday, I didn’t know people could read that fast.”
“When the book is good you just can’t help yourself sometimes. I was reading it late into the night.”
He took the book from her hand and turned it over to read the back.
“I haven’t read much sci-fi before, but I’ll give it a shot. When do you need it back by?”
“No rush,” she replied. “As soon as you finish it you can find me over there,” she pointed to the left. “I’m at the far end of this sea of cubicles. Search long enough and you’ll find me.”
“Will do. It was nice meeting you, Stacey. Thanks for the book.”
“It was nice meeting you too, Sam.”
Sam placed the book at the edge of his desk and didn’t think about it much for the remaining hours of his work day. When it was time to go he placed it into his shoulder-bag and made his way for the parking lot. The radio on the way home was a commercial break and an ad for a local car dealership reminded him he needed to get an oil change — the sticker on his windshield indicated he was already 500 miles over the recommended mileage.
After dinner Sam cleaned his dishes in the sink and placed them into the dishwasher. The taste of the sirloin steak still lingered on the back of his tongue as he made his way over to the couch to sit in front of the TV. Before taking his seat he looked back for a moment at his work bag.
“Might as well give the book a shot,” he said to his cat. The brown tabby cat gave him an uninterested glare. “Jake and I won during volleyball tonight. You should’ve been there.” Sherlock, the cat, didn’t offer a congratulations, but Watson came trotting over, no doubt at the mention of a ball. “I knew you’d appreciate my win, pal.” He petted Watson’s head.
Sam removed the book Stacey had given him from his bag and walked it back over to the couch, where Watson awaited him to take a seat. Watson was used to sitting at Sam’s side as he watched TV, but when it came to reading Sam liked to lay down on the couch, which didn’t give Watson much room to accept his typical head scratches.
“Suppose you don’t want to sit with your brother on the other chair?” he said. Watson looked over to Sherlock and then back to Sam. “Figured as much. I’ll give you some space and bend my knees a bit. No head scratches until I’ve finished a chapter or two though.”
Watson’s tail wagged.
Sam turned to page one.
According to his phone it was midnight by the time he was able to break free from the grips of the book. He was only a couple chapters away from the end when he placed it down on the small table beside him.
“What just happened?” he asked Watson. The dog cocked his head side to side in confusion. “You have any idea, Sherlock?” The cat gave a quick “Meow”, but otherwise offered no other information. “I’d better get to bed. I’m so close though. Should I?”
Sam got his morning coffee at work alongside a couple co-workers, where they discussed the upcoming snowy weather despite enjoying a nice seventy-degree day earlier in the week. Afterwards he walked over to his desk, set the coffee down beside his keyboard, and picked up the book he’d read the night before.
He searched through the sea of cubicles, as Stacey had put it, until he found her sitting at her desk, in the middle of typing up what looked like a rather extensive email.
“Uh, knock, knock,” he said, standing at the edge of the pale wall. “You sure know how to pick them. I started reading this book last night after dinner and before I knew it I was finishing the last couple chapters into the early morning. I might need a few more coffees than usual today.”
“I’m so glad you liked it,” she replied, her face bright red. “I wasn’t sure if I was giving you a homework assignment when I offered it.”
“Not at all. It was just what I needed to get back into the swing of things. I used to read all the time, then stopped, no reason at all really. I guess I let the work day get the better of me and would go home to stare at the TV before coming back here the next day to stare at the computer monitor. Do you have any more books you wouldn’t mind parting with for a day or two?”
“Not with me at the moment, but there is a library not far from here. Would you like to visit it with me during lunch?”
“Would it be okay if we grabbed a coffee too?” he asked.
“As long as you’re buying.”
“Then it’s a date.” The statement lingered in the air for a moment. Sam felt a trickle of sweat drip down his back.
“Then it’s a date.”