The Wrong Bookshop

Lucas ordered a coffee and sat in the empty corner of the café. He took out his book and tried to read. But the man at the next table was watching him.

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"That's a very old edition," the man said. Lucas looked up. The man was wearing a heavy jacket, even though the café was warm. "I used to sell books like that one. Around the corner. The shop is gone now."

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"Gone?" Lucas asked. He felt awkward, but he didn't know how to leave the conversation. "What kind of shop?"

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The man laughed quietly. "Old books. Forty years. Then the building was sold to a bank. The bank closed too, three years ago. Now it's a clothing store." He looked out the window. "Every time I pass by, I forget for one second. I almost go inside."

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Lucas closed his book and listened. The man did not ask for anything. He just wanted to tell someone about a place that used to be there.

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