A Solid Spot on the Shelf

I dropped back into the flat, kicked my shoes aside, and set my shopping bags down next to the audio rack. That vintage pocket paperback with the yellow lettering had traveled in my arm all afternoon, and leaving it stuffed in a bag wasn't an option. I needed a bookmark with real bite, not some flimsy scrap. Tucked in the cap next to my cassette deck was one of those stiff celluloid tortoise-shell picks. I slipped the triangular edge straight into chapter one, wedged the heavy little book firmly between my row of tape cases and the turntable base, and gave the top a firm tap with my palm. Lined up, solid, and ready for late-night reading. #books