Star, what an unusual name, thought Daniel, as he read it off the badge on her blouse. Parents
must have been hippies.
Seeing him looking, Star finished the explanation she was giving Maya and then said, ‘My
father was an astrologer. It was that or Cassiopeia.’
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just so unusual.’
‘Yes, although there were seven hundred and forty of us in the UK at last count.’
‘Really?’ How do they even know such a thing?
‘Oh yes, I’m not as unique as you might think,’ she beamed at him.
‘Right,’ said Daniel awkwardly.
‘Why don’t I give you a call when the vet book comes in, Mr Fairchild?’
‘That would be great, thanks,’ Daniel said, pleasantly surprised at such a personal service,
and delighted as it had caused a huge smile to break across Maya’s face.
Maya waved goodbye to Star, then took hold of her father’s hand. ‘She was a nice lady,
Daddy, and she had a pretty name.’
‘Yes.’ Daniel’s thoughts were elsewhere. There was something about Star which unsettled
him. Maybe she reminded him of someone.
‘Who wants pizza for tea?’
‘Me, me, me!’ came three voices in unison.
Now he just had to make it.
As Star watched the family walk away, she smiled to herself. That Maya was a cutie and she
had her father wrapped around her finger. He had looked tired, frazzled even, but she’d soon
sort that. She was enjoying her new placement. The other librarians were kind overall,
although some were a little gossipy, and it had been a blow that she hadn’t been able to spend
time with Anne-Marie whose maternity leave she was covering, but Anne-Marie didn’t need
her help. She had a loving family around her and a wonderful husband who would prove a
doting dad when the baby arrived in a few months. Star had to concentrate on those who
needed her. Daniel was the first of her four charges this year.
‘Hey, Star, that’s not fair. You’ve just arrived and you’ve immediately zoned in on the
“hottie”!’ exclaimed Bridget, one of the other librarians. ‘So, spill the beans,’ she said, as she
gathered a pile of books waiting to go back on the shelves and bundled them into the cart.
When Star told her about the books the children had taken out, Jessica, Bridget’s sidekick
broke in, ‘We don’t want to know about the books. Is he divorced or separated at least?’
‘I didn’t ask him about his personal life.’
‘Shame. Next time he’s in, I’m asking him if his wife wouldn’t like to bring the kids
sometime.’ Bridget was evidently pleased with her cunning plan on how to find out if he was
married or not. ‘We may be married, but there’s no harm in window-shopping and that man
was one fine-looking piece of eye candy.’
‘He certainly was. Good idea,’ Jessica said, putting her arm around her colleague in
congratulation.
Seeing another customer approach the desk, Star made her excuses and escaped.
‘Sorry,’ a young girl’s voice said as Star felt the wind being knocked out of her, the pile of
books she was carrying falling from her hands and toppling to the ground. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m fine,’ Star reassured her, righting her glasses which had gone askew. As the girl, who
had to be in her mid-teens, scrabbled around picking up all the books off the floor, Star
appraised her.
‘I’m so clumsy.’
‘No harm done. Studying?’ she asked, indicating the girl’s backpack.
‘Yes. Mocks coming up.’
‘Thought so. You were here the other day, weren’t you?’
‘I come here most days after school. It’s a good place to study and Mum doesn’t like me
being in the house alone before she gets in from work.’
‘You’re right. It is a good place to study. I only started this week, but it’s quite relaxed here.
So, what are you studying?’
‘English, history, physics, maths and music,’ the girl rhymed off.
‘Quite a busy timetable you have. Well, I’d better not hold you up any further. I’m Star. Let
me know if you need anything.’
The girl nodded, then seemed to realise Star was waiting for something. ‘Arianna.’ She
hesitated momentarily then added, ‘Gray.’
‘Arianna. That’s a beautiful name, unusual. From the Greek, meaning very holy or chaste.
But I expect you knew that. Linked to Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos who helped
Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the Minotaur. Sorry, I’m a big fan of
mythology. Did you ever study classical mythology?’
‘Yes, I know the story of King Minos, but I’d never thought about the connection between
Ariadne and Arianna. I suppose they are pretty similar. That’s kinda cool.’
‘Very cool,’ Star agreed. ‘Well, Arianna, it was lovely to talk to you and like I said, I’m here
to help.’
‘OK. Thanks.’
As Star replaced the books on the shelves, she watched the retreating back of the teenager
with the long, curly, black hair, smiled and gave herself a little tick. Two down, two to go