A Romantic Dilemma A while ago, I figured out that I needed romance in my reading diet. Don't make me explain. The answer would be arcane and dull. Can you see the problem here? I'm a guy. How am I going to get my hands on contemporary commercial romance without raising a few eyebrows? Let me tell you what happened a few weeks ago. I went to Borders looking for a specific paranormal title. The book, a 2006 Tor release, could have been shelved in either Science Fiction or Romance or both. Not finding the book in Science Fiction, I headed for the Romance aisle. The aisle wasn't empty. It was full of women, and what if one of them saw me looking at romance books? What if someone recognized me? Thank you for understanding my problem. I hovered between Science Fiction and Romance aisles, hoping that Romance would clear. It didn't. "Sir, can I help you?" An attendant had seen me. Great, I'm busted. I replied, "Uh, yes. I'm looking for a science fiction book." "Oh, I can look it up for you," she said, heading for a computer terminal. "Do you know the title or author?" "Uh, yes. It's The Ultimatum by Susan Kearney." She tapped a few keys and pursed her lips. "Oh. It's in Romance." Her expression had that I want you to know I know look that you might see from a pharmacist. I left the store with the book, feeling a little indecent. Yes, that's how it feels when a stranger learns one of my secrets. Since then, I've figured out how to acquire contemporary romance titles undiscovered. My favorite method is to go to Wal-Mart at about 6:30 AM. The store is practically empty, and there's nobody in the book section. I get the titles I want, and then I slink over to the U-scan and pay in cash. There will come a time when Wal-Mart won't have something I want. What am I going to do then?

Also posted on Xanga.