I noticed then she had a baby-carry-pouch thing strapped to her body under her coat. She saw me notice it and grinned. “I used this for my dolls when I was young,” she explained. Then she lined it with one blanket, shoved both kittens in it and tucked them in so their little faces were peering out, picked up the bag with all the kitten stuff in it, and waved us goodbye. “I’ll be across at the center all day. I’ll bring them over so you can see them, so you don’t miss them too much. If it slows down for you, that is. It’s looking pretty busy out there already.”
“It is?” I said, looking out the front. I’d noticed people but not any more than usual.
“Yes, Win,” Ro said. “They’re lined up on the sidewalk toward Main Street.”
“They are?” I went to the window and tried to peer up the road instead of out across to the youth center and café. Oh, they were right! There were people. Actual people.
Oh, and Jayden was setting up his stall.
It was busy out there, and they were waiting for me to open.
I turned to Ro, a little teary-eyed. So relieved and excited, but mostly relieved. “We still have twenty minutes, but there are people!”
She came over, gave me a quick hug, then pulled back and put her hands on my shoulders. “You can do this, Win. Open early. Don’t keep your customers waiting.”
So with a deep breath, and putting all the hard workbehind us, I made my dream a reality. I unlocked the door, and Fox and Fables was officially open for business.
It was non-stop for hours.The first time I even looked up, it was after two. I hadn’t stopped, not even once. There was a steady stream of customers, excited and asking questions, loving all the bookish merch, games and puzzles, and putting in requests for books I didn’t have but was more than happy to order.
It was better than I expected.
Jayden came in with a grin. “We are sold out and packing up,” he said, personally delivering two cups of tomato soup and two cheesy bread rolls. “For you guys.” He nodded to the youth center’s café across the way. “Those guys had a steady stream as well. The kids are doing great over there.”
“Giving the kids job experience is a great initiative,” I said.
“It is. Gunter’s a great guy.” He looked around my store. “Have you got any books left?” he asked with a laugh. “You’ve been flat-out all day!”
“I’ll definitely need to put an order in later,” I said. “It’s been great. Better than I expected, honestly.”
Someone came to the counter with two books in hand, and Jayden took that as his cue. “Enjoy the rest of your day. We’ll see you tonight down at the tree lighting.”
“Thanks for the soup!”
He waved as he walked out, and I focused on the customer. “Ah, great series,” I said, nodding to her selection.
“Ooh, you’ve read this? I read the first book and loved it so much.”
“I sure have. I basically read anythingI can get my hands on. But book four in this series will be out in March, I believe.”
This pleased her immensely and we chatted about these books, then other books, and then another customer lined up behind her, and she frowned. “Oh, sorry to keep you. I could talk about books all day long.”
“Me too,” I said, handing over her paper bag of books. “Maybe we should have monthly book club meetings.”
Her face lit up and she gasped. “I would so be here. Please say you’ll do that.”
I’d kinda said it as a throwaway comment, but the more I thought about it...
The next customer put his books on the counter and Ro stepped in to ring him up. “I’d come along,” he said. He was an older gent, and his books were popular political spy reads. “Hartbridge needs something like that for us readers who don’t go out much.”
“Oh, do I get that,” I said, agreeing wholeheartedly.
The other woman nodded. “Absolutely.”
When they left, Ro handed me the cup of tomato soup Jayden had left for me. “Have something quick to eat. It’s delicious,” she said. “Monthly book club meetings is an amazing idea, and a great way to get folks into the store regularly. Sounds like you’ve found a little niche community group already,” she said with a proud smile.
Another customer came up to the counter with a question about a certain edition, and Ro commandeered me out of the way. “I can help you with that,” she said, and I took a moment to have a bathroom break, then to have my soup.
It really was amazing.
