“It’s like book crack,” I joke.
“Butt crack?” Audrey enquires as she rounds the corner. Her arms are already five books deep.
“Book. Book crack,” I repeat. “You know, when you get a fresh one and have to smell it?”
“Oh, yeah, totally,” she answers. “There is nothing better.”
Straight away, I imagine what Pete’s reaction would be to this conversation. It makes me laugh.
“Anyway,” Audrey continues, “Janice just left. Told me to tell you she suddenly felt squiffy.”
My arms drop to my side. She’s got some bloody nerve. I look at the giant clock above the cash register. Janice has literally been in the store for less than twenty minutes.
“Whoa, Bonnie, your face is like a really unnatural red.”
“I need to make a call,” I seethe. Clive is in for an ear-bashing.
“I’ll watch the register,” Kelley comments, already moving towards the vintage till.
It takes seven minutes of arguing and me threatening to quit before Clive finally gives me the go-ahead to hire a new store assistant. Janice can suck eggs. I’m the one who runs this store on the daily. Clive knows he would be up shit creek if I left—not that I would. I was totally bluffing. I love the Emporium and hope one day, when Clive retires, he’ll make me a partner so I can continue the store’s legacy.
Feeling my blood pressure drop slightly, I stride with purpose to the cashier’s desk where Kelley is finalising Audrey’s sale.
“Everything okay, sweetie?” Audrey asks when I stop by her side.
“Perfect. Did you get everything you wanted?”
“Oh, and more. Kelley pointed me in the direction of a new fantasy series I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
We say our goodbyes and then I twirl in place and face Kelley. “Do you want a job here?”
Kelley’s eyes grow wide. “Are you serious?”
“As Clive’s stamp collection.”
“He finally gave in, huh?” She laughs.
“I told him I would walk out. So yes, he crumbled.”
“Then, yes. I mean, let’s be fair, I work harder than Janice in this place, anyway.”
“That’s what I said to Clive when I told him I wanted you on board.”
“Well then, it looks like you have a new store assistant.” We high five, naturally.
Kelley is an artist. Specifically, she draws comic books, and she’s brilliant at it. With it being a freelance job, she tends to be in the bookshop a lot, so this is a perfect setup. Janice will work a few shifts because I couldn’t get the old bat fired; I’m not horrible. But at least I now have a chance to really make this place into something. Kelley shares my vision and love of books. We are a winning team. I can feel it!
We didn’t last until the close of day before both Kelley and I cracked open Selma Peterson’sMob’s Seduction.The title needed work, in my opinion, but the story is as gripping as I thought it would be. Plus, it’s all about the sapphics, which ticks my box.
“She can’t marry her,” Kelley gasps.
“She will. It’s the only way to save her brother,” I respond.
“But the MacLeans are awful.”
“Obviously, but Riley doesn’t have a choice.”
“What about Todd?”
