All right. I can only stand so much. Clearing my throat, I step closer and the woman pauses, sharing an irritated look with me.
“Is there something I can help you with, ma’am?”
The woman’s eyes widen— honestly, calling women “ma’am” pisses most of them off, every single time.
“Excuse you!” she snarls at me and I decide I’m not even going to entertain wrapping this up nicely. Reaching out, I snatch the book from her hand. Her face, already heated, turns a deep shade of crimson.
“I understand you’re probably stressed out, what with the holidays and all. Hell, look around you. You think we’re not stressed out with this mess? The noise?” As if on cue, Jack’s team rips the table saw. “‘We’re literally on the threshold of Hell, Ellen!’ The last thing we need is your attitude making things worse.”
The woman sputters at me and I’m positive she’s never been addressed so bluntly in her life. That’s the problem— no one stands up to people like this so they carry on in life, thinking this is appropriate.
“Now, if you’d be so kind, I’d like to ask you to leave this store. We don’t have the emotional capacity to accommodate your ego today.” I gesture toward the front door and the woman storms past me.
When she leaves, the remaining customers in the store give a light round of applause. See, these are my kind of people.
“Dominic!” Pen groans, sidling up to me and wrapping her arm around my waist. “She’s gonna leave a nasty review online.”
“So what? She was being a bitch. Someone needs to call that shit out, and I am more than happy to volunteer, on behalf of society.”
“So noble.” She laughs, nuzzling her face into my side. “And nice Christmas Vacation reference, by the way.”
“You caught that, huh?”
“Should I be concerned that my boyfriend’s temperament closely aligns with Clark Griswold’s when he goes off the rails?”
God, I love this woman. Pressing my lips to her temple, I reluctantly release her. “I’m gonna put this book up by the register, just in case anyone else comes in looking for it.”
“Hopefully it goes to a good home, where someone won’t care about its cosmetic deficiencies.” Pen’s cheeks tinge pink before she smiles at me. I hate reading into shit, but I hope she’s not thinking of herself being like this damn book.
But just in case, I add, “There’s nothing wrong with this book, Pen. It’s sexy as hell. In fact, this little crease?” I rub the corner of the dustjacket seductively and she shakes her head, smiling at me with her pretty, plump lips. “It’s this that makes it so unique and so damn desirable.”
“Get out of here,” she laughs, but I can tell she understands what I’m trying to say.
A few hours later, I’m flat-out exhausted. Between the dust from the work next door, and the books and trash customers have left all over, the store is a certifiable mess. Grace went home an hour ago, so Pen and I strategize our closing plan.
“I’ll cover the front of house. You catch up with the deliveries in the back and do the financials.”
Pen scrunches her nose up at me. “Given your attitude towards customers today?—”
“Every day you mean?”
“Right. How about you cover the deliveries and I’ll take care of closing the store in a half-hour? Please, Dom?” Her eyes beg me to accept her plan and, little does she know, that wasmyplan all along.
Sighing, I nod, pretending defeat. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Pen pats me on the back as I turn, heading into the back room. Taking out my phone, I send a quick text.
Me:All clear
I wind through the shelves in the back room and find Chloe, breaking down the last box from the delivery this afternoon.
“Wow, you really powered through everything already?”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” Chloe says, patting the cart full of books at her side with pride. “It was kind of nice being back here, zoning out.” She straightens and eyes the door to the breakroom. “She has no idea I’ve been back here the last hour, does she?”
“Nope.” I can’t keep the huge smile off my face. Chloe was an integral part of my plan, making sure I could sneak away early to finish the rest of the prep needed for my surprise tonight.
Chloe nods, excitement all over her face. “Awesome. I’ll text Jasper and have him meet us there?”
