My vision slowly blurs as my thoughts scatter in too many directions.
“I wonder if he loves dogs, too,” I whisper, staring off into space.
Sometimes my brain glitches when I get excited. I go into full spinning wheel of death mode—just thinking and thinking, fully stuck in my background task.
When Eve grasps my shoulder and gently shakes me, I realize I’ve gotten lost in the mirror maze of my mind again.
“Earth to Aury! Are you ready for that drink, or are you just gonna stand here on the sidewalk fantasizing about gorgeous, bearded Celtic gods?”
My eyes snap back into focus, and a soft, self-conscious laugh follows.
“Sorry, E, got lost for a minute there. I mean, can’t we do both? Get a drink and dream about those Celtic gods? I think the god of dogs would be a perfect match for me.”
“Girl, you need another outlet for that anxious energy. You look like you’re vibrating,” Eve says, her voice tinged with concern.
“C’mon. I want to be tipsy and talk about your nonexistent love life.”
“Just give me one second. I want to peek in the window really quick.”
“Okay, creeper,” Eve mumbles, already pulling out her phone and firing off texts—probably to those mountain men she was talking about earlier.
I step up to the glass door, cup my hands around my eyes, and peer inside the shop.
Christ, Aziraphale would have a raging hard-on if he caught a glimpse of this place. Rows upon rows of books sit on shelves so close together that I just know my ample behind would have trouble navigating the space between them.
A glowing display case catches my attention, its shelves filled with brittle, beautiful books that look like they haven’t been touched in centuries.
I’m a little surprised a bookshop like this exists in a small, blue-collar town. But what do I know?
I can’t wait to browse the stacks and get lost among the piles of books. Fingers crossed there’s a decent sci-fi section.
“Hey, Eve, you were saying the owner was a little strange. What did you mean by that?”
Okay, so maybe I give a shit about the owner.
Between the name of the shop and what I can glimpse through the window, I imagine a sweet older gentleman with a cane and sweater vest.
“I’m not sure I should say anything. It’s just small-town gossip, and I’m not here for that bullshit. I’ve only seen the owner a few times, and shit, girl … he’s sexy as fuck. I’m talking tailored suits and some mysterious, dark daddy vibe. But he’s standoffish, and the locals love to spread rumors about him always hanging around places where hikers go missing. I honestly can’t imagine a man that perfect hanging out in the woods, on dirt trails, in those three-piece suits,” Eve gushes, her face melting into a cheesy, dream-like expression that sends me into a fit of laughter. “Anyway, from what I can tell, he almost never comes into the shop.”
Eve’s description of the owner surprises the hell out of me.
Shit, I was way off.
The inside gives off grand-daddy vibes, not daddy vibes.
“Well, it sounds like my chances of running into dark-book-daddy are pretty slim. Who works at the shop if he’s not around much?”
“Oh! I forgot to tell you about Thane. Mr. Aster? He’s untouchable. Unapproachable. He seems … above it all, maybe a little snobby. But Thane? He’s tall, built like a lumbersnack, withthese vibrant green eyes that pin you in place and practically peel you open. And that chain tattoo that wraps around his neck makes me want to drop to my knees and—ugh, I don’t know—lick him like a damn lollipop.”
“Holy shit! You have a crush! Why am I just hearing about this now? That’s so sweet!” I flutter my eyelashes in the most cartoonish way possible and clasp my hands over my heart.
“Yeah, yeah. He’s almost as untouchable as Mr. Aster. I’ve spoken with him a few times, but he’s another one who keeps to himself. You’ll find that a lot around here. Some people just want privacy—or they moved here to disappear.”
I can’t freaking believe Eve has a crush.
She doesn’tdocrushes.
She’s more of a “hit it and quit it” kind of girl.
