At that, all four women hooted, shaking their fists in the air. The sudden sound made Mae jump back a little.
“That was our goal!” The first one laughed. “Okay, ladies, before anyone else comes in!”
And they huddled in front of Mae’s beautiful New Releases table, on her beautiful rug, between Dell’s beautiful shelves, and took a selfie.
Mae blinked rapidly.
“I’m sorry,” she said a moment later, finally getting a hold of herself and walking around the counter. “Can I get your names? I think I just fell in love with all of you.”
And that was how Mae first met Robin, Carmen, Elizabeth, and Monroe.
“Sorry I’m late!” Vik called a few seconds later, rushing in from the office. “I cannot believewe slept in. I’m so sorry; that ADU is just—well, hello friends! Welcome to Bay Books!”
“Oh,” Mae laughed. “I forgot to say that.”
“That’s all right, love.” Vik kissed her on the cheek. “That’s what I’m here for. Jackson’s heading down to the IGA to buy all the pastries Liv has.”
“Oh my god,” Mae said. “Snacks. I was going to have snacks.”
“That’s what I just said, silly. Jackson’s on top of it. What do you folks like to read?”
“Mae Kellerman!” Olive blustered through the door. “I was supposed to open my own shop ten minutes ago, but I just had to stop in first to see how you’re doing. Oh, it lookswonderful.” Olive squeezed Mae’s arm, just above her elbow, so tight it almost hurt. “Robin! Doesn’t this place look great? Iama little mad you stole this table from me at the flea.” She frowned, running her fingers along its curved edge, shooting Mae a look in the New Jersey-honest way that Mae knew meant shewasstill a little mad. As she had been mad, at the flea, about every piece Mae found before her.
Mae felt her smile wobble again.
“Thank you for letting me steal it from you,” she said. “Thank you for everything.”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Olive threw up a hand, blocking her face from Mae’s view, waving at her cheeks with her other hand. “Not this early in the morning, Mae Kellerman. Oh! You have Francesca!” Still waving at her cheeks, Olive stepped toward the first shelf on the far wall. The first shelf Dell had installed. Local interest. Olive picked up the book of poetry from the writer who lived in Coos Bay. “Me and Robin saw her speak at the library in Newport last year! Oh, she’s justfabulous.”
“Excuse me, Small Businessperson of the Year!” Vik called from the counter. “I believe you have your first official sale, and the computer’s gone sleepy.”
Wiping her palms against her eyes, Mae shuffled herself behind the counter, tapping her POS system awake.
“Robin, right?” she confirmed. “What did we find today?”
Robin bought a thriller and a sticker and one of Kennedy Remington’s candles and didn’t stop talking the entire time Mae rung her up. Mae was definitely in love with her.
The book club ladies were just leaving when Gemma walked in. They held the hand of another person whom, with delight, Mae couldn’t discern the gender of whatsoever.
“Wanted to show them my work,” Gemma said.
“Of course.” Mae stepped into the corner, lifted her arm toward Gemma’s mural like Vanna White. “Vik, this is Gemma, my muralist.”
“Oh, rad!” Vik pumped Gemma’s hand up and down. “It’s so great to meet you.”
The door opened once more with awhoosh, and the waitress from The Bay Diner who had been nice to Mae once walked in. Followed by George and Aryanna, from her small business class in Newport.
“Oh—my gosh,” Mae stuttered. “You guys didn’t have to come all the way up here.”
“You kidding?” George stuffed his hands in his pockets, the wrinkled brown skin of his face deepening as he smiled, eyes roaming the room. “You’re an inspiration to us.”
But then Mae noticed Gemma and their partner hovering by the front counter, and she didn’t have time to chat.
“Let me know if you need anything,” she said before hustling back to the till.
“This is cool,” Gemma’s partner said as Mae rang up their first item. They glanced again at the mural behind Mae, shot Gemma another grin. Glanced toward the trans flag at the end of the counter, and shot one at Mae. “This is really, really cool.”
They were buying a stack of queer romance novels.
