The cheers were deafening, and the wonderful Miriam appeared, waving, smiling, making the audience laugh. After classic one liners and a lovely story of her time in Hay, Miriam hit the button and Hay brightened up with the decorations that adorned lampposts, as well as the castle and its grounds. Hay was decorated for Christmas, but this added to the magic.
ChapterFifteen
‘You’re a star, Quinn!’ Ivy came crashing into the bookshop, startling the customers inside. She threw the newspaper at him, which he dropped.
Bending to pick it up, he saw Emma’s article published. Only he was on the front cover, caught in a laugh, with Noah at his side.
‘What is this?’
author calls for protection of kings & queenswas the headline.
He read the article, expecting it to be dominated by Noah, but it quoted both of them like they were equals. The main story, that Quinn was about to lose his shop, was clear to see. Emma did his story justice.
‘Ivy, this is amazing!’
‘And we’re getting emails again! From all the journalists that ignored us after that video you posted on Instagram? Yeah, they’re getting back in touch.’
‘What does this mean?’
‘We’re getting your story out there.’
‘What’s going on?’ one customer standing closest to the counter asked.
Quinn looked at the customer, then at the shop. The newspaper in his hands rustled. This was his moment. The wheel was in motion and it was now or never.
‘Do you love this shop?’
‘I…’
‘I know you do. And I bet the rest of you do, too?’
The other customers nodded, listening to what Quinn had to say.
‘Well, this shop is being threatened with closure. I’m being evicted. And it’s all because of the castle.’
‘What?’
Now Quinn thought he saw genuine concern on the customers’ faces.
‘Is this Hay’s only gay bookshop?’
‘Gay, lesbian, queer, trans…’ Quinn said. ‘We have it all here. It’s Hay’s only shop for LGBTQ+ support.’
‘And they want it closed, and you gone?’
‘Yes.’
‘Homophobia.’
‘Transphobia.’
‘It’s got to be.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ Ivy said.
‘No, wait.’ Quinn felt panic rise in him. His stepdad may have been a greedy businessman, but he needed to make it clear the reason this shop was going. ‘My stepdad has renovated the castle. They want this church to be part of the castle as a sort of information centre before people head into the fortress across the street. Possibly a ticket office, though that doesn’t make sense to me. Part of me wonders if he realises just how much this place is worth and he knows he can get a lot of money for it should it sell, but he won’t tell me otherwise. It’s just business to him. He’s not coming for the shop because of its content. He’s none of those phobic things. It’s because he’s thinking of greed, of business, and nothing else. He offered me a shop in the castle, but it turned out that the shop front would be a box room, and nothing like this. I wouldn’t be able to live if I opened up a shop there. I’d barely get a shelf full of books inside.’
‘He can’t do this,’ a customer said. She lifted her phone and took photos. ‘I’m an influencer. I’ll make sure I help raise the word.’
