She reached for the clock and saw it was almost five. In the dim light from the window, she saw Killer awake and staring at her. She pulled him close and rubbed his ears. “Did I scare you? I scared myself enough. Sorry, buddy.”
She decided to get up and get ready for the day. Saturdays were busy in the bookstore, especially during book club weeks. She didn’t have to deal with Shirley’s kids, as she called the elementary school group, but she would be dealing with parents either dropping their kids off or buying books as they waited.
Some of the women met at the coffee shop after dropping the kids off to talk about all things family. At least that’s what Rarity assumed they talked about. Amy was a high schooler now, so she’d be here next week for book club. Unless her social activities or dance competitions kept her away.
Rarity needed to find another middle schooler to take over Amy’s book reviews. She’d ask Katie if there was a bookworm in the group who needed an assignment. Being part of the bookstore community had turned Amy from a shy reader to a social butterfly. She gained friends at the book club; then, with her work with the backpack project, her confidence had exploded.
And she needed that kind of kid energy for the upcoming school supply drive in late summer. Rarity wrote down her thoughts, adding to her to-do list as she ate breakfast and got ready for her day. As she did, she remembered the spider dream. Was she missing something that her subconscious was trying to remind her about?
At the bookstore, Shirley was getting ready for her club and Katie was manning the register. Rarity didn’t have a lot to do so she wandered the nonfiction shelves, looking to see if they had a book on spiders and other desert creepy-crawlies. They didn’t. She went back to the front and grabbed her laptop.
As Rarity scanned the offerings on the screen, Katie pointed to one of the books. “Oh, I don’t think I wrote down that one. I sold the last copy last week over at the festival booth. We went through all the local attraction and nature books. It was a crazy weekend. Sorry I didn’t mark it down.” She pointed to several others that Rarity was considering ordering. “And those two as well. I don’t think we ever stocked that last one, but it’s supposed to be good. My roommate last year, Charity, her boyfriend Todd works at the reptile store in Flagstaff. They sell spiders, snakes, those big lizards, all the things I never wanted as a pet. I want something cuddly like Killer. Not something that could kill me. Anyway, he said they stock that book and sell tons.”
“Oh, what’s the store name?” Rarity put in an order for all the books.
Katie closed her eyes. “I know the answer to that question. Hold on a second. Duh, it’s I Like Spiders and Snakes. Like that really old song?”
“I think the song is about someone who doesn’t like those things,” Shirley added. “So they sold books in a pet store?”
“Tons, according to Todd, but that might have been five or fifty in a week. He wasn’t good at details. But he swore that one of the spiders’ bite was an aphrodisiac. At least for men. Stupid, right?”
“I read that somewhere. That there were doctors who were prescribing for someone to buy a spider out of Brazil to cure that problem. As if the medical profession doesn’t have enough quacks. I guess going back to witch doctors makes as much sense as some of these anticancer diets they sell on the internet.” Shirley rolled her eyes and then smiled at the little girl who’d just walked up to the register with her mom. “What about you, dear? Do you like spiders and snakes?”
The girl’s eyes widened. “No! That’s not the program today, is it? My brother always looks for them in our backyard. He’s an idiot.”
“Now, don’t call Allen an idiot, Vanna.” Her mom nudged her to put the books on the counter. “Besides, you read the flyer, Miss Shirley’s talking about books and movies. That should be fun.”
“As long as it’s not snakes or bugs. I hate both of them.” Vanna pushed her books toward Shirley. “I got an A on my English test so Mom’s letting me get an extra two books today.”
As Vanna and Shirley discussed the books she’d chosen, Rarity pulled Katie aside. “Look, I need to run into Flagstaff to talk to someone at this store. Do you think Todd will be there?”
“I can check.” She pulled out her phone and texted someone. “Charity says Todd’s working today until two. You need to leave soon to make sure you don’t miss him. If it gets slow, he’ll volunteer to go home. He barely gets thirty hours.”
“Can you guys handle the club and the store?” Rarity looked around. Most of the kids were gathered around the fireplace.
“If it gets crazy, we’ll call Darby in,” Katie said, bringing Shirley into the conversation since she was free. “Right, Shirley?”
“As long as you’re back by four. I need to leave then to get ready for the event tonight,” Shirley said.
“The event is at seven.” Rarity reached for her open planner. “Or I thought so.…”
Shirley nodded. “It’s at seven. Terrance is taking me to Flagstaff to a steakhouse he likes before the closing ceremony.”
“Oh, sorry. Yes, I’ll be back by four.”
“Where are you going?” Jonathon asked as he sat his laptop bag down on the counter.
Rarity had a choice. She could lie, but if she found something, she might need Jonathon’s help. “To a pet store. Do you want to come along? Did you bring Romeo?”
“He stayed home. Drew’s off today and said he’d take him for a walk later.” Jonathon picked up his tote. “I can drive. My truck’s out front.”
“You don’t have to go. I know you have writing you want to do.” Rarity grabbed her tote. Now she was glad she’d left Killer at home. He hated book club Saturday.
“Sometimes you need a break from the writing to think about the plot. I won’t say I have writer’s block, because I don’t believe in it, but I am a little stuck on this. Maybe I’ll see something on the way that will refresh my hero’s outlook.” He held up his keys. “Ready?”
Rarity nodded, giving in. “Fine, but I’m buying you lunch and gas.”
“That sounds like a bad combination, but then again, my thoughts run the gamut of a typical twelve-year-old boy at times.” He followed her out, remotely unlocking his truck and then holding the door open for her when they reached it. “Here you go.”
