Page 4 of Eden's Joker

I already have her on the hook, and I could snatch her right now. But where’s the fun in that?

It’ll hurt the Devils a lot more knowing she came with me willingly.

3

Eden

My phone started buzzing like crazy soon after I opened the bookshop. It’s usually very slow in the mornings, so I was just about to sit down on my favorite winged armchair by the window with a hot latte and a new book when all hell broke loose. One of my TikToks announcing that I’m starting online sales went viral overnight and orders started pouring in like crazy.

I usually get maybe three customers a day wandering into the store, and I like that languid pace. The only reason I decided to sell online was to free up some shelves so I could put new books up. And possibly because all that dreaming of adventures with Tyler had me wanting to do something new.

Whatever my reasoning, I was in no way prepared to sell out of my entire stock in a matter of hours.Nothing in this business venture of mine—which is more of a hobby really—has prepared me for that kind of thing. This place was gifted to me by my dad for my sixteenth birthday, mainly because we’d run out of space for all my books at home.

The idea of making it into a shop came later. But it was a natural one, since I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life but being surrounded by the books I love. A few years ago, I also moved into the studio apartment above the bookshop. And eventually I want to have a huge house, most of which would be taken up by my own private library. With this surge in sales, making that dream come true might be closer than I thought. I’ll just have no books to fill my library with left.

In the midst of freaking out, getting shipping supplies, packaging books, answering email and trying to figure out the ins and outs of physical shipping, I nearly missed Tyler’s text.

I did miss it by a couple of hours, which is not something that usually happens.

And then, as I read it, I freaked out even more.

I’m on my way to meet you, sweetness. Don’t make any plans for the weekend, because you’ll be spending it with me.

My pulse has been sky high all day and now I feel like my heart’s gonna explode.

I sit down on the edge of the armchair, almost missing it because my eyes are glued to the text. I readand re-read it, for the first time in my life not sure if I understand words correctly.

If someone put a gun to my head and asked me how I feel about this, I still couldn’t answer. It’s on that thin line between anxious dread and excitement. Yes, I want to meet him in person. I’ve never connected with a guy more than I have with him in the last couple of weeks of texting.

But I’m not stupid. I know that the real thing will be nothing like the pictures and dreams I’ve concocted in my head.

Clearly he’s concocted some dreams of his own.

It’s been hours since he sent the text. By now he must think I’ve ghosted him. The urgency of sending a reply elevates my pulse yet higher. How that’s possible I’ll never know.

Yes! Finally. I can’t wait!

My fingers type the response as though they have a will of their own.

But I don’t press send.

Instead, I try to breathe deeply as I look around my shop.

The mismatched pink, white, and brown shelves are mostly empty. Boxes, tape, invoices, and shipping labels are everywhere. Books are in stacks on every available surface, including the floor, a blend of colors and cream, and that new book smell that I love so much is thick in the air. Usually so neat and cozy, my shoplooks like a bomb hit it and I’m not doing a very good job of sorting through the rubble.

And I can’t help thinking the crazy influx of orders has nothing to do with the devastation. Day in and day out for the past ten years, I’ve spent almost all my time in this shop. Dreaming and reading about the kind of adventures like the text on my phone is offering me now in real life. I can taste the things I’ve only imagined until now.

I press Send.

And suddenly have trouble breathing on top of feeling like my heart’s gonna burst. Seconds tick by and my anxiety just keeps building.

There’s no reply. No flashing dots announcing an imminent one.

What if I blew my one chance to do something exciting for a change?

I tend to get pathetic very quickly when it comes to crushes and love and such. I know it’s a problem. He’s riding. He’s not glued to his phone.

Can’t wait to see you!

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