Page 9 of Daydream

“How do you lose someone who tells you their location?”

“I, apparently incorrectly, assumed you wouldn’t be waiting for book club. I’ve been calling you. Have you bought your books already?”

I quickly realize that Aurora is the roommate’s girlfriend Henry referred to earlier.

“Not yet,” he says, grabbing the remaining books on the floor. He rests his arms on top of the pile and smiles as I hand the two in mylap back to him. “Do you want to hang out with us? Aurora bribed me with chili fries and milkshakes, so we’re heading to Blaise’s diner.”

It takes everything in me to not ask him to repeat himself. Blaise’s diner is popular with students because it’s cheap, the food is great, and it’s fairly close to campus. Will and I went there for lunch sometimes when he visited, and it’s usually full of big groups of friends hanging out. This is my third year at Maple Hills, and not once has someone asked me to hang out within an hour of meeting. I don’t think anyone’s asked me to hang out, period.

“That’s really sweet of you, but I sort of have to host a welcome meeting in fifteen minutes.”

He tsks. “Oh yeah. After?”

“After book club I’m starting a new job.” I need someone to remind me why I’m starting a new job, pronto. “Sorry.”

“New book club and new job in the same day?” Aurora says. “I don’t know where you find the time. You’re like Superwoman.”

“Yeah, my schedule opened up,” I explain coyly, hoping she doesn’t make me delve in deeper.

Henry doesn’t look happy or sad at my refusal, just neutral. “Another time.”

“Bye, Halle,” Aurora says as they both turn to leave. “See you in class. And good luck! I promise I’ll be here when you do a romance book that’sactuallya romance book.”

“YOU SURVIVED!” INAYAH SHOUTS ASI descend the stairs to the main store. “How did it go? I wanted to come up, but I got an influx of moms who just dropped their kids off at Simone’s for ice skating lessons. They’re going to come to the meeting next week. As soon as I said ‘social media influencer and farmer reconnect after a one-night stand,’ they all bought the book immediately! How cool? I didn’t even think about the rink for potential members!”

Even though the past few weeks have been a rush of recruiting members, planning my life, getting back into the swing of college, and resisting the urge to check my phone for messages from Will ten million times a day, it’s truly worth it to be a part of someone living their dream.

When the Enchanted page first followed me and I saw it was going to be opening in Maple Hills, I immediately messaged to share my excitement. Inayah introduced herself and told me it was a lifelong goal of hers to open her own bookstore. This building had sat empty for a couple of years, probably because of the fights that used to happen outside the bar next door before it was shut down.

It’s full of charm, with high ceilings and tons of light, and now that the building next door is being renovated, Inayah thought that this store would be the perfect place for her. When I came for the grand opening, I fell in love immediately when I walked through the soft lilac painted door.

In reality, even without Will taking up my time, I don’treallyhave the time for a book club. Junior year is for sure going to kick my ass, but I’m the eldest daughter and nobody taught me how to say no. Not technically true in this specific scenario, because I did say no at first, but I felt bad about it, that’s for sure, and here we are.

I’m supposed to be doing things for myself, and I really like Inayah. Plus, romance is my favorite genre, so when she said she wanted to try a romance-focused book club, it felt like fate.

“Good, I think.” She accepts the storage room keys from me and puts them in the drawer beneath the counter. “It was a really good turnout for an intro session at a brand-new club, and everyone was enthusiastic. Only a few of them had watched the adaptation instead of reading the book.”

She leans against the counter, resting her chin on her fist. “Firth or MacFadyen?”

“MacFadyen.”

Inayah nods with approval. “I, too, am a twenty-seven-year-old frightened burden to my parents. How did they react to your final question?”

“Really well, and I have about fifteen more people in my Team Romance camp. I’m happy I started withPride and Prejudice, because asking people if it’sactuallya romance book started some really interesting conversations.”

“I’m so grateful you changed your mind, Halle. I know you have to get to your new job, so I won’t keep you chatting all afternoon.”

“I’m grateful you still wanted me! Do you have those fliers you mentioned earlier? I’ll put them up around college.”

Sliding off her stool, she dips behind the desk, only the top of her glossy black hair visible as she rummages around before reappearing with a stack of fliers and pot of pins. She begins to separate them into piles, dashing beneath the desk again when she realizes she’s missing some. “Do you want one about the writing competition?”

I feel like a dog that was just told she’s going on a walk. My ears all but prick up. “Writing competition?”

“Yeah,” she says, putting an extra flier on the pile. “Calliope Publishing is hosting it; their indie team reached out to me about advertising to customers. You have to submit a novel of at least seventy thousand words, and the winner gets a place in some fancy creative writing course in New York City during the summer. I think the deadline is around spring break, but double-check the flier. It sounds cool, but with the exception of some questionable fan fiction when I was fifteen, I’m definitely not author material.”

I feel like my eyes are about to pop out of my head like a cartoon character as I skim the glossy paper. This couldn’t be more perfect, and I have no shortage of ideas, and I have all this free time now, and… I need to go to work. “I’ll take a look. Thanks, Inayah. I should get going.”

“Good luck!”

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