Page 21 of Breaking the Ice

“I didn’t know I had to screen for dust freaks.”

She frowned again as she glared at him. “Is there a particular reason why you’re being such a ballbuster today?”

“Other than your excessive use of a feather duster?”

“It’s dust, Nick. I know they don’t have that out there on the ice but here, in ordinary life, it forms every day. Your grandmother dustedeveryday.”

Yeah, but my grandmother didn’t look that hot in jeans and a tee.

Nick stood. Hehadto get out into the fresh air. Then the bell over the door dinged and Nick almost kissed the customer who entered. It was Dulcie and he greeted her like a queen. The old lady popped in most days to exchange her books and for a chat. Nick knew Dulcie missed his grandmother terribly so he always made sure he fussed over her when she arrived.

But he outdid himself today.

He fixed her a cup of tea, just the way she liked it with a slice of lemon and served it to her in a china teacup and saucer with a daffodil pattern which Samantha had sourced at a local antique shop when Dulcie had refused to drink out of amug.

Uncouth, she had muttered, looking at him as if Birdie had never taught him any manners.

“How’s your little great-grandson going?” Samantha asked as she delivered the tea to Dulcie. “Is he out of hospital yet?”

“Not yet, dear.” The older woman blew on the tea. “The doctors say it’ll be another week.”

“That will be a relief for Joanne,” Samantha commiserated. “When you’re finished I’ve got that Beverly Jenkins you were after. A customer traded it in yesterday.”

Dulcie beamed. “Isn’t she gorgeous, Nick?”

“Gorgeous,” he agreed testily then headed out back but not before he heard Dulcie asking if he was alright and Samantha saying something about adust allergy.

Nick paced the back room that was both the storeroom and kitchen, complete with a fridge, a sink for washing up, and a small dining table.

Gorgeous.Yes, damn it, she was gorgeous.

All his customers agreed. Everyone, it seemed, loved Samantha. Nick didn’t pretend to know what it was that motivated his customers to walk in the shop but he knew what motivated them to return –Samantha.

She was perky and welcoming and always genuinely pleased to see anyone. She remembered details about their lives like with Dulcie just now and knew their individual bookish preferences from auto-buy authors to favorite tropes.

This morning alone they had Vonnie from the GPO who liked them hot and spicy. Bernie, a burly, middle-aged city construction worker who came in every week to stock up on sweet romances for his mother and her friends at the retirement home. And Dora who worked nights at a 7-Eleven and had a penchant for romantic suspense.

They’d all left with a bag full of goodies and a smile on their faces.

And she was constantly mindful of their customers. A particular book would be traded in and she’d brandish it as shesaid, “I’ll put that aside for Bernie. Old Mrs. Gruber at the home loves historicals.” Or, “Oh,goody, Dora’ll love this one.”

Thanks to thegorgeousSamantha, they were continuing Birdie’s tradition and sense of community and the shop was thriving. He’d be stupid to wreck all that.

So he needed to quit with the dusting fantasies and just get laid already.

Samantha was pleased to see the back of Nick when he left for his physio session and hoped like hell the activity put him in a better mood. He’d brooded all morning and they’d barely spoken a civil word. She had no idea why he’d come to work with a giant cucumber thrust up his ass but she had enough things to think about with tonight’s blind date looming without having to figure out Nick.

The date with thecosmetic surgeon.

God, why did she ever agree to this? But then her eggs cheeped and she remembered.

What was she going to wear? What was she going to say? What if he had bad breath? Or was boring? Or… had a hankering for offal?

What if he foundherwanting?

Blind dates always made her nervous. A blind date with a plastic surgeon made her terrified. It shouldn’t; after all, she was a nip and tuck dream. They could probably converse all night about her body faults. Her cellulite, her non-perky breasts, those tiny lines she was just starting to make out around her eyes and her stubborn curves.

How about some Botox and pass the potatoes please. No… too many carbs. Broccoli. No carbs in broccoli.

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