Page 26 of Unstoppable You

“Can you just forget that you saw me do that?” I asked.

She tried to hide a smile. “Absolutely not.”

“Damn.” Well, it was worth a try.

“You don’t have to rush out, you know. I still have to clean up and it’s going to be a little while.” While we’d been talking, the last of the other book clubbers had left and it was just the two of us now. The bookshop was quiet, and I became conscious of my own breathing. Why was it so loud?

“Um, yeah I’m just… Do you need help with anything?” It seemed only fair that I’d give her a hand.

“If you wanna carry all those chairs to the storage room in the back, I’ll wrap up a plate of desserts for you.” Well that was generous.

“Deal,” I said.

Most of the chairs were already stacked against the wall, so all it took was me hooking a few under my arms and carrying them to a back room that had the door cracked open. Most of space was taken up by boxes and boxes of books, as well as several tables covered in shipping supplies.

I set my first round of chairs in an empty space against one wall and went back for the others. I almost jumped when soft music piped through the hidden speakers. Delaney must not have liked the silence either.

On my third round of chairs, I paused for a second, watching her as she swept the floor and swayed to the music. I recognized the song, a soft bluesy cover of an older song that I often played myself. Delaney did a little twirl with the broom, oblivious to me watching her.

Fuck. Tonight had really done me some damage. If I’d thought I had a crush on her before, things were now so, so much worse. She was beautiful and she was sassy, and she was competent, and she was a leader. There was nothing about her that I didn’t like.

Before she noticed me being a total creep, I got back to carrying the chairs and finished at the same time as she was carrying some of the leftover food to the fridge in the storage room.

Without asking, I went out to the main part of the shop and grabbed more of the containers she’d already packed up.

“Oh,” she said when she almost crashed into me in the doorway of the storage room. “You don’t… I mean, you can leave. I’m getting paid to do this.”

I shrugged. “It’s fine. I don’t have anything to rush home for. I don’t mind, Delaney.” Saying her name was like a little treat I allowed myself.

She huffed out a breath. “Fine. Suit yourself.”

I followed her lead and helped her with the rest of her closing duties. The music continued to play, and I wondered if this was a Delaney-specific playlist, or if it was a generic one for the shop.

“Okay, I need to get my shit and set the alarm, so you can definitely leave now,” she said, turning off the lights. The shop was spick and span and ready to open tomorrow for eager readers.

I settled my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll just wait outside and walk you to your car.”

“That’s entirely unnecessary.” Maybe it was. I was still doing it.

Things were pretty quiet in this part of the city at this time of night. The tourist season was almost at an end and soon the residents would start preparing for winter.

Delaney appeared surprised when she found me leaning against the building as she exited the front door and locked it with her key.

“Jesus, did you have to lurk like that? I thought you were going to attack me.” She put her hand on her chest and breathed hard.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t think you should walk alone.”

Delaney looked up and down the sidewalk, which was mostly deserted. “Yeah, this is a real high crime area.”

“You never know,” I said in an ominous voice. “Come on, just let me do this.”

“Fine. Whatever. I can’t stop you from following me. Just don’t be weird.” I could do that. Probably.

“Right, got it. Don’t be weird.”

I fell into step beside her and matched my walking pace to hers.

“Did you enjoy it? Book club?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

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