Page 57 of The Likelihood Of You

We both giggled before the honks and screeches from the typical New York traffic filtered between us.

“Okay, next question…where are we?” I asked, rocking back and forth on my tiptoes, eager to find out what on earth we were doing tonight.

“Well,” Jacob grabbed my hand, and we started walking, rounding the corner and waiting at the crossing before the walk sign illuminated. “I know you said you hadn’t really explored New York at all, and I figured, that instead of taking you to the places that will just be crowded and noisy, I’d take you to the places that I think are the best unknown tourist spots the city has to offer, starting here.” We reach the other side of the road and stop at the store on the corner, the sign reading ‘Josephines.’

I turned my head towards the store entrance. The deep crimson paint was peeling away from the wooden doors, and the gold handleswere worn down, but there was still a certain charm about it that fascinated me.

“After you,” His dimples widened as he reached his arm out, ushering me to head into the store.

I walk up the stone steps and pull on one of the faded handles. The chime of the bell above the door ripples throughout the store, bouncing off the bookshelves and floating up the staircase along the back wall. Its echoing clang had clearly alerted someone upstairs, the owner most likely, as the floorboards that made up the ceiling creaked under the weight of the footsteps. The stomps and grunts from the owner got louder until a grey shadow clung to the back wall and hovered down the stairs.

“Did I forget to put the closed sign up again? I’m sorry we closed at…Jacob!”

“Hey JoJo,” Jacob replied from behind me.

The contrast in the woman’s voice from when she thought someone was trying to shop after hours to when she found out it was Jacob was startling. Her rough, raspy New York accent turned wholesome and light. She hopped down from the last step and came fully into view. She had on a baggy t-shirt with a bubble-lettered quote in the centre that I couldn’t make out from where I was standing, some khaki quarter-length jeans and resting on her head was a pair of large circular glasses.

She headed straight to Jacob; I stepped out of the way so she could, slipping off my glasses, too, seeing as though we were the only ones there. As I looked up towards Jacob, he and the owner were hugging, only for a few seconds, before she let her arms drop to her side.

“You after more books, hon? I just got a delivery of some first edition Agatha’s. Do you want me to fetch them?” She looked happy to see him, and so did he. “Oh! Are you done with filming? God, I can’t wait to see it! I loved the first movie, but I just know the sequel will be my favourite!” She caught her breath before asking another question, tapping him on the chest as she did. “Oh, how is my Nate? Is he doing good?”

“We finished a few weeks back, finally." he laughed. "Nate is…well…Nate, but he’s okay. And actually, I’m here to show this lovely woman my favourite bookstore in the city. Florence, this is JoJo.”

She turned to me, passing me a pearly smile, while I lifted my hand for her to shake it, but there was no point; JoJo came bounding over and gave me the same embrace she’d given Jacob.

“Hi,” I said, all muffled, her body squishing mine against one of the bookcases. She smelt like Christmas.

“Well, ain’t you the prettiest little doll.” Her words come out muffled, too, but I hear them just enough. After a squeeze or seven, she lets go of me, moving back a step and grabbing my hands “He’s told me all about you, buttercup. I can’t get him to stop talkin’ about you.” She shoots Jacob a raised eyebrow and a half smile, before facing me again. “If you need anything, cause you’re brand new around here, you come to me. Okay?”

“Absolutely,” I say, nodding my head profusely.

“My God, you’re drop-dead gorgeous,andyou got the accent of an angel?Oi.”

I blush, my cheeks growing pinker with each compliment.

“So what are you then…a romantic? A fantasy girl? A thriller? Tell me, I wanna know which books to pick out for you the next time you grace the store!” She asked, her eyes lighting up the more she spoke.

“Murder mystery, actually."

Her wrinkly cheeks puffed up. "Oh, I just knew it! I'm a romantic myself," she curled her red polished finger at me, guiding me down to reach her, and she cupped her hand around her mouth like she was about to confess all her secrets. "None of this fluffy stuff, though, more on the dark side, if you know what I mean. One of my dreams is to open a store dedicated to the genre, a little hideout for the guys and dolls like me. Maybe one day."

"I might know someone who could be a regular there someday," I whisper to her, a certain famous redhead coming to mind, as she tosses me a wink.

"Still here, ladies," His voice was like soft thunder, causing me and Josephine to straighten our backs and swivel to face him, stifling synced giggles as we did. "Care to fill me in?"

"None of your business, nosy," JoJo slides a book off the shelf closest to her and swats him with it. A smile that could brighten the city in a blackout stuck to her face. “Listen, I like her. So if you break her heart, I break your nose. Understood?”

My eyes dart over to Jacob. He must know that this is a normal response for her, hence why he doesn’t look frightened by the threat, and instead, he’s grinning. “Yes, Ma’am.” He sends her a salute. She nods.

“Well, now that’s cleared up, you kids staying for a while?” We both mumble a ‘yes’. “Well, just turn the closed sign on and leave the door on the latch when you leave. Have fun, you two.” She disappearsupstairs, leaving us alone on the shop floor. The room felt empty without her voice, like the walls and books came alive with her presence.

She was a character, and I liked her too.

Jacob makes his way over to me, as I scan the store before he grabs my waist suddenly, holding me still. “A bookstore for our first date?” I hold his delicate stare. “Did I ever mention that you were my favourite person in the country?”

He squints his eyes at me. “Not the world?”

“I kind of have a thing about drive-in movies; I just think they’re the cutest date spot to exist. My Nanna used to tell me that she and my Grandad went to them all the time. I’ve never been to one, but I want to experience it just once before I die.”

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