Page 115 of A Novel Love Story

Well, it wasn’t my business anymore.

“The book club’s starting next week, actually. You’re welcome to come. We’ve got about twelve people signed up,” I added.

She glowed with excitement. “Oh, I’msoexcited. Do you have any Mafia romances?” she asked, a little quieter.“Fated mates?”

I pointed her in the direction of where she’d find them, and she disappeared into the stacks with her husband in tow, and they drifted off into my bookstore. When they were gone, I realized my heart was racing, and I tasted panic in my mouth.

Deep breath, Eileen, I thought. It was fine.

My mom found me a few minutes later and topped off my champagne glass.“Did you see him? The bastard,” she muttered, like the busybody she was. “I should carve him up and—”

“He’s here with his wife.” I drained my flute, and held it out for another refill. “She’s nice.”

She obliged. “Oh?”

“And I’m over it. I’ll do better,” I said, and she smiled and patted me on the cheek.

“I’ve always said that, darling. I’m so proud of you,” she said, and wrapped her arms around me. She squeezed me tightly. In the back of the store, we were planning on setting her up with a small booth where she could repair well-loved novels. We’d already gotten a lot of interest in it, but Mom was very particular about her tools and her work hours. We’d figure it out. “Now, I’m going to go make sure everyone’s having a blast, and you just enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I replied, and she kissed my cheek and left to go play host in my stead. She was the people person, anyway. Get her going on her travels, and she could talk forhours. I pitied the people who’d get trapped listening to her recount her trip to Alaska.

Toward the end of the night, Liam’s wife came to say goodbye and how much she was going to thoroughly enjoy the bookstore. She’d bought five Greek god romances, thanks to Pru, and was excited to get to “the one with the tentacles and the happily ever after.”

Liam looked bored, and so I eyed him and asked, “Not your speed?”

“I like whatever she does,” he replied, prickling a little, and then shook it out. He said earnestly, “I’m glad you finally found something you wanted. You look … happy.”

“I am,” I assured. “It was nice to see you, Liam. Bethany,” I added to her,“book club’s next week. Six p.m. sharp—you’ll be there?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” she replied, and grabbed Liam by the arm, and they left the bookstore together, heads bent toward each other, with an ease that Liam and I had never had.

After Florence Day’s event, the store began to clear out, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking for a familiar silhouette between the aisles, but of course I never saw him. I smiled to myself, remembering the night Anders asked me what I’d name a bookstore, and I guessed it was more than a little wishful thinking that the Grand Romantic would live up to its name. I shook so many people’s hands, and learned so many people’s faces, that they all became a blur by the time the last customer left.

After they were gone, I went to help Prudence and Jasper find all the plastic champagne glasses people stuck between stacks of books, and hunted down all the errant napkins, and tossed it all in the trash. After we set the display tables back into the center of the store, and fixed up the endcaps again, I told Pru that she and Jasper could go.

“It’s almost nine, and restaurants will be closing soon. You should go get something to eat and celebrate,” I said.

“But the cash register still needs to be counted out and—”

“I got it,” I said, motioning for them to leave. “Go.”

Prudence said, taking her purse from the register, “You don’t have to tell me twice. I’mstarving.”

Jasper looked up from fishing a used napkin out from between Nora Roberts’s ample bibliography. “Oh, thankgod. I was about to start chewing on a book.”

“They’re not very nutritious.”

“I survived off Monster energy drinks in law school. My body would make do,”he said gallantly, and she laughed, and he went to get their coats.

“Hey, Elsy?” Pru asked as she came up to me, and wrapped her arms around me tightly, squeezing so hard I felt my ribs creak. “I love you.”

I returned the hug. “I love you, too, Pru.”

“Even if this business fails, we’ll blame Jeff Bezos and stay friends forever, right?”

“Absolutely,” I promised into her hair. We finally unwound from each other. “But … let’s not jinx it? I’d rather stay in business.”

She held up her hand, and her fingers were crossed. “All the precautions,” she replied. Jasper came back with their coats, but as they turned to put on their coats to leave, I called her name. “Hmm?” she asked, turning back.

---