“I’ll just keep my guard up,” I decide as I wake up the computer and get to work. It’s late enough in the day now that most of the United States is awake, so I can send emails, texts, and check in with my girls at the shop.
Hi, Emily! How is everything going there?
As I wait for a reply, I toggle over and shoot out some emails to a designer and a couple of authors who want to collab on some work in the coming months.
Emily: All is well here, Bee! I’m emailing over the list of things that need to be reordered ASAP because we keep selling out. The dark romance section is starting to look sparse.
She goes on to tell me about all four new hires and how well they’re doing. Finally, I simply call her.
I’ll pay the roaming fees.
“I think this is easier than texts,” I say when Emily answers.
“Definitely, I just didn’t know if you’re still in the country.”
“I’m not. We’re in Ireland, but I’m available any time. You know that. So the new girls are doing well?”
“They’re great, Billie. I can see why you couldn’t choose between them. The best thing is that their schedules are flexible, so all of the shifts are covered. And they’re fun to work with. We approve.”
“That’s good news. I was so nervous about leaving for this long so soon after they started.”
“No need,” Emily assures me. “They caught on quickly, and we’re a well-oiled machine now. It helps that they all love to read and enjoy talking about books, too.”
“That’s a huge bonus,” I agree. “And it wasn’t a prerequisite, but I’m glad it worked out that way. I’ll be sure to put in a restock order when we get off the phone. What else do we need? Stickers? Bookmarks? I saw some really cute Kindle covers that we should stock.”
“That’s a good idea. And what about notebooks, candles, even blankets? Who doesn’t love to be cozy when they read? Fall will be here before we know it.”
“You’re so right. I’m on it. Good idea, Em.”
“I aim to please.”
“As you think of other things, text me. I’ll be ordering stuff for the next couple of hours.”
“I’m going to talk to the other girls, and I’ll shoot you ideas as we think of them,” she promises. “This isso fun. It’s like shopping, but not with my own money.”
With a chuckle, we end the call, and I check my email to see what Em has suggested we restock.
“Oh, she’s good. She was absolutely the right choice to manage the store.”
I get to work ordering new books for the shop. After checking upcoming new release schedules, I get those preordered so they’re available on release day as well. In the meantime, my phone pings with all kinds of ideas from my girls.
I’m in the middle of ordering new stickers with things likeSmut Reader…andBeg, Baby Girl,and other things that never fail to make me giggle.
Just as I’ve moved on to bookmarks, the door of the office opens, but I finish double-checking my cart before I greet Connor.
“Sorry, I just need a minute to make sure this is right.”
“Take your time.”
My head jerks up. That’s not Connor’s voice. That’s Fiona.
“My apologies,” I reply. “I was expecting Connor.”
And I expect anyone else to knock on the goddamn door.
“He’s still in a meeting with Ronan,” she says with an easy smile as she sits in the visitor’s chair across from me. She crosses her shapely legs, smooths her black skirt, and pins me with her stern gaze.
Why do I feel like I’ve been summoned to the principal’s office?