Page 2 of Twilight at Croftwood Library
Robert had exhaled loudly and kneaded his forehead with his finger and thumb.
‘The thing is, I’m between a rock and a hard place. There is always the pressure to cut costs here and you’re right, we can’t do without you but moving the cost of a deputy manager off my payroll for a few months would make all the difference. Obviously, it will be very difficult to work around your absence but the library in Croftwood needs a solid librarian, old school as it were. I could send Andrew, but you know how awful he is at cataloguing and he hates re-shelving. I wouldn’t want to inflict that on any other library. I appreciate it’s a big ask, Lois but you’re the only person who fits the bill.’
Lois hadn’t been sure whether she was flattered or offended but when she snuck out of the exit of Croftwood Library, breathing a sigh of relief at managing to avoid the scary librarian, she couldn’t help but think that Robert had picked her as the person who would make the least fuss.
‘Take tonight to think it over, and why not take the afternoon off and pop over there,’ he’d suggested.
The bike ride to Croftwood in the autumn sunshine had turned out to be the best thing about the visit and she wasn’t sure what she was going to say to Robert.
Oliver Jones began every week at his eponymous coffee house expecting Monday to be quiet whereas, in fact, Monday could sometimes be busier than Saturday, not in takings but in footfall. People were lingering, meeting friends, easing themselves into the week which meant the exact opposite for him.
‘One-shot espresso, please,’ his next customer said. An unusual request after midday but one that Oliver sympathised with.
‘Drink in?’ It definitely would be. Hardly anyone had take-outs on a Monday.
‘Yes please.’
Oliver put two espresso cups under the porta-filter and once he’d handed one to his customer he took the other himself, leant against the counter and gazed out of the window, taking advantage of the nearest thing he was going to get to a break for another few hours.
There was a steady stream of people walking up and down the high street. Croftwood wasn’t a big town, but it was a loyal town and the high street was thriving compared to other places. It heartened Oliver to know that having sunk every last penny of his savings into the coffee house and more recently the cinema, the town was behind him.
He was drawn out of his trance by the sight of a woman riding an old-fashioned bicycle past the window. She was wearing a floral dress and Doc Marten boots both of which were at odds with the safety helmet she also wore. The basket on the front of the bike was only just containing a sweater; the sleeve was hanging down, threatening to become caught in the spokes. Something about her lifted his mood and he smiled to himself.
A couple of customers later, he checked his phone. He tried not to look at it too much during the day because he liked to emit a laid-back vibe for his customers. If he stood there checking his phone it was hardly attentive and he prided himself on his customer service. It was the only thing that set him apart from the chains.
Amongst the numerous emails from companies he had been interested in for a fleeting second and whose emails he kept meaning to unsubscribe from, there was an email from Amy. It was the first time he’d heard from her in a couple of months. The subject was ‘Catch Up?’.
‘Skinny latte please and a chocolate muffin.’
‘Sorry.’ Oliver dragged his face into a smile and pushed his phone into his apron pocket. ‘Drink in?’
‘Yes please.’
‘Take a seat, I’ll bring it over.’
He turned to the coffee machine and went through the familiar motions while his phone burned against his hip, willing him to look at the email. But it would have to wait.
2
On balance, Lois had decided it would be better to go along with Robert’s request that she transfer to Croftwood Library for six months. It wasn’t for that long and she couldn’t quite bring herself to say no.
‘Rather you than me,’ said Andrew, as they stood at the information desk together. Lois waited in vain for him to offer to re-shelve the returns from last night before she gave in and did it herself, the same as always.
‘I think it’ll be fine. With Alex gone, it’s a good time to take on a new challenge.’
‘It’s hardly going to be a challenge, Lois. You literally just have to make sure the doors are open Monday to Saturday for the next six months.’
‘Well, why didn’t you want to do it then?’
Andrew was the laziest person she’d ever worked with. It could have been his dream job.
He screwed up his face as if he had just smelled the inside of used dog poo bag. ‘Can you see me somewhere like that? Please.’
Lois took a moment to imagine the reaction of the old librarian if Andrew had turned up at Croftwood Library yesterday instead of her. He definitely would have given her a run for her money.
‘Anyway, Robert didn’t ask anyone else, he wanted you.’
A wave of paranoia swept over Lois. The more she thought about it, the more she was talking herself into thinking that there was some ulterior motive in having been chosen. Was she the person they would miss the least? The most easily replaceable? Then she forced herself to remember the reason Robert had given her; that she would be helping him to lower his wage bill which might save someone else’s job in the long run.
