Page 28 of An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street
‘There isnoreason for never speaking to anyone on Ever After Street. You’re so far away from the beast you claim to be.’ I bump my shoulder into his gently, no matter how much he disliked it before, surprised he hasn’t moved out of reach yet. ‘You’ve just come in to remove some dangerous plant for me because you’re much nicer than you’d have people believe. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to chat to? Someone to share frustrations with? Someone to talk with, joke with, compare horrible customer stories with…’
He looks away obstinately. ‘How couldIever make a friend, Marnie? Look at me!’
I look at him.
‘Don’t look at me! That was metaphorical! I don’t want anyone to look at me, ever.’ He sighs when I look away.
Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree. He seems so much more mellow than he’d have anyone believe, and I feel like I’ve known him for much longer than I have.
‘What about the other poor soul who’d have to agree to talk to me? Who would? I’ve… I’m not… I mean…’ He’s obviouslystumped for words after a few minutes of silence. ‘Not many people around here would be up for that challenge.’
‘I am.’
‘You are.’ He glances at me again. ‘But you’re different. You’re you. I’ve got to know you over the past couple of weeks.’
‘You could get to know other people, it just takes one tiny first step.’
He doesn’t say anything, but more importantly, he doesn’t say no.
‘How about Witt?’ I suggest. ‘He doesn’t have the easiest time talking to people, and he’s a lovely guy, empathetic and understanding.’
‘Witt’s my employer at the castle. And for someone who doesn’t find talking easy, heneverstops trying to engage with me – I don’t want to encourage him.’
‘Ali from 1001 Nights then. He often says that he’d like to get to know you…’
‘Ali is always inviting me to eat in his restaurant. But I… I don’t eat in public.’ He waves a hand in front of his face, meaning the garb he’s wearing to disguise whatever he’s trying to hide. ‘So I ignore him. I know he’s only trying to be nice, but I don’t deser—’
He cuts off the sentence, but surely that was going to be ‘deserve’? Is this what’s really going on with Darcy? For some reason, he feels like he doesn’tdeservelove and kindness?
‘You’d be the perfect person. You’re a representation of people who are lonely, people who find it difficult to make friends. Do this for me, please. It’s a brilliant way to bring people to Ever After Street. If I can show Mr Rowbotham and the council that I have something that will attract interest and set A Tale As Old As Time apart…’
‘That’s what Bookishly Ever After is for.’
‘But that’s just a one-time thing. It may bring an extra hit of visitors in that weekend, it may get a few people mentioning our name, but it’s not long-term. This is something that could continue indefinitely. Something that will make my shop stand out. And it’s important to me. Books make people feel less alone and loneliness has been a big part of my life lately. If I can do something to help other people who feel the same then that would be an even better use of a bookshop than just being a bookshop.’
He ignores my impassioned plea as he gently excuses himself from Mrs Potts and urges her off his lap until he can stand up, stomping his boots on the ground to get feeling back into his legs.
I stand up too and look up at him, trying to make eye contact through those dark glasses, and he stills, looking back at me.
I hear his barely audible intake of breath. ‘Stop looking at me. You’re doing something to me with your eyes. I can feel my resolve weakening and my resolve never weakens. I’m not going to say yes to this. Ever.’
I give him a wink, because, for as determined as he is to refuse, I’m determined that he’d be the perfect candidate for a friendship date, a test run to make sure it works, and I’m not giving up. ‘You know what they say about things like that – everything that is real was imagined first.’
8
‘It’ll be fine. You might even have fun.’
Darcy is pacing up and down the neat path of his garden, alternating between folding his arms and shoving his gloved hands into his pockets angrily.
‘I just need a couple of phot—’
‘Photos?’ he bellows. He’s still in his full disguise. A cap pulled down low, a scarf pulled up high, gloves and dark glasses.
‘For the plan I want to show Mr Rowbotham. You can sit here…’ There’s a table and two chairs set up on the grass beside me. ‘So you’re facing the shop and your back is to the camera, and Ali will sit there, facing this way, and I’ll take a couple of snaps through your open gate. You won’t even know I’m there. And then you and Ali can both give me glowing testimonials for the website, and you will have made a connection with another human being. It’s win-win and win again because you get something out of it, I get something out of it, and Ali gets something out of it too. He gets to meet you and then he can tell everyone else on Ever After Street how nice you are, and they all get to meet you too.’
‘No! No more meetings. I don’t know how you talked me into this one!’
‘Because you’re a great big softie who can’t refuse a bookworm in distress and you want to help your friend and neighbour?’ I say hopefully.
