Page 15 of Finding Love at the Magical Curiosity Shop
‘Do you promise not to read any more without me?’
‘I promise.’ I smile at how much Ava sounds like a little girl again, and at the sparkle in her eyes that I used to get when I watched Disney films about princesses and handsome princes, and believed that was what life would be like when I was older, and for a moment, that’s taken over the part of her that’s desperate to appear grown up and be treated like an adult. ‘I won’t touch it again until we can all read it. Ifwewant to.’ I direct the last part of the sentence at Ren, who gives me a sarcastic smile in response.
We arrange to meet on Saturday outside the library in town, and he picks up the now-empty wooden chest and hovers in the doorway for a moment as they leave, and looks back at me with a lingering smile that makes me feel even more excited than the possibility of uncovering evidence that mermaids are real.
3
‘Cleo said a handsome man and his daughter bought you tea and cake from The Wonderland Teapot.’
There are many good things about working on Ever After Street – everyone knowing your business before you do isnotone of them, even if that person is your best friend.
‘I think it was more the daughter’s idea and not the handsome man’s.’ I explain to Lissa about the past couple of days and meeting Ren and Ava, and the book we’ve found.
‘And now you’re going to the library with them?’ She waggles her eyebrows like she’s trying to turn it into something suggestive, because the most important fact of my explanation is the involvement of a handsome man and not the potential evidence of mermaids existing. ‘That sounds like a date. A very weird date with a teenager tagging along.’
‘Tena.m. on 26 July is theonlypart that makes it a date. He is astoundingly off-limits. I think he’s probably a nice guy deep down, but he’s obviously been hurt and seems determined to make sure it never happens again. He’s so prickly that he may as well be wearing a coat of angry hedgehogs. And he doesn’t get the theory behind a curiosity shop and clearly thinks that if there are worse places on earth, he’s yet to find them.’
‘Right, where does he live? I’ll go round there right now and punch him in the nose. No one insults my best friend and her shop, no matter how handsome they are.’
I can’t help giggling even though I love her for her protectiveness. ‘Luckily I have no idea where he lives and no desire for my best friend to commit acts of physical violence on my behalf.’
‘Maybe he’s just never met anyone like you before.’
‘I assure you, he never wants to again either.’ I shrug it off even though I know she was trying to give me a compliment. The less said about Ren and his opinions of me, the better.
‘Can I see the book? This is the sort of thing that should be displayed at Colours of the Wind.’
Lissa’s fairytale museum is the most incredible place. She has recreations of items from fairytales, displayed like true, real artefacts. Even the most grown-up of hearts could go in there and come out feeling like a child again. Children get to dress up as princes and princesses and literally walk in Cinderella’s glass slippers or spin silk on Sleeping Beauty’s spinning wheel. It’s the most magical place on the street.
‘How has it taken youthislong to ask about the book?’ I grumble as I get it out for her. ‘You can only read up to the bookmark. We can’t go any further than that, I promised Ava.’
‘Aww, how sweet. She’s got you wrapped around her little finger already.’
‘I like her. She reminds me of myself at that age. Caught between the peer pressure to appear grown up and the desire to still be a little girl and believe in magic, andheis… I don’t know what he is, but he’s not conducive to believing in magic. And he’s struggling. He seems both angry and completely lost.’
‘You’ve learnt a lot about them in a couple of short visits.’ She waggles those eyebrows again.
‘It’s nothing compared to what I know about Mrs Moreno’s cat’s bladder issues.’ I gloss over it because Ren and Ava have both intrigued me like no other customers ever have, so I change the subject instead and go back to the book. ‘What do you think?’
‘I don’t know, Mick, it’s both exciting and too unreal to even consider. All I know is that you must text me updates when you read more or, even better, text me when they’re here and I’ll come over and meet him. There’s no point in working across the street from your best friend if you’re not going to let me come over and assess any potential dates.’
‘Not a date! And speaking of dates, I’m going to take it to the antiques fair at the castle next month, at least, I am if we can find out more about it before then.’
She squeals. ‘You’re definitely going to do it then?’
Lissa’s had a front row seat to my back-and-forth with my own self-doubt over the antiques fair and trying to live up to my dad. ‘I needed something spectacular to stand out, and this isspectacular. It could really turn things around for me. Arealmermaid’s diary would get everyone talking, and hopefully, everyonebuyingsome of this junk.’
‘Junk?’
Lissa’s never heard me refer to my stock as junk before, I don’t think I everhavereferred to it that way before, but Ren’s words have made me focus on the doubts that I’ve been trying to ignore, and I keep looking at my shop through someone else’s eyes, and what I see no longer feels as magical as it used to feel. It doesn’t feel like a shop filled with possibilities, it feels like a shop filled with clutter, where a customer has genuinely been hurt because of it, andI’mfilled with the feeling that I have to do something or it’s not going to survive for much longer.
I’m not ready to try to explain any of that, not even to Liss, and I’m saved from having to when an older couple come in the door.
They look around and glance at each other with a clear look of trepidation on their faces.
‘Hi! Can I help you find anything specific?’ I say brightly. It’s lunchtime and there have only been a few customers so far today, less than a handful of trinkets have sold, but every new person through the door brings the potential for a life-changing sale.
The woman peers at the carpeted floor like dust bunnies are creeping out of the corners, ready to attack her at any given moment, and the man clears this throat. ‘We’re Clarice Cliff collectors and someone online recommended this place as a source of rare finds. Have you got any?’
