“Welcome in,” Liam says cheerfully from his post at the information desk. His back is turned to me as he adjusts a stack of paperbacks on the shelf behind him. “Can I help you find anything today?”
“I’m looking for a how-to guide for breaking into a wizard’s tower.”
Liam swings around with a laugh. “Fresh out of those, sorry. Guess you’ll have to figure it out on your own.” He braces his palms on the desk. “But I’m glad you came, Sadie. She’s cute, right?” With a broad sweep of his arm, he gestures to Bluebonnet’s interior.
It’s very cute indeed. Every time I walk into a bookstore, I tell myself I ought to come more often. Thanks to long runs, I prefer audiobooks to print, but still—there’s no atmosphere more welcoming than a beloved indie. As I scan the shelves, I can tell where each genre is sectioned by the way they’re decorated. Paper hearts are hung above the romance section, plastic starships and stuffed dragons prowl the shelves in sci-fi/fantasy, and embroidered tea towels and local hand-carved spoons are for sale near the cookbooks. Themed displays stand out on separate tables, boasting staff-recommended summer reads, vacation guides, colorful Pride picks, and more.
A man with graying sideburns and a backward baseball cap frowns at one of the rainbow flags. “Ain’t that month over? It’s July now.”
Liam sucks in a breath as I stiffen beside him. But Morgan beats us both to the punch.
“Oh, they have that display year-round! It’s my favorite,” she says sunnily, walking up from the back of the store wearing a brightly patterned dress, cropped jean jacket, and wedge-heeled sandals that have her looming over the man. She’s changed her hair, too, since Sunday; she’s taken out her long braids, and her tight curls surround her face like a halo. Without her blue employee lanyard on, there’s no way this guy could know that she’s an off-duty bookseller.
Robbed of his chance to hassle an employee, the man muttersan excuse of needing to find his wife and shuffles away. Morgan rolls her eyes, though she keeps him in her line of sight.
Liam huffs a laugh. “Always appreciated, Morgan, but you’re off today. I’ve handled assholes before, I can do it again.”
“Well, if he comes back and asks tospeak with a manager,” she says, mimicking a nasally demand, “you know where to find me.” She fixes her smile on me. “Come on, Sadie, let me show you around. Jules said she’ll be running a little late.”
We do a lap around the store, and by the time we make it to the register, I’ve got a pile of unexpected purchases: two new leather-bound journals, a set of pens, one gorgeous graphic novel that Morgan swears is her favorite book of the year, a fantasy debut recommended by Liam, and a candle from a local business that is supposed to smell like a Brooding Love Interest. It was a tough decision between that and Incorrigible Rake—which I imagine is what Loren smells like—but I like the spicy scent of the one I picked. Even with Morgan’s discount, it’s an extravagant purchase I wouldn’t have considered a few weeks ago. But with the mural’s first payment sitting pretty in my bank account, some celebratory extravagance is warranted.
After we order iced coffees from the café near the back of the store, Morgan and I settle at a cozy table in the corner. Morgan sits with her back to the wall so that she’s got the whole store in view. Even though she’s not on the clock, I like to watch as the booksellers—Liam included—stand a little straighter, careful to be on their best behavior as they tend to their duties.
“How long have you been manager?” I ask, sipping my coffee. It’s delicious. It’s got cinnamon in it.
“For the last couple of years. I started while I was in college, worked my way up to the top.” She props her chin up in her hands, tapping her pink-and-purple acrylic nails against her jawline. “She’s my baby.”
With all of the personal touches and staff recommendation cards littering the shelves, I can tell Morgan and her booksellers put special care into Bluebonnet. During the tour, I’d noticed that her recommendation cards were mainly reserved for highbrow literary fiction novels and wise memoirs—not rollicking adventure fantasy. I’ve questioned both of the other players at this point, so I ask, “What made you want to play D&D?”
Morgan purses her lips and dwells on the question for a moment. “I like stories,” she says bluntly with a grin. “Any kind of stories. And I like Liam quite a bit.” She looks toward him and nods appreciatively at the way he’s enthusiastically hand-selling a middle-grade series to an enraptured preteen. “He’s one of the good ones, isn’t he?”
“The best,” I agree.
She reaches into my bag of goodies and draws out the candle I purchased, taking an experimental sniff. “Yummy. Not what I thought you’d go for, though.” She narrows her eyes wickedly at me. “Were we out of stock of the Burly Lumberjack with Expertise in Persuasion?”
I’m horrified, so of course I cough out a laugh. It’s so loud I make myself jump. I lean forward, shoulders hunched, and my voice comes out as a stressed whisper. “Is it that obvious?”
Morgan is all smug coolness. “It is,” she says matter-of-factly. “And it’s cute as hell.”
“I’m not seeing him,” I say suddenly. I don’t know why I’m so quick to explain myself. Worse—I don’t know why my admission triggers a twinge of disappointment.
She shrugs. “Okay. But the flirting, the banter…” She touches her fingertips to her dark red lips.Chef’s kiss.“I’m almost more invested in watching your little romance play out than in the actual game.”
Just as I turn beet red, Jules arrives, striding forward in a pair of Converse and a daisy-yellow dress. As soon as she sees my face, shepresses her hand to her cheek. “Oh no. Are you okay? What did I miss?” Instant mom-mode.
“Sadie just finished telling me how she and Noah are totally not dating,” Morgan says helpfully.
“Oh.” Jules pouts. “You’re not? I thought for sure…”
“Right?”
As I dissolve into a boneless puddle on the table, Jules pats my shoulder gently. “Well, I think he’s got a bit of a crush on you, honey. It’s sweet.”
I peek one eye out from where I’ve hidden behind my bag of purchases.He does?I’m ready to believe thatmycrush is obvious—I’ve always been a poor actress—but I’m not sold on Noah’s. I shake my head. “I think that’s just Loren’s character peeking through,” I say. “Noah’s just—he’s just friendly. He acts that way with everyone.”
Morgan and Jules exchange a kind, pitying look with each other. Jules’s laugh is like the tinkling of bells. “He most certainly doesnot,Sadie.”
“Poor thing,” Morgan soothes, her dark eyes lit with mischief. “We won’t tease you anymore. Jules, let me grab you some coffee, and then we can all chat.”
