With a sigh, I tickle Lily’s belly as I ponder where Gran is rushing to this time. Lily lets out a wide yawn that sounds more feline than canine.
I’ve got the whole fake-date fiasco to contend with and need a solid hour or two to panic about it, but luckily for me I’ve got Lily to confide in.
‘So, Lily the main issue is …’ I glance at the small pooch in my arms. Her eyes are closed tight and she softly snores. Just what does a girl have to do to get a fake romance pep talk around here? There’s no time to internally quail and rue my choices, as a family of three walk in to peruse the shelves. ‘Hello,’ I greet them. ‘Welcome to Bibliotherapy.’
Their little boy, a child of about ten or so, creeps close to peek at a snoozing Lily. ‘He’s so cute!’ Hurrah, he speaks English, albeit with a Greek accent. I really must learn some conversational Greek so I don’t come across as rude.
‘She. Her name is Lily. Did you know you can Rent-A-Dog here?’ I go on to explain the initiative and his eyes light up.
‘Now?’ he asks, his voice awed.
‘If your mom and dad have time, I don’t see why not.’
‘Sure,’ his mom says, tucking a tendril of his hair back. ‘Just make sure you’re gentle with them.’
I take the boy to outdoor area. ‘This is Zeus, he will try and jump in your lap, so be careful. He doesn’t understand how big he is. He loves ear rubs. This little cutie is Pork Chop who has a slight problem with …’
The dog lets off a sound that would wake the dead.
‘Oh!’ The boy giggles. ‘Pork Chop, what have you beeneating?!’
His giggles are contagious, and inexplicably he doesn’t seem to mind the eye-watering noxiousness that follows in Pork Chop’s wake. ‘Yeah, that’s the thing, he’s very naughty and breaks into bins, the pantry and can craftily open the fridge, like some kind of dog burglar who eats all manner of things he shouldn’t. Hence his digestive upset.’
‘Wow, he’s clever.’ Pork Chop runs around the boy’s legs, tooting a tune as he circles him. I leave them to it, his laughter following me. Inside. I go see if his parents need any help finding a book. They quiz me about the Rent-A-Dog initiative and are so taken with the idea they leave a donation for the dogs at the rescue centre.
Turns out I can people just fine when it comes to children. Dogs. And bookworms. It’s the rest of society I have trouble with. The couple give me a smile, so I relax my shoulders and fall into my default personality. Bibliophile. I give them some bookmarks to go with their purchases and tell them they’re welcome to lounge in Muses as long as they want.
I’m on a bookshop high when Roxy comes in and leans on the counter. I step in yet another mysterious little puddle. Before I can determine what it is, Roxy says, ‘Do you get many men in here?’ There’s a certain charm about her with her Princess Leia braids and short denim overalls. A sort of punky, edgy fashion style. If I wore that outfit I’d probably resemble an out-of-work house painter.
‘Umm …?’
‘Good-looking, obviously.’
‘Good-looking men? Why?’
‘I’m done with dating apps, done with beach bars and tourists who only want holiday flings. I need a real man, one with substance. A man whodevoursbooks. A man who goes to the beach to read, not to gawk at other women. Like the guy the other day who organised the bookshop challenge for his girlfriend. I want the dreamy kind you find in romance novels.’
‘That’s quite the shopping list. Does such a man exist?’ Georgios’ supine body, lolling on a towel at the beach, romantic suspense novel in hand, springs to mind. Is he the perfect man?
‘Surely. The type of guy who gifts you a book bouquet, just because.’
My body tenses. ‘What’s a book bouquet?’ If it’s flowers made from pages of a book I’m going to have to make my feelings known. Destroying a precious book for the sake of art is a crime and I’ll have to speak up for those innocent tomes that will never be read again. Bookselling is rife with this kind of desecration.
Just yesterday I had a customer ask for a hardback that he planned to cut a hole inside to hide an engagement ring – now that’s romantic, yes, but that book will forever be ruined,murdered, for the sake of love. A crime of passion.Just no. I had to send him on his way with a little white lie that our hardbacks were for display purposes only and a stern talking-to about books having feelings too even if they are inanimate. I’m sure Gran would have understood, had she been here.
Roxy reels back. I enjoy her dramatics – she’d fit right in with my family. She’s familiar in that way. It makes me feel safe around her. Like I can trust her. I know I won’t be the butt of her jokes when I’m not around – that kind of thing. ‘You don’tknowwhat a book bouquet is and you’re in the business of selling books?’
‘I’m new to retail.’
‘Oh, right.’ With a nod, she says, ‘It’s a curated selection of books that are displayed wrapped in a bouquet like flowers.’
I breathe out a sigh of relief, clutching my heart. No books shall die! ‘Who wouldn’t love being presented with a bouquet of books! Perhaps I can make some for the shop?’ Instead of buying one book, customers would be tempted to buy a bundle. They’d be a great idea for birthday presents, Valentine’s Day, holidays and celebrations.
‘You should. You can add other touches, like bookmarks, book tabs for annotation, book lights, the list is endless.’
I jot the ideas down. ‘We’ve got some gorgeous library card notebooks; they’d suit a bouquet of books set in a library.’
‘Yes! Let’s have a coffee and we can come up with book bouquet themes. But first, back to my question, what’s the chances of me finding a man to fall in love with here? What’s the ratio of men to women, roughly?’
