Chapter 1
Melody
Today I am going out job searching… blehhhh. What money I had saved up in my account, and have been surviving on for the last year, has started to dwindle. I realize I can’t keep surviving on ramen noodles and my parents. While I have my associate’s degree in criminal law, I want to find something that I love doing. Don’t get me wrong… I do want to return to law someday, I just can’t bring myself to be faced with horrors much like my own right now. I prefer to find a job that keeps me as far away from those troubles as possible.Plus, my therapist agrees with me, so it must be the right choice.
Walking down Main Street, I keep a close eye on each store I pass in hopes of seeing a hiring sign. Before I know it, I come across my favorite store and can’t resist making a stop. As I pause outside our city’s little bookstore, a sign catches my eye in the window. Now Hiring in bold red letters that scream desperation. Could this really be happening?! It must seriously be my lucky day.
Making my way into the store, I feel at peace for once. Books hold my heart in a way no man ever could. I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders as I take in the cozy room. The morning sunlight streams into the room from large bay windows that are accompanied by a plush couch and chair for customers that want to do a little reading. There are built in bookshelves that line each wall, and in the open space there are numerous little tables holding a variety of books, most labeled by a small sign for which genre they fall into. I beeline straight for the TikTok spicy section. Although I have very little, if none at all in my life currently, romance has always been my favorite genre when it comes to books, and this little store specializes in all things romance.
After browsing for a bit, and reading the back of a few books, I make my selection and head to the register. A young girl, maybe in her early twenties, with blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, bright blue eyes, a dusting of freckles, and a name tag that says “Brooke,” waits at a large mahogany counter ready to check me out. She seems so warm and welcoming that I immediately feel at ease.
“Hello,” I say with a small smile as I lay my single book on the counter.
“Hey! Did you find everything OK?”
“Yes, thanks. I saw you have a Now Hiring sign in the window. I was wondering if I could apply?” I ask, hope brimming to the top.
I think her eyes might bulge out of her head with the excitement radiating from her very being.
“O.M.G., you absolutely can! When can you start?”
“Umm… don’t I need to fill out an application?”
“I’m actually the owner. I have a good feeling about you based on your book selection alone!” She winks and I blush. “No need for all that nonsense. By the way, my name’s Brooke.”
“Melody. Nice to meet you,” I reply.
We shake hands and exchange phone numbers. Even though I am caught off guard, I ask her a few more questions about the job and the hours. I’d be working 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. every day, plus Saturdays from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.
It’s not forty hours like I was hoping to find, but it’s close enough, and I’ll take whatever I can get right now. And surprisingly, the pay is pretty good, actually really damn good for a little bookshop on Main Street.
Anything that helps me to stop living off money from my parents. Plus, I love books; what else could I possibly ask for? Brooke also seems very nice, and a typical young adult with all the exuberance and excitement of a young teen. I accept the job and Brooke states that I can start tomorrow at 8 A.M., a little early, so she can train me on the basics before the store opens. I’ve never been a morning person but at least it’s only one early day a week.
I thank her for the opportunity and leave the store, clutching my book to my chest and a small smile on my face. Maybe life is taking a turn for the better. Maybe, just maybe, I can find that spark for life again.