13. Easy Chair
THIRTEEN
Easy Chair
TARA
“It’s been so long since I’ve opened the store with you, Mom.” Tara stood behind her mother the next morning, waiting for her to unlock the door to Between the Lines. “I love the smell of new books!”
Helen smiled as she walked through the door and turned the closed sign, signifying they were open for business. “I remember when you and Tristan were young. You’d both always want to open the boxes of new books. I had to turn it into a game to determine which of you could be first.”
“Yes.” Tara laughed. “It took us a while to figure out that was a way to get us to do our chores faster.”
“It was a last line of defense.” Helen typed something into her computer.” We were parents of young children who were the same age. You were both learning the same things at the same time. We had to be creative.”
“Just remember that I’m your favorite.” Tara grabbed the duster and started dusting off the shelves.
Helen’s expression turned droll. “How do you figure?”
Tara answered from the other side of the store. “Well, it’s not as if my siblings are here, right?”
“That doesn’t count, Tara.” Her mom leaned behind the counter to turn on some overhead music. “Being at sea gives Tristan and Tiffany a pass, and Theo can’t miss classes.”
“They always come up with the best excuses.” Tara joked.
“If all goes well, Tristan and Theo should be back for Thanksgiving, and Tiffany should be back in time for Christmas.”
Tara finished the dusting before the first customers arrived. Throughout the morning, she took care of customers while her mom concentrated on updating the window display.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Is this what one of the book clubs is reading right now?” Tara handed her the stack of books to place in the window.
“We don’t have any going at the moment.” She stacked the books on their sides, making a spiral topped with a book held upright with a small stand. “Hand me the orange-covered book next, please.”
Tara handed them over once her mom shifted further down the window. “Really? Why not?”
“We’ve been so busy lately.” She stacked the new books up like the first but raised them slightly higher for a tiered effect. “Now that Lucy retired, I’ve asked Lydia to start them up.” She placed the small wire stand atop the spiral to place a copy upright.
“And I think that does it.” Her mom stood up. “Let’s go take a look.”
They both stepped outside and scrutinized the new display. Helen pointed at a few things and explained what she’d like to adjust. Tara went inside to make the slight changes, breaking into fits of laughter while doing her best to interpret her mom’s hand motions through the window. She never could read lips, but when she went back outside, the display was gorgeous. The autumn-themed titles mirrored the beautiful fall day outside.
Helen folded her arms across her chest and gave a single nod. “My work here is done,” she announced as if its perfection weren’t apparent.
Tara gave her mom a quick hug. “I’ve always loved your window displays, Mom.”
Helen squeezed her back. “This is my favorite thing to do with the shop. It helps spark interest and draw people in. Once they’re inside, your dad could sell them anything. You’re a lot like him that way.”
Enjoying the warm weather, they admired the display window for another few seconds and then walked back inside where they stayed until Lydia came in cover the afternoon shift.
“Welcome to Between the… oh, hi, Lydia.” She smiled at Tara as Lydia, their newest employee, walked inside. “Saved by the bell, it seems.”
“I’m just going to put my purse in the back. I’ll be right back.”
Tara watched her disappear behind the staff-only door. “Is it lunchtime already?”
Lydia walked back outside with Helen’s purse. “Here you go, Helen.”
“Oh, thank you.” Helen pulled her keys out and spoke to them both.
“We have a few boxes back there. Would you please unpack as many of them as possible and put them on the shelves? I’m heading out to the hospital.” She hugged Tara. “I’ll stay with your dad until visiting hours are over. Will you be over later?”
“I can close up.” Lydia offered. “That’s no problem.”
“Thanks, Lydia. Yes, Mom. I’ll be there. I’ll bring dinner, so we don’t have to eat hospital food.”
“Thanks, honey.”
Tara smiled as her mom disappeared with a wave. Turning to Lydia, she put her hands on her hips. “What do you say we work on those boxes?”
Tara shook her head as soon as she opened the door to the storage room. In front of her were close to twenty unopened boxes of books.
“We just received some of these, but a lot of these have been waiting to be unloaded. It’s tough to do with only one of us in the shop.”
Tara looked at each one to see which publishers sent them what. “Let’s unload one box at a time. Why don’t you receive them into the system while I shelve them?”
“It’s a plan,” Lydia said. “Let’s each grab one for starters and take them upfront.” She grunted as she bent down to pick one up, then snorted a laugh.
“What?”
“You know you’re getting old when you have to grunt while getting up or down. Sign me up for an easy chair.”
Tara laughed, doing the same thing as she picked up a box. “I think we’re both sounding like our dads. Good thing these boxes aren’t too big.”
Working together, they put everything away within a couple of hours, stopping only to help customers. Once the boxes were broken down, the storage room looked noticeably more spacious. “That looks better,” Tara said, turning out the light and walking up front.
“The shelves look much better, too, don’t they?”
“Absolutely.” Lydia held up the latest mystery novel by an Ohio author Tara liked to read. “I’ve been looking all over for this. I’ve been waiting for this to come out.”
“So, are these automatically on the website?”
“Website?”
“Yes,” Tara confirmed. “Dad told me a while back they hoped to set up their online ordering by this fall.”
Lydia just shook her head. “We don’t have an online presence beyond the website with our address and contact info.”
“What?” Tara took in a deep breath and counted to ten. She closed her eyes and exhaled. “I’m sure it’s just in the works. I’m going to need some coffee. Want anything?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
“Alright. Back in a bit.”