Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Roxy
I sit on the floor surrounded by a pile of boxes with Jocelyn next to me. She’s sorting merch and I’m sorting books. I’ve had so much delivered here over the past few months, but the real work has been these last few weeks.
Troy is here installing a new light fixture. Al had saved some antique chandeliers from his wife’s store and offered them up for the store. They are gorgeous and perfectly in line with the vibe I’m going for.
“Hey, you want a coffee?” I ask as I glance at my watch. We’ve been at it for three hours.
“Sure,” she says, not looking up from where she is entering quantities of stickers she’s unboxing into my inventory database.
“I’ll be back.” I get up and dust off my jeans. I make my way across the street to a little café where I discovered Cam works.
She looks up as I walk inside.
“Hey,” she greets me with a smile.
“Hi. Can I get two…” I trail off as I read the sign written in chalk behind her. “Caramel mocha lattes?” I finish.
“Coming right up. You should try our double-fudge muffins. I added a little something extra in them and they are amazeballs,” she says as she gets to work making our drinks.
“Sure. I’ll take two,” I say as I look around the café. It’s a bakery that serves coffee. There are dozens of types of pastries and cakes under the glass of the display case. I’ve stopped over here a few times this week.
“So, how are things?” I ask, trying to make small talk while she finishes frothing some milk.
“Good. The owner of this place is looking to sell it,” she leans over the counter. “I think I might try to buy it.”
“Seriously?” I ask.
She shrugs and goes back to making the lattes. “Yeah. I have just enough saved that I might be able to put down some and pay the rest with a small business loan.”
“Well, having just done some of that myself, I have plenty of tips. So let me know if you need any help,” I offer.
The door to the café opens and Carly walks inside.
“I need a double macchiato and two triple-chocolate oatmeal cookies, STAT,” she declares as she walks over and leans on the bar top at the end of the counter.
“Rough day?” Cam inquires with a raised eyebrow.
“You have no idea. Ava lost her first tooth because some kid at daycare pushed her down and she knocked it out on a dollhouse. She freaked out. I had to leave work and take her to the dentist. Brayden offered to watch her so I could come get coffee. He said I needed a chill moment. And he’s not wrong,” she says as she pushes some hair out of her face.
Cam points to our right. “I think you’re in the wrong place. Go to Joe’s.”
I giggle. Even being new, I know that Joe’s is a local tavern two doors down from the café.
Carly rolls her eyes. “Can’t. Brayden has a shift later, so I need to mom again in about an hour. I’m just hoping Ava will go to sleep tonight and then I can sit in silence and drink a glass of wine and watch the latest season of Love Is Blind .”
“OMG! It’s so good. Have you started it yet?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
I pretend to zipper my lips closed. “I won’t say a word, but we must debrief when you finish.”
Laughing, she pulls her phone out and checks it. “Noted.” She looks up at me. “How’s everything going with the bookstore? I saw a sign in the window that it’s opening soon.”
I nod. “I can’t believe it.” I sigh. “I wish I had more time to get acclimated here, but I really need the income. I can’t wait any longer. It’s just a bummer that I haven’t had time to do anything else. I’ve barely unpacked. I haven’t even tried going on a dating app in like a month.” I sigh.
“You need a date?” Carly asks, putting her phone down.
I shrug. “I mean, part of me has sworn off men, because…ewww. But another part of me can’t wait to find my happily ever after. I suppose if I don’t put myself out there, I won’t ever be able to find my perfect book boyfriend?”
Carly laughs and looks at Cam and back at me. “What’s your type?”
“Oh, uh, I don’t know if I have one,” I admit as I try to think of what I want in a guy. “I mean. He needs to be funny, kind, financially stable, not a psycho, and smart.”
Carly taps her cheek. “OK, well, in our building there’s Kasen. He’s sort of got this mysterious air about him. He works in cybersecurity. He travels a lot for work. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him in a few weeks. So he must be working. He’s ex-military and he’s sort of quiet. But he’s definitely attractive.”
“He’s superhot,” Cam states with a laugh as she pretends to fan herself.
I giggle. “OK, so the hot-and-silent type?”
“Yes. And there’s Hutch. Hutch is such a sweetie. He’s a total…what do they call it?” Carly continues.
“He’s a cinnamon roll guy,” Cam interjects as she sets my drinks down. I grin. I love that she’s using book terminology.
“He’s a former football player. He was injured. He’s really sweet. And then there’s Brayden. He’s a really good guy, like the absolute best. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s always got my back when I need help with Ava or anything at all. And lastly, there’s Gray. He can come off a little harsh, but he’s a solidly good person. He’s loyal as heck and he’s really talented,” Carly finishes.
“I don’t know if I want to date someone in our building, per se. But good to know,” I say as I pay Cam and take my order, walking toward the door.
“Never say never. But I get it,” Carly adds as Cam passes her a drink.
“Maybe Al knows someone,” Cam suggests.
“Al? As in our landlord?” I say with a laugh.
They both look at me deadpan and I press my lips together because I think they are serious. But how can they be? Al is like eighty. He can’t possibly know that many younger guys. I mean, he’s sweet and all, but I think these two ladies are delusional.
“Yeah. Al knows everyone. Like seriously, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in the two blocks surrounding our building who doesn’t know Al. He’s an absolute legend,” Cam says with a shrug. “Too bad he’s so old,” she adds with a laugh.
We all giggle at that.
“OK, if you say so,” I state.
“We do. Trust us on this one,” Cam says. “Also, us ladies like to have wine nights at Margie and Cornelia’s on Tuesdays if you’re interested. We meet at eight. Maybe we can even talk books again. That was fun at happy hour.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to make it,” I say as I head back over to the shop. I’m halfway across the street when I look up to see those aqua-blue eyes looking down at me. I give a small wave, but he just closes the curtains. What the fuck is his issue?
With a sigh, I open my door and hand Jocelyn her coffee and pastry.
“What’s that look for?” she asks with a raised eyebrow as she starts to put the cowboy romance books on shelves.
“Well, Carly and Cam want Al to set me up with someone. They tried to sell me on dating a guy in the building, as if. And I just got the evil eye from Mr. Grumpypants above us as I walked over here. I seriously do not get what his problem is. I just hope he’s not going to be a big thorn in my side,” I say with exasperation.
“It’ll be fine. And isn’t Al the old guy who owns this building?” Jocelyn asks.
I nod as I pass her some books.
“Why not ask him to set you up? I mean, I have this friend, Alia, and her grandmother set her up and she married the guy. So you never know,” Jocelyn says as she takes another handful of books from me.
“I guess so. I just want to find a good guy. Why does that seem so hard?” I open another box and Jocelyn shrugs at my question.
“It’s not so much finding a good guy, it’s more like finding the right one for you,” she states.
I glare at her and then laugh. “Stop being so smart. Your boss doesn’t like it.”
She chuckles and holds up a book. “Maybe I’ve read too many of these books.”
“Or maybe, you’re just right about that.” I just wish finding the right one was easier. There’s an entire city of men out there. It’s not like the right one is going to just walk into my store.