Chapter 2 #2
“You can’t afford to fire me. I work for free.” Jules grinned, some of the tension easing from their shoulders. “Come on. Your white knight awaits.”
Ollie followed them back into the main area of the bookstore, where Sam was already talking to Finn.
The store looked markedly different from last night—no more buckets catching drips, no puddles spreading across the floor.
The industrial dehumidifiers dominated the space, creating islands of noise around which they’d rearranged the less damaged inventory.
Several sections had been cordoned off with caution tape where the ceiling damage was worst.
When Finn turned, Ollie was struck by the contrast between his professional demeanor—crisp button-down, serious expression—and the gentle way his eyes took in the surrounding chaos, assessing without judgment.
“Morning, Ollie.” Finn offered a broad hand, his mouth quirking into a half-smile. “Looks like you managed to get things under control.”
“We’ve downgraded from ‘maritime disaster’ to ‘concerning dampness,’” Ollie replied, trying to keep the mood light despite his exhaustion.
Their hands met, and Ollie tried not to notice how warm Finn’s palm felt against his.
“The dehumidifiers are doing their job. Thank Keaton for getting them here so quickly for me?”
A flicker of amusement crossed Finn’s face before he settled back into his professional mode. “Of course. Once I get a better look around, I’ll put together a full estimate and timeline for you. I can come back later today with all the details before we schedule the crew to start.”
“Sure, that sounds great.” Ollie gestured toward the small café area they’d set up in one corner of the store. “Coffee? It’s about all I can offer right now.”
He hadn’t bothered picking up his typical order of pastries from Sweet & Simple this morning. He doubted anyone would want to hang out to read and have a snack with the noise of the fans and the lingering smell of wet paper.
Finn nodded, his expression serious, though his eyes betrayed a hint of warmth. “Black would be perfect, thanks.”
As Ollie started the coffee maker, he was acutely aware of Finn’s presence behind him. The man moved with a quiet confidence, examining the now-dry but still damaged ceiling.
“You’ve done a good job with the initial cleanup,” Finn remarked, accepting the steaming mug Ollie handed him. “Most clients panic and make things worse.”
“Oh, I definitely panicked,” Ollie admitted with a self-deprecating smile. “But I had help. Jules and Sam stayed until almost midnight, and Keaton talked us through the basics over the phone until he got back to help out.”
Finn took a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving Ollie’s face. “Still, it’s impressive. The quick response probably saved a lot of your inventory.”
Something about the simple praise warmed Ollie more than it should have. He ducked his head, focusing on his own coffee. “We got lucky. The tenants were only out running errands. I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if they’d been gone longer.”
Ollie tried to stay out of Finn’s way as he wandered around the store taking notes. He resisted the urge to ask a million times how bad Finn thought the damage was, not wanting to annoy him. Finn was obviously in the zone, not even noticing when Jules knocked over a stack of children’s books.
Time seemed to stretch as Finn continued his methodical assessment, each minute crawling by while Ollie’s anxiety mounted.
His fingers tapped nervously against his coffee mug as he watched Finn examine water stains, test the softness of the drywall, and make notes on his clipboard.
With every frown or thoughtful pause, Ollie’s sense of dread intensified.
After what felt like an eternity, just as Ollie was about to break his silence and ask for an update, Finn looked up from his inspection. His expression softened with something that looked uncomfortably like sympathy.
“I’m ready,” he said, gesturing toward one of the small tables.
Finn set down the iPad between them. “This isn’t an official estimate, but here’s what we’re looking at.
The damage is concentrated in these three areas—” He pointed to a simplified floor plan of the store.
“The good news is that the structural elements are sound. The bad news is that we’ll need to remove and replace significant sections of drywall and insulation. ”
Ollie nodded, trying to focus on the technical details rather than the way Finn’s forearms looked as he rolled up his sleeves slightly. “And the timeline?”
“We’re going to need to start as soon as possible so we can mitigate the risk of mold,” Finn explained. “We’ll work in sections to minimize disruption to your business, and unless Keaton finds something I’ve missed, I think they can get most of the work done in a few weeks.”
Finn walked across the room to look at something that caught his attention. Ollie’s eyes tracked Finn’s movements as he walked through the damaged area, making notes and occasionally pausing to examine something more closely.
“So…how much are we looking at?” Ollie finally asked, unable to contain his anxiety any longer.
Finn glanced up from his clipboard. “I’ll come by later today with a breakdown, but based on what I’m seeing…” He hesitated. “It’s not going to be cheap, Ollie. And you’re in the historic district, so we may have to get approval from the city. But I’m hoping that’ll just be a formality.”
Ollie’s stomach clenched. It wasn’t unexpected, but hearing it confirmed made it real in a way it hadn’t been before. “Damn, I didn’t even think about all that. This is going to be a nightmare,” he managed, keeping his voice steady.
“Your insurance should cover most of it though,” Finn added, his gaze perceptive. “Have you filed the claim yet?”
“Started the process early this morning,” Ollie confirmed. “They’re sending an adjuster later today.”
“Good. I can be here for that if you’d like. Sometimes it helps to have someone who can speak their language.”
The offer caught Ollie off guard—it went beyond professional courtesy into something that felt almost…personal. “That would be great, actually. Thank you.”
Finn nodded, making a note in his calendar. “Not a problem. I’ll just go out to my car to grab my laptop, and I’ll set up here for the day.”
“Oh, I don’t want to be a bother. I can just call you when they get here, and if you’re not busy, you could stop by.” Ollie took another sip of his coffee, using the moment to gather his thoughts.
“If it was going to inconvenience me, I wouldn’t have offered,” Finn responded, the corner of his mouth quirking up slightly as his eyes lingered on Ollie’s for a beat longer than necessary. Ollie blinked, unsure if he was imagining the warm glint in Finn’s gaze or if it actually meant something.
“So, a few weeks of construction. What should we expect?” Ollie asked, forcing his voice to remain steady as he deliberately avoided looking at Finn’s smile.
He reminded himself for the hundredth time that Finn had a daughter, which meant he was straight. Of course, logically, Ollie knew that having a child didn’t actually determine someone’s sexuality, but the mental reminder helped him maintain some distance.
“Noise, dust, and disruption,” Finn said bluntly, but not unkindly. “We’ll use containment barriers to minimize the spread of dust, but it’s going to be challenging to maintain business as usual.”
Ollie sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“We don’t really have a choice. Next to summer, the holiday season is our busiest time.
We can’t afford to close. I know sales won’t start ramping up for a few weeks yet, but we need every customer we can get, otherwise they’ll wind up buying online, and then we’ll lose them forever. ”
“We’ll work with you,” Finn assured him. “Our crews know how to adapt to occupied spaces.”
“I appreciate that.” Ollie managed a tired smile. “Sorry if I seem a bit…out of it this morning. Yesterday was a long day.”
“Did you at least get some rest last night?” Finn asked, his tone casual but his eyes attentive.
The question reminded Ollie of Keaton’s parting advice yesterday, and he felt a flush of warmth that Finn cared enough to ask. “A few hours. Not enough, but better than nothing.”
Finn’s expression softened slightly. “The worst part is over. From here on out, it’s just fixing what’s broken.”
There was something reassuring about his matter-of-fact confidence, as if water damage and reconstruction were just minor inconveniences rather than potential financial disasters. Ollie believed, at least momentarily, that everything really would be okay.
“So,” Finn continued, gathering his papers, “do you have any questions for me?”
Ollie skimmed the papers again, focusing on the practical details rather than the unsettling bottom line. “Not that I can think of. I trust your expertise.”
Finn nodded, seeming pleased by the vote of confidence. “We’ll take good care of your store, Ollie.”
“I have no doubt,” Ollie assured him. Even if he wasn’t friends with Jules, there wasn’t another company that was more trusted in town.
“I should probably let you get back to work,” Finn said eventually, standing and collecting his papers. “I know you have a store to run.”
“Such as it is,” Ollie agreed, gesturing to the cordoned-off sections and the industrial equipment dominating the space. “Not exactly the cozy bookstore experience people come for.”
“You’d be surprised,” Finn remarked, his mouth quirking into that almost-smile again. “People are drawn to authenticity. A bookstore recovering from disaster has its own charm.”
Ollie laughed, the sound surprising even himself after the stress of the past twenty-four hours. “Maybe we should market it that way. ‘Come see the bookstore that survived the great washing machine flood of 2025. Buy a book, take home a free water stain.’”
This time, Finn’s almost-smile bloomed into something fuller, transforming his serious face. “I’d buy that book. You might be surprised by how many people will buy damaged books at a reduced cost just to help a small business stay afloat.”
The simple statement, delivered with unexpected warmth, caught Ollie off guard. He found himself staring, momentarily transfixed by the difference a genuine smile made to Finn’s already handsome features.
Jules chose that moment to appear, their timing as impeccable as ever. “Sam and I finished reorganizing the mystery section. Anything else before I head to work?”
Ollie blinked, dragging his attention away from Finn’s face. “No, that’s great. Thanks for coming in early.”
For the first time in twelve hours, Ollie felt a glimmer of hope that everything might be okay. Now, he just needed to get through rebuilding without falling hopelessly in love with Finn O’Riley.