Chapter 12 #2
There’s a few seconds of silence, then he laughs. It’s not mean laughter, more surprised than anything. “Why would you want to do that? I’m barely keeping afloat. Even with all the tourists, no one wants to buy books.”
“I do,” she says instantly. “I think I can get other people to want to buy books, too. I plan to make buying books an experience.”
“Well ...” He hesitates.
“Do you already have an agreement with the developer you mentioned last week?” she asks.
“Not in writing, no. I’d much rather it remain a bookstore than anything else. You come look around tomorrow to make sure it’s what you want.”
“Actually,” she says. “I’m leaving tonight. Can I look now?”
“I can show her in if that’s okay,” I interrupt.
“Sure, sure. But don’t call me back tonight. I’m in the middle of a mystery and you’re ruining the suspense.”
“I’ll call tomorrow,” Stella says. “Thank you, Mr. Long.”
STELLA
Blissful Books’ back door opens into a stock room.
Boxes line the wall. Second-hand books are stacked everywhere.
There’s only a narrow aisle from the back door that leads to the front of the store and another to the right that leads through a doorway.
The overhead light is too dim to see what’s beyond.
“Does Mr. Long purchase used books by the caseload?” I ask, not expecting an answer. “This looks like a hoarding situation.”
Do the stairs along the back wall lead to a loft like Drew’s? Or more storage for books? I better find out because if I decide to move to Blissful, I need somewhere to live.
At the top of the stairs the door is jammed, but I finally manage to push it open. Drew follows me inside.
Besides smelling musty and the sheet of dust over everything, it’s a livable loft. It has a similar layout to Drew’s place, though it’s smaller and instead of opening into the living room, we step into the kitchen. It’s long, but not very wide.
I walk the space. “A table won’t fit in here, unless it’s long and narrow.”
Drew moves to stand beside me. “You could build an island in the middle. It would do double-duty.”
The idea of it puts a grin on my face. “With a granite countertop.”
I move to the living room, and he follows.
It’s larger than the kitchen, but also longer than it is wide.
The wall between the kitchen and the living room is the perfect place to build bookshelves.
There’s a blank wall, no windows. The store is on the other side.
It’s the perfect place to hang my travel art and photos.
The wall opposite of where my bookshelves will be built has three doors. The first bedroom is small. Perfect for an office. The next door leads to the bathroom with washer and dryer hook-ups. The last bedroom is twice as big as the first. A window looks out over the back lane behind the store.
The last wall in the living room has two windows that look out to the back of the store. The couch and loveseat from the apartment will fit just so in this space. I’d add an area rug and a coffee table.
My heart pounds painfully in my chest as I wipe tears from my cheeks. This is where I belong. I feel it. No landlord. No roommates. It would be the first time I’ve ever lived alone. I can do whatever I want to the space.
“Are you okay?” Drew says.
“I’m fine. Better than fine.” I wave my arms at the wall. “I want bookshelves the whole length of this wall. Floor to ceiling.” I point to the back wall. “Here will be my gallery of art.”
I want to start cleaning right now, then pick out wall-paper and paint colors.
“You’re decided then?” Drew asks.
“Yes, but … maybe I should check out the rest of the building before I absolutely commit?”
We head back downstairs.
In addition to the stock area, there’s a staff break room, an office, and a staff bathroom.
All of it needs a deep clean. Moving through to the actual book store from the staff area is surreal.
This could be my life every day. And how magical is a bookstore at night?
The only light comes from the street lamps outside, which create monstrous shadows.
Drew flips on the overhead lights. I walk along every row, building more dreams with every step.
I go up the front stairs to the mezzanine floor.
They creak ominously; something I’ll have to fix.
It’s a much larger space up here than I expected.
This would be the perfect kid’s area. The children’s book nook, I decide to call it.
I have a mental list of all the books I’ll order to fill these shelves.
There will be a big chair in the corner where I’ll sit when I do story times.
I walk to the railing. From up here, I can see the whole store.
When I finally make my way down the stairs, Drew is at the bottom, both hands hidden in his pockets.
“You’re a builder,” I say. “What do you think of the building? Is it sturdy?”
He looks around while nodding. “It’s solid.
Some of these bookshelves look like they might topple over and should be thrown out or repaired.
The floor could use a refinish. There’s no public bathroom.
Leon let customers go into the staff area.
You might want to build a small one. We could knock out the wall here for a door and build into the back room.
Overall, I’d say it’s in good condition. What are you thinking?”
“I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want this store.”
Except for maybe a reason to move to this town.
During our exploration of the building, Drew’s been solemn. Now he allows a grin to grow. There’s a light in his eyes as he says, “Then let’s make it happen, neighbor.”
I squeal and jump into his arms. Then back out, as if he’s a hot potato. Being held by him makes me forget that we’re only friends.
Now the question is, how the heck am I supposed to tell my family?