3 Library #2
“Well, that’s just fine, Willa,” Geoff said without a hint of doubt.
He put down the stack of cups he was holding and looked at me.
“Are you okay? Because if it’s something to do with those vegan muffins I made, Lana’s already told me that they gave her a stomachache, her sister, too, so I won’t be making those again …
” he promised. Geoff was so good at putting people at ease.
I shook my head. “Nothing like that,” I told him. “I just need the time, to study … for something big. But if you’re really stuck, I can come back to lend a hand. And maybe we could talk again in a few months, though I understand if you need to replace me.”
Geoff put a hand on my shoulder. “Willa, honey, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll be sad to see you go, but your studies must always come first, that’s what I always tell my boys.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, said goodbye to Lennie, and began my shift. Maybe my last shift ever.
While I delivered coffees and slices of pie to tables, I was careful to take it all in.
There was Mr. Crossword, and Mrs. Porter, and Peter Tracey and his girlfriend Lily from tenth grade, who had been coming here for the last six months.
A couple of months ago Peter had given me some roses and asked if I could decorate their table with petals because he was going to ask Lily out and he wanted it to be romantic.
They’d been my favorite couple ever since.
And there was Linda Snell, as regular as clockwork, with her friends who came to the Little Acorn to gossip every Sunday after church.
Mr. Crossword was staring intently at the Gazette. “It’s a tough one today. Seven letters. ‘A risky or daring journey.’ Any ideas?”
I paused by his table, grateful for the distraction of normality. And then it came to me in a flash, and my heart sank and swelled at the same time.
“Venture.”
Mr. Crossword looked at me over his reading glasses. “Not sure what I’d do without you to help me with these darn things.”
I picked up an empty coffee cup and got back to work, trying to distract myself before I broke down crying into someone’s cappuccino.
At the end of the day, when the kitchen staff had gone home, I lingered, helping Geoff flip the chairs onto the tables. I looked around at the pretty string lights, the ceramic pumpkins, the knitted fall leaves, the chrysanthemums. All the effort I’d put in to decorate, and now I was … leaving.
“Take your time, Willa, just put the keys through the door when you’re done,” Geoff said. He took off his apron and hung it up. “But you know where to get your coffee while you study.” He winked, and I smiled.
“I wouldn’t go anywhere else,” I vowed.
“I’ll leave you to it. Oh, and be sure to take home that leftover pie.” Geoff pointed to the cardboard box he’d left on the counter.
I just sat there for a while, letting it all sink in, and it was like the coffee shop settled around me. The creak of old wood, the sigh of the radiator, almost like it was saying goodbye too. “Thanks for the memories,” I whispered to the place.
There was a bite in the air as I left, shocking any sadness from my bones as soon as I stepped onto Main Street.
I pulled my jacket around me and took out my phone.
Me: Going back to the library to grab some books for research, wanna come?
Lennie: Can’t tonight. WW3 here, Anna’s report card did not go down well
Me: Poor Anna!!
Lennie: Poor Anna nothing. She should just study like her genius sister
Me: “Genius”? ? See you tomorrow x
I walked over to the library, stopping at Jo’s desk on the way in. “Want some pie?” I asked. “I have extra.”
Jo beamed at me when I opened the box. “Back so soon? Well, your daddy was telling me all about this pie from Geoff’s.
You’re such a love, Willa, thank you so much.
Is Lennie with you? That book she ordered is in now.
The fantasy one with the dragon on the cover, she’s been asking about it every single day. ”
I gave Jo a piece of the pie on a napkin and she took a bite, then glanced around. “Oh my goodness, this is just heaven. Don’t tell anyone I’m breaking my own rules.”
I smiled. “Geoff’s secret recipe. But no, it’s just me today. I was going to take a look at the travel books.”
“Travel books?” Jo said, lighting up. “Now, that’s my favorite section. And I just keep ordering more even when we don’t really have enough shelf space.” She gestured at the overstuffed shelves opposite her desk. “Anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“Just looking around. Just want to see what’s there.”
“Well, we’ve got the whole world on those shelves,” Jo said, taking another bite of pie. “And if you need any recommendations, you know where to find me.”
I headed in the direction of Lennie’s favorite spot to drop my bag while I searched the shelves. Halfway through the romance aisle, though, I stopped in my tracks. There he was. Sitting in Lennie’s seat by the window, his head stuck in some giant textbook. The mansplaining weatherman.
Me: Guess who’s in your seat at the library …
Lennie: It better be you
Me: Mr. “mansplaining the wind”
I laughed when I saw Lennie’s reply. A bunch of expletives mixed with emojis.
And I covered my mouth too late. He’d seen me. He’d heard me.
Mr. Arrogant looked straight up the aisle and sighed dramatically. “I’m actually trying to study here, if you don’t mind.”
I turned to look at the rows of books, just so I wouldn’t be glaring at him. He was intense. Serious. And, I realized, kind of sexy if you were into guys with egos. I could feel my cheeks flush. What was even happening? I walked away, quickly, back to Jo’s desk. Back to safety.
“What’s the deal with the grouch down there?” I rolled my eyes toward where he was sitting. He was just so rude. It was infuriating. And if he was a tourist, shouldn’t he be going back home to wherever he came from?
Jo leaned over the desk and lowered her voice. “Well, you know Hadley Spence and her husband, Alfie?”
“Yeah?”
“He”—Jo pointed toward the grumpy guy—”He is Alfie’s brother, Theo. And I don’t know what’s going on, but that one’s carrying some worries, if you ask me. I’d go a little easy on him. There usually is a reason when people aren’t kind.”
“He wasn’t kind to you?” I asked, shocked that anyone could be anything but nice to Jo.
“Oh, I can deal with him just fine.”
“I feel kind of bad for him now,” I said, glancing back. He was still reading the giant book, leg bouncing under the table.
Jo cocked her head and looked at me. “Don’t get me wrong. If he speaks to me like that again, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.” That was more like it, I thought.
I picked up a couple of books from the travel section and walked back toward Lennie’s desk with the intention of giving Theo another chance.
He didn’t even look up when I sat down. I pushed the pie box across the table at him.
I smiled. “Pumpkin pie?”
He arched an eyebrow and opened the box like he was scared. “I’ve already eaten …”
“And you can’t eat again?”
“It’s a library.” His tone was condescending, but he picked up the little wooden fork and started to poke at the pie, taking the tiniest piece and tasting it. “Total sugar overload. But thank you.”
“So what’s your story? I don’t think I’ve seen you at Oak High?” I asked, as cheerfully as I could manage. Not everyone made a good first impression. Especially if he was sad about something, as Jo thought.
“No. I graduated last year. I checked out the community college for while I’m stuck here, but … it’s not exactly … academic … is it?” He took another bite of pie, and I couldn’t help noticing that he was handling the sugar just fine.
“I think it’s supposed to be okay.” I bristled at the “stuck here.” “What is it you want to study, that needs a more academic school?” I hoped I didn’t sound as irritated as I was. How dare he come to Oak Falls and criticize things he knew nothing about?