The Romance Library

3. Jess

3

Jess

‘ A re you nervous?’ my best friend Sarah’s voice sounded from my mobile’s loudspeaker that was resting on the passenger seat.

I was parked outside the solicitor’s office, waiting to go in for Mrs Davis’s will reading, and still couldn’t get my head around the fact that he’d asked me to come.

‘My stomach’s in knots. I didn’t sleep a wink last night.’

‘I can imagine. But don’t stress. It’s sweet that she’s left you some of her books.’

Ever since Marion called last week and dropped the double bombshell about Mrs Davis’s death and the fact that I’d been included in her will, I couldn’t stop thinking about the situation.

It was nice that she’d remembered I’d mentioned I didn’t read anymore and left me a few books to help me out of my slump, but did I really need to attend a formal meeting just for that? In the end I decided it must be because I had to sign something so that everything could be accounted for.

‘It’s really kind. And considering she never invited the same worker back twice, I’m surprised she even gave me a second thought.’

‘You must’ve made a big impression!’ Sarah said. ‘I wonder what books she left you. Imagine she’s left you some limited-edition hardbacks with the sprayed edges, holographic foil and ribbon bookmarks! They’d be worth a pretty penny! If you sold a batch of those, you could finally buy a decent car. Well, a better one at least!’

‘Having a new car would be nice, but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon and I definitely wouldn’t sell any books she gave me. Whatever she left, she wanted me to read, then give to charity so that other people could enjoy the story.’

‘As your bestie, I get first dibs. Deal?’

‘Deal. Anyway, I’d better go in.’

‘Call me as soon as it’s over!’

‘Will do.’

After locking the car, I took a deep breath and rang the office buzzer. I was told to come to the third floor. When I arrived, I was ushered straight in.

‘Miss Johnson?’

‘Yes,’ I replied.

‘Please, take a seat. I’m Cecil. Thank you for coming. I’m just waiting for one other beneficiary, then we’ll get started.’

Cecil had short dark hair and pale skin and was wearing thick-rimmed black glasses and a smart three-piece brown suit. He looked like he was in his early fifties, but it was hard to tell .

Seconds later, a man with weathered white skin and a crumpled suit burst into the room.

‘Mr Davis?’

‘Who else would I be?’ he snapped. Cecil raised an eyebrow. ‘Who are you?’ Mr Davis snarled at me.

‘I’m Jessica.’

‘And what are you doing here?’

‘I’m not entirely sure… I think perhaps your… Mrs Davis left me some books?’

I wasn’t sure how they were related. It was possible he was her son as he was probably in his late fifties, but there were no obvious signs of a family resemblance, so for all I knew he could be her younger ex-husband.

‘Ugh.’ He grimaced. ‘She was obsessed with those stupid things. I’m glad to hear your charity shop will be taking that junk away.’

‘I’m not from—’

‘Shall we get started?’ Cecil jumped in, preventing me from clarifying why I was here.

Cecil read out a load of formalities, and once that was done, he turned over the page.

‘And now to the will itself,’ he announced. ‘To Miss Jessica Johnson, I bequeath my entire book collection—’

‘Oh my God!’ I gasped.

Her entire collection? I thought she’d just leave me a few novels. And now I was the owner of thousands of books? Bloody hell.

But where would I put them? My crummy bedsit was barely big enough to do a cartwheel.

It was a shame she hadn’t lived long enough to bring her library idea to life. That would’ve been a much better use of all those books than just giving them to me .

‘I hadn’t quite finished,’ Cecil announced.

‘Sorry, please continue.’

‘I’ll start again. To Miss Jessica Johnson, I bequeath my entire book collection on the understanding that it will be used to stock The Romance Library.’

‘Brilliant!’ I said happily. ‘I’m so glad that’s still going ahead.’

‘Still not finished…’ He glanced up from the page, then dropped his gaze again. ‘I hereby appoint Miss Jessica Johnson to build and run The Romance Library on my behalf.’

‘Wait, what?’ My eyes flew from their sockets.

‘To make this possible,’ Cecil continued, ignoring my shock, ‘I leave Miss Jessica Johnson the sum of one million pounds to purchase and renovate the building and bring The Romance Library to life…’

‘What?’ Mr Davis leapt from his chair in horror.

‘In addition, Miss Jessica Johnson will be paid a salary of forty thousand pounds for the period of one calendar year to ensure that getting the library up and running can be her primary focus.’

I sat in silence.

My brain scrambled.

I tried to process what I thought I’d just heard but failed.

‘This is outrageous!’ Mr Davis shouted. ‘Who the hell are you? And what did you do to trick my mother into this?’

I blinked rapidly. I attempted to open my mouth and speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

I desperately wanted to reply. But I was still in shock.

None of this made any sense .

‘Jessica?’ Cecil said softly. ‘Do you understand what I just said?’ I shook my head. ‘Mrs Davis wants you to create and run The Romance Library for her. This has always been her dream. She called me as soon as you left her house to tell me she wanted to amend her will and came to see me the very next day to formally authorise the changes. This was her wish.’

‘What were you doing at my mother’s house?’ Mr Davis barked. ‘What did you do? Did you threaten her? You’re sick! Taking advantage of a frail, vulnerable old woman for your own gain!’

‘Mr Davis, I can assure you that Miss Johnson is completely innocent in all of this. Your mother has been planning this for some time—ever since she discovered that she didn’t have long left on this earth. She sold her house last year to free up the cash and has been renting it from the owner ever since. She’s been searching for the right person to run the library for years and told me she would know instantly when she found them. And she assured me with absolute clarity of mind that person was Miss Johnson.’

‘How long have you known my mother?’

‘I-I just met her,’ I stuttered, finally recovering the power of speech. ‘I just did one shift. I don’t understand!’

‘ One shift? Why would she leave a total stranger everything she owns? I don’t care what you say. This woman manipulated my mother. Look at her! She doesn’t have two pennies to rub together. And now conveniently after meeting my mother precisely once , she’s a million pounds richer! This is daylight robbery. Fraud!’

‘The one million pounds is not for Miss Johnson’s own personal enrichment,’ Cecil clarified. ‘That money has been left solely for the purpose of the library. The only funds Miss Johnson will gain personally are the first year’s salary, which I and Mrs Davis’s accountant will oversee. Her salary thereafter will be dependent on the success of the library.’

‘Forty grand for one shift’s work seems like a pretty good deal!’ he scoffed. ‘And what about me? What did she leave for me ?’

‘She did ask me to give you this…’ Cecil reached in his drawer, pulled out a mirror and handed it to Mr Davis.

‘What the hell’s this for?’

‘I’ll read her exact words…’ Cecil cleared his throat. ‘“To my son I bequeath my least favourite mirror so that he can take a long, hard look at himself.”’

My head snapped up and I looked at Cecil, who was trying to keep a straight face. Something told me Mrs Davis wasn’t a fan of her son.

‘That’s ridiculous! She must’ve left me something else?’

‘Actually…’ He paused. ‘She did.’

‘Good!’ A grin spread across his face. ‘I knew the old bat had some more money stored away somewhere!’

Cecil reached back into his drawer, slowly pulled out a chocolate bar and slid it across the table.

‘What’s this?’

‘It’s the other thing she left you.’

‘Is this some kind of joke?’

‘Not at all. It’s in her will. She asked me to read you this message: “To my son, Barnaby, I considered giving you nothing. Then I decided to leave you a chocolate bar because despite what you think, I’m not completely evil.”’

Her son’s white skin turned scarlet, and his cheeks were so inflated he looked like he was about to spontaneously combust.

‘You won’t get away with this!’ He waggled his finger before storming off towards the door and slamming it behind him.

‘So’—Cecil leant forward—‘I know this must have come as a bit of a shock, but believe me, Meredith—Mrs Davis—would not have put you forward for this unless she believed in you.’

‘But that’s the thing!’ I shouted. ‘She didn’t even know me! And I don’t know the first thing about running a library, never mind setting one up! Can’t you just hire an expert—a businessperson? They’d do a much better job.’

‘Meredith suspected that you’d have your concerns. She asked me to give you this.’ He flicked to the back of his folder and handed me a piece of paper.

I opened it up and saw that it was a handwritten note.

Dear Jessica,

If you’re reading this, it means I’m no longer here and you’ve just been given the exciting news that I’d like you to bring to life my dream: The Romance Library.

I understand this may come as a shock, considering we only met briefly, but I’ve always been a firm believer in trusting my gut.

Sometimes when you meet someone, you just know. I knew within seconds of meeting my husband that he would be the love of my life and I was right. And when you saw my treasured book collection and your eyes lit up with such excitement, I knew you were the person I’d been looking for .

I’d been searching for someone who cares about books, who understands the joy that they can bring, and who would be motivated enough to see this project through.

Even during the short time we spent together, I could see that you were a hard worker. But three jobs is far too much to juggle. With this salary you can dedicate all of your time to one thing: a project that I believe will become your passion.

I know you will have doubts, but just imagine an entire library dedicated solely to romance! Aisles upon aisles of steamy romance, romcoms, sweet romance, romantasy and every delicious trope you can think of. Enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, fake-dating… it would cater to every romance lover’s desires.

There could even be a bookstore for readers to buy their favourites. You could host book signings from the best romance authors. The possibilities are truly endless!

Just like the famous bookstores in New York and London, I’d love for The Romance Library to become a destination that people from all over the world flock to visit. It would be truly wonderful!

I’d like The Romance Library to be my legacy.

And there is only one person I believe can make this happen: you.

I believe in you, Jessica.

Please fulfil my dying wish and make my dream come true.

Yours sincerely,

Meredith Davi s

I dropped the letter on Cecil’s desk.

‘Well?’ he said. ‘Are you willing to accept?’

‘I really don’t think I can do it.’

All the things Meredith had said were nice. It was great that she had such faith in me, but she was wrong. I admit, having a library dedicated to romance would be pretty cool, and having a stable salary would be amazing too—but it was too big a project for me to handle alone.

I was barely holding my own shit together, so how could I run a business when I couldn’t even run my own life?

And I didn’t read anymore. I couldn’t. So I’d make a terrible book ambassador. Meredith deserved someone better.

‘Could you do one thing for me, please?’ Cecil asked.

‘What’s that?’

‘Meredith showed you the location that she wanted to use for the library, didn’t she?’

‘Yes.’

‘There’s a meeting there tomorrow with the vendor. Another company is interested in buying the property, but he’s asked to meet with us both to hear why we believe he should give it to us. Could you come with me? Help plead the case for the library? I don’t know much about books and even less about romance novels!’ he smiled. ‘You will, of course, be paid for your time. Shall we say five hundred pounds for the day? Consider it a consultancy fee.’

Five hundred big ones for a day’s work?

To some people that might not seem like a lot of money, but for me, it was a fortune. It would cover most of the rent for my shitty bedsit for almost a month. It would mean I could eat proper meals for a change. Pay my bills. I could even get my car fixed.

I wasn’t able to take on the commitment of running of the library, but I could do one day’s consultancy work. That’d be easy. I’d just go there, do my thing, leave and get on with my life.

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I have to decline the offer to do the whole library build and management thing, but I can help you tomorrow, just for the day.’

‘Excellent!’ Cecil clapped his hands together. ‘Here.’ He reached behind his desk and handed me a bag. The way this guy was giving out gifts, I should call him Santa. ‘Meredith thought you might like these too.’

‘Thanks!’

I opened the bag and saw a dozen different romance novels from all the authors I’d mentioned were my favourites. Steamy romance with all the tropes were the books I loved the most.

I used to spend hours lost in the pages. Until my passion had been cruelly ripped away from me.

By him .

The man who’d ruined my love of reading and my life.

And now I didn’t know if I’d ever get it back.

I turned the key in the ignition for the fourth time, hoping that this time the car would start, but it didn’t. If it didn’t start in the next two minutes, I was going to be late for the meeting.

After two more failed attempts, I jumped out of the car, weighing up my options .

I couldn’t afford roadside assistance, so I couldn’t call someone out to fix it. There was no one I could ask to drop me there. I wouldn’t get paid for the consultancy work until after the meeting, so couldn’t get a cab. I pulled out my purse. I’d be late, but I had just enough to get the train.

‘Cecil,’ I said, calling him whilst running to the station. ‘I’m so sorry, but my car wouldn’t start, so I’m going to be… hello? Hello?’ I glanced down at the phone screen.

Nooooo!!

Of all the times for my phone to die, it had to be now.

See . This was why I couldn’t accept the offer to run the library. I was a hot mess.

Two train journeys later, I eventually found my way to Seaview High. Luckily this time the gate was open, and I spotted a light on in a room on the ground floor. I pushed open the large creaky wooden door.

As I stepped inside, a slightly musty smell hit my nostrils. Old photos and trophy cabinets lined the walls, which I assumed were once a shade of white but now looked like a greyish-brown colour.

Although it was a little dark, the hallway was long and wide, and along it I spotted a set of large double doors which I guessed must open up into a big hall that maybe they used for assemblies.

The scuffed wooden flooring had a few sections missing, but considering how old this building must be, that was to be expected.

Although this place had been well maintained, whoever took this project on would still need to do a lot of work to brighten it up and make it feel like a warm and welcoming romance library. Which was a challenge I definitely wasn’t up for .

After wandering down the hallway and finding the room where I’d spotted the light, I knocked on the door.

‘Come in!’ a voice called out.

I opened the door and relief washed over me when I saw Cecil.

‘So sorry I’m late! I had car trouble and then my phone died and…’

‘You must be Miss Johnson,’ the man behind the desk said as I stepped inside, wiping the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. He was wearing a green jumper and had a full head of dark hair and clean-shaven white skin. ‘I’m Edwin Dickinson, the vendor. You’ve met Cecil. And this is—’

‘Theodore Eaves,’ the man interrupted and turned around.

As I caught sight of him, I froze.

It was the parking space thief I’d argued with when Mrs Davis had first brought me to see the building. He was dressed in another perfectly fitted suit. His crystal blue eyes caught my gaze and for a second my heart flipped until I brought myself back to my senses.

‘You!’ I shouted. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Hello again.’ He smirked, flashing his annoying dimples. ‘I’m here to buy this building.’