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“Nonsense.” She waves me off. “I don’t need the money, I need to feel useful, and I do. Don’t you worry about me. Go see if you can scare us up some grant money or something.”
“I’ll try,” I promise, but scaring up grant money is easier said than done, especially when you’re understaffed.
It’s a busy morning, and I spend most of it at the reference desk while Gigi checks out books to patrons. I hate to have the reference desk empty; people come in with all kinds of questions, and I want them to know they can rely on us for answers.
This morning, I get queries about mushroom foraging, DIY solar panels, and where people can take first-aid classes. Reference is my favorite part of the job. I love helping people, and I always learn something new myself. In between questions, I spend some time researching grant opportunities for the library, but I don’t get much done.
When I finally catch a break, I take advantage of it to check my emails. Among them is a digest of open library jobs around the country.
I hesitate for a moment, then open it and scan the positions. An archival position at the University of Illinois, where I got my Master’s in Library Science. An outreach position at a public library in New Orleans. Several media specialist positions scattered around the country…
Title-wise, most of them would be a step down from Head Librarian.
Salary-wise, all of them would be a step up.
I believe in my little library and the services it provides to the community, but I’m exhausted trying to hold it together as the budget gets smaller year after year and the council treats us like the red-headed stepchild of the town’s departments.
I go back to the outreach position in New Orleans and re-read the job description. I’m totally qualified for it. I’ve never been to Louisiana, but it might be nice.
I hover the cursor over the apply now button.
“Excuse me,” says a woman’s voice, and I jump, startled and a little guilty.
I look up, and oh joy, the day just keeps getting better.
Scarlett Rice, my high-school nemesis, looks down at me from the other side of the desk. She moved away after high school, and I’d hoped I’d seen the last of her, but her parents are still in town, so maybe she’s back visiting them.
“Why, Blaze!” she exclaims. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”
I give her a fake-polite smile. I’d bet the last of my pathetic budget that she knew I worked here and came by specially to torment me.
“Hey, Scarlett. So nice to see you.” I don’t even bother trying to pretend this is true. “You look great.”
That part, unfortunately, is true. Scarlett was one of the prettiest and most popular girls in high school, and the past decade has been kind to her. Her glossy light brown hair falls in perfectly styled waves around her face, her make-up is impeccable, and she’s wearing an expensive-looking suit that’s just tastefully short enough to show off long tan legs.
And she’s just as freaking skinny as she was when she was a cheerleader.
“And you…” She pretends to grope for words and manages a sympathetic grimace, “… You haven’t changed a bit!”
I force my face into a bland smile. “How can I help you?”
She casually places her left hand on the counter between us, making sure I get a glimpse of the huge diamond on her left ring finger. “Well,” she leans over the desk conspiratorially, “I don’t know if you heard, but I’m moving back to Welkins Ridge. At least for a little while.”
I grit my teeth. “Oh. How nice.”
Scarlett isn’t stupid, but she is incredibly self-centered, so it’s possible she honestly thinks I mean it. Or she can tell I don’t and just doesn’t care.
“You’re so sweet!” she says in a voice dripping with syrup. She admires her ring. “My husband founded a little software start-up right out of college and it’s done quite well, so now we thought we might dip our toes into the real estate market here. My parents say it’s really taking off.”
“It’s certainly better than it was,” I reply reluctantly.
The lake, the scenery, and the town’s reputation for flying saucer sightings bring in more visitors every year. Between some good marketing on the part of the town, including its summer UFO Festival, and a new ski resort just a few miles up the road, Welkins Ridge is enjoying some solid success as a tourist destination.
People who can afford it have begun investing in real estate, either flipping houses or creating short-term vacation rentals. And the residential market is seeing an uptick as well, as people from North Falls, realizing they can get more house for less money, have begun buying property here too.
Unfortunately, the town’s burgeoning prosperity hasn’t trickled down past a certain point. There are more jobs than there used to be, but they’re mainly of the part-time or seasonal variety. I think of people like Scarlett as carpet baggers, here to jump on cheap property and make a fast buck without actually contributing to the community.
“I must say, this town is really changing for the better,” Scarlett goes on. “Did you know Nikko Cassavetti, the chef, has opened a restaurant here? I was thinking about checking it out for lunch.”
