AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So you’re definitely not a morning person then,” I say with a grin.
“Not at all,” says Marcel yawning. “I’m much more of a night owl. Would you like a cup of coffee before we begin?” he asks, as I follow him inside the shop.
“Yes, I’d love one.”
Marcel takes me through a door at the back of the shop and down a hallway that leads to a tiny staff room where there’s a small table and two chairs. Gabriel is sitting in one of them, reading a book while sipping on some coffee himself.
He looks up at me and smiles warmly. “Hello Tegan,” he says. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m good, a little tired though.” I reply, practically gawking at his dark green eyes. He must have noticed because he averts his gaze back to the book he’d been reading. I have a thing about eyes, I don’t know why, I like to admire unusual colours and shapes.
“I’m just going to nip to the toilet before we open,” says Marcel. “Be back in five.”
I pour myself some coffee while Gabriel focuses intently on reading his book.
In an effort to break the silence, I ask, “So, do you work mostly weekdays or weekends?”
Gabriel raises his eyes to look at me and then replies, “Weekends and some weekdays. Marcel likes to have Saturday and Sunday free so I take those shifts.”
“It must be hard on your social life.”
“Not really,” he shrugs.
“You probably go out on week nights then,” I add.
“I’m not much of a social animal,” he says modestly.
“Oh, well you’re probably better off. It’s only weirdos you’ll ever come across out in this city anyway.”
He looks at me strangely for a moment and then says quietly, “Yes, you’re most likely right about that.”
Then Marcel returns and ushers me out to the shop floor. He spends about ten minutes showing me how to use the cash register and I get the hang of it quite quickly. Then he shows me around the bookshelves which are divided into several sections like Self-Help, Philosophy, Religion and of course there’s a whole lot on Fairies. I try not to roll my eyes at that one.
After that he walks me through the section of the shop that contains the jewellery, healing stones and crystals, and then he shows me the little collectables like angel and fairy statues.
Before he goes he leans in close and says quietly, “If any customers come in looking for something specific, I mean, something that isn’t out here in the main shop, just go get Gabriel and he’ll deal with them. We’ve got a room in the back with some of the more hard core materials, these are for the professionals. Our psychic Stephanie does her readings in there as well. She comes every Wednesday from four to seven, so if anyone wants a booking with her you just consult this book,” he pulls out a brown leather notebook from under the register, “and if the date they want is free you pencil them down for an appointment.”
“Got it.” I nod.
“You’re going to be fine,” says Marcel with a wink. “I’m off now, I’ll be back before lunch.”
“See you.”
After Marcel leaves I sit down on the stool beside the counter and breathe out a sigh. What did he mean by professionals? Like professional witches and warlocks? Or maybe he just meant mediums and psychics. I never realised just how many deluded individuals there are out there. There aren’t any customers for about a half hour, but then after eleven a steady flow of people coming in and out of the shop begins so I get busy.
I haven’t seen Gabriel at all since Marcel left, but I suppose he’s probably busy in the back room. A nervous woman in her forties with visibly thinning hair comes up to the counter and quietly hands me a self-help book. I glance at the cover, something about building up your self-esteem.
An hour passes and I’m still sitting there watching as various men and women and teenagers come and go. Some buy things, others don’t. Then a girl about my age with a choppy black bob in pigtails and severe brown eyes overdosed with black eye-liner comes elephant footing it up the steps to me and asks impatiently, “Who the hell are you?”
Nervously I drop the pen I’d been fiddling with and look up at her. She’s wearing a top made out of heavy black fishnet with a pink bra underneath and a red tartan mini skirt with ripped tights and New Rock boots. She seems angry for some reason and it makes me anxious.
“I - I’m Tegan. I just started working here today.” I answer.
“Get Marcel for me now!” She demands.
“He’s gone out.”
“Oh for God’s sake, then get Gabriel, and hurry up about it.”
