‘Oh, my…’
Quinn made to turn, but Blair brought him back.
‘Because isn’t this like any other bookshop here in Hay?’
Quinn turned back to Bloody Blair Beckett and his bloody handheld microphone and felt a bloody rage rise inside him.
‘No, this shop differs from the others. It’s Hay’s very own, and only, LGBTQ+ bookshop. We’ve been here for years now, and we have offered a safe place for LGBTQ+ individuals to have a place where they can feel like they can get support. We have many books from queer authors, some established, others not, and we also sell books that are educational. I have seen people find their voices here, and others find their favourite authors. People come from all over the country to visit this shop. For Hay, losing an LGBTQ+ establishment would feel like a step backwards.’
Wow. Ivy’s gifted ring did wonders.
‘And it’s also putting you out of a job?’
‘Quinn!’ Harold boomed at the door, rattling it in its frame.
Blair nodded, encouraging Quinn to continue. Quinn thought he saw the camera zoom in on him.
‘Yes, I would lose my livelihood. Without this shop, I will lose my income. I will lose everything.’ It hit him how close he was to the brink of falling apart. ‘But it’s not about me. It’s about the people who see Kings & Queens as a shop that is safe, welcoming, inclusive, and a home away from home. We’re here to educate, support, entertain, and…’ Oh god. Not the tears. Please, not the tears. But they came before he could stop them, and the camera was zooming in on him now. ‘And to lose this place would be an awful shame.’
‘Well, there you have it.’ Blair had the dignity to draw the attention away from Quinn’s ugly crying face, because he definitely had an ugly crying face, and instead drew it back to his own composed, handsome one. ‘This shop means a lot to not only Quinn, but to the community at large. Back to you in the studio.’
A pause, then the camera turned off, and Blair cheered.
‘Quinn, you were incredible!’
Quinn dabbed at his face, feeling awful. The customers were now shouting at Harold on the other side of the glass.
‘Was it okay?’
‘Okay? Better than okay!’ Blair said. ‘You handled that like a pro.’
‘And I’m okay, by the way!’ Ivy said. ‘If you weren’t losing this shop, Quinn, I’d be suing right now. That’s going to get this story picked up everywhere.’
‘Have you broken anything?’
‘Just my pride.’
‘Here.’ Blair flashed a smile. ‘Let me help you up.’
Ivy took his hand, looking flushed.
ChapterSeventeen
Ivy was right. After the BBC interview, articles appeared in other mainstream newspapers, lifting his quote from the live. Some articles focussed on the story, while others used the clip of Ivy falling over.
Quinn watched the report and realised that no one could hear Harold’s shouting. Blair’s microphone only picked up their interview. If Ivy hadn’t run into the frame, then they would have got away without seeing Harold.
Quinn found himself at the back of the shop, away from the prying eyes of the public, who dispersed as night drew in and temperatures dropped. He hid away from Harold, who stood his ground until 8pm, disappearing when he received no attention. Quinn’s phone kept ringing, but not with interview requests. His mother was ringing, no doubt to ask him what he had done, and why Harold was so angry.
Quinn now sat at the altar of the old church with Ivy and Blair.
‘They want to do a sit-down interview with you for the online team,’ Blair said, his eyes on his phone. ‘Looks like they want something for their website. Gives you a chance to talk more in-depth about everything. Up for it?’
‘I guess so.’
‘Yes, he is,’ Ivy said. She had her own requests for interviews because of her fall, which had gone viral.
‘How do you feel?’ Quinn asked her.
