Page 17 of The Bookshop By the Loch

I was tired of making everyone else happy at the expense of my own fulfilment. I was tired of putting myself through physical and mental exhaustion as a junior editor, in the hope of getting noticed and promoted.

What about me for once?

What about what I wanted?

How about I do something that meant a lot to me? That would give something back to the community and provide a challenge? Twelve months to reverse the bookshop’s fortunes and then…?

An excited, but nervous smile began to break out across my face.

Trevor’s eyes grew behind his glasses. “Is that a yes?”

I stared back at Trevor and my grandfather.

I was going to undertake some freelance editing, but that wouldn’t occupy all my time.

Was I going to take a chance on this? I needed to believe in myself more.

I found myself blowing out a cloud of air and answering before I had time to change my mind or debate it any longer. I would drive myself crazy if I did. “Yes. Alright. You win. I accept. Thank you.”

Trevor gawped at me.

“I’ll hand in my notice to Literati and I accept your job offer.”

Realising what I’d just said, Trevor clapped his hands together with delight and sprang out of Mum’s armchair.

Grandpa let out a small cheer.

“Wonderful,” said Trevor, overflowing with renewed vigour. “Thank you, Lexie. Thank you so much.”

We shook hands and then Trevor gave me a grateful, fatherly hug.

He tried to gather himself together. His voice cracked. “Right. No time like the present.”

Mum was gawping at the three of us in confusion in the sitting room doorway and still clutching her shopping bags. “What’s going on here?”

Trevor beamed at her as he dashed past and headed for the front door. “Hello, Maisie. How are you? Now you can tell your mother your good news, while I ring the estate agents and have that closing down sign removed!”

Chapter Seven

The last week of April evaporated in an initial haze of joyous but terrified euphoria, before realisation started to kick in.

I had a tough job ahead of me, re-establishing Book Ends, and the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint Trevor.

Mum had been speechless at first by my job announcement, but once the initial surprise had worn off, she was soon enthusing about it. “Well, I don’t see why you couldn’t make a go of it.” She’d cupped my face in her warm hands. “And as long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about.” Then she’d scooped me into her arms and wished me the best of luck, before insisting on cracking open a bottle of bubbly she located in the dining room cupboard.

My mind was already cartwheeling with potential ideas. Visions of paint colour charts flitted through my head. I would suggest that we abandon the heavy claret walls and go for something more modern.

I would set aside time with Trevor to discuss new colour schemes, the launch of the social media accounts, as well as advertising and promotional ideas.

I’d decided though, that my first priority should be a makeover for the shop.

And so later on that day, I gave Trevor a call and we arranged for me to drop by Book Ends at ten o’clock the following morning to discuss my ideas for the revamp with him.

Then I composed an email to Literati’s Human Resources department on my laptop, informing them I was giving my notice and fired it off, before contacting the Glasgow estate agents renting out my flat. I asked them to put it up for sale instead.

There was one lone student in the corner, hammering away on his laptop when I entered Book Ends the next morning.

A frisson of nerves rattled through me. I’d spent an excited but fretful night trying to sleep. Every so often, pictures of the bookshop entered my head, together with the judgemental expressions from the likes of Flora Simmonds and company.