Page 32 of The Bookshop By the Loch

My brain skittered. The more I allowed myself to think about it, the more I was coming to the swift conclusion that this was going to be one car crash of a business arrangement.

I was aware of Tobias searching my face.

“That seems sensible,” I managed.

Tobias indicated his head back towards the office door. “I’ll speak to your decorators now and get the ball rolling. If they’re too busy, I’ll recruit someone else, but it makes sense to try and use the same people.”

And with that, Tobias was on his feet and looming over me.

I stood up and he offered me his hand. His grip was firm but soft, and his eyes never left my face. A shock of something went through me, unexpectedly, so I tugged my hand away first. I didn’t want this. The more I thought about it, the more pessimistic thoughts crowded in on me. I yanked open the office door.

If I ensured I was busy with the bookshop and maintained my distance, it would be ok. Oh shit. Who was I kidding?

“After you,” he murmured.

“Thank you.”

I was relieved to escape from the confinement of the office and step back out onto the bookshop floor. My heart performed a leap of excitement as I took in the shop makeover being conjured up before my eyes.

Tobias’s mobile started ringing. “Excuse me a second,” he said, striding away from me towards the shop door.

My attention followed his retreating back.

“Everything alright?” Trevor’s voice made me jump. “I knew I shouldn’t have gone to Coleen Hegarty’s. I think I’ve just eaten my own bodyweight in lemon cake.”

I grinned at him. “With all the rambling you do, you’ll soon burn that off.”

“As long as you don’t mean rambling of the talking variety.”

He indicated to Tobias, who was still on his phone. “How did it go? No shouting matches or pistols at dawn?”

I explained about our agreement to share the same re-opening date. “And he already has plans to have his section of the shop redecorated. He’s even chosen a name for his new gallery here; Mirror Image.”

“Oh, he was always a very focused young man. Even when he was small, he was very determined. You might even say pig-headed…” His voice tailed off. Then he recovered himself. “And is this alright with you, Lexie? I know it’s all rather sudden.”

Despite my festering apprehension, I nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Ha. Maybe if I repeated it to myself often enough, I might start believing it.

Trevor swiped off his spectacles, gave them a thorough clean with a paisley cloth he produced from his trouser pocket and tucked it back in there after he’d finished. “I do appreciate this, Lexie.”

“That’s alright. It’s the least I could do after the opportunity you’re giving me.”

Tobias was still prowling up and down outside the bookshop window, talking into his phone.

I offered Trevor beside me a brief glance. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what made you change your mind?”

“Sorry? I don’t follow.”

“About helping Tobias. You told me that you weren’t very close.”

Trevor squirmed away. “It just seemed a sensible solution,” he babbled. “On reflection. You know, all things considered, like his stake in the shop…” His voice tailed off. He let out a self-conscious cough. “Right. Let’s get this show on the road. Ready to start selling books? I stashed the pasting table up in the loft.”

“All ready when you are,” I replied. Then I turned to Tobias, who had just finished his call. “Care to make yourself useful, Mr Black?”

I festered for the next couple of days about this awkward situation I found myself in, but focused on our continued book discount selling.

Some of the titles were more popular than others, but it was gratifying to see the book-loving public of Bracken Way making a point of dropping by to browse the discounted titles.

Deciding early that Wednesday morning that Tobias Black wouldn’t get the upper hand or intimidate me from honouring my promise to Trevor, I took myself down to Book Ends for some thinking time, before we began day three of our discount book sale.