Page 88 of Playing By Ear

“We won’t stay long, right? I want plenty of time at the market.” He needed something beautiful to fill his bookshelf, lest its emptiness remind him of lost delights.

“Market’s open for three more hours.”

“Right.” Perry tightened his grip on the umbrella as the wind tried to yank it from his hand. “I’m a slow shopper, though.”

It wasn’t just his desire for a leisurely browse that made him not want to linger at Katie’s bookshop. Being surrounded by books he could no longer read might make Perry want to burn the whole place down.

Perhaps he should have waited a week or two before giving away his books. A quick check this morning showed his visual acuity had improved slightly from last night—he could still read words on his desktop magnifier set to max—so the post-match fatigue had been a factor in his decline.

But not a big enough factor. The new reality was, he could no longer read a book without hurting himself. Best to banish the pain sources before they could tempt him to cling on in false hope.

A bell clanged as the door swept open. “Hey, guys!” cried a cheery American voice—Katie, he assumed. “Welcome to Pages Upon Pages!”

“Hello.” Perry signaled for Jamie to proceed him with the trolley. “Thanks for making time for us on such short notice.”

“My pleasure. Things are pretty slow here on Sundays. And every other day that ends in day.”

As Perry entered the bookshop, that vanilla-almond scent of aged paper met his nose. He took off his sunglasses to scan the place with greedy eyes, taking in warm track lighting and dark flooring—likely hardwood, based on its sound and feel. The front of the shop seemed open and clear, but if he went much farther, he sensed, he’d be swallowed by shelves.

Swallowed by shelves. There’d been a time when nothing would have made him happier. Running fingertips over spine after spine…

“Perry, this is Katie. Katie, Perry. See what I did there? Been saving that one.”

“You are such a goofball,” Katie said, “and that’s why I love you.”

Perry moved toward her. “You were brilliant in yesterday’s match. John said you left Balornock’s attackers with more than a few bruises.”

“It was a total team effort, as always,” she said as she shook his hand with infectious exuberance.

Jamie pulled the tarp off the trolley with a loud plastic rustle.

“Whoa, look at them all!” Katie started pawing through one of the bags. “Oh my God, is this Beckett trilogy a first edition?”

“Autographed,” Perry managed to say before his throat tightened. How could he let these books go? Even if he could no longer read them, he could still touch them, hold them, know they were his.

“Jamie, can you wheel these to that little nook at the back of the shop?” she asked. “That’s where we sift through collections to see what we can buy.”

“I don’t want money for them,” Perry said. “Just keep them all.” And let me escape this place.

“Well, normally we don’t—” Katie cut herself off. Perhaps Jamie had given her a silent signal? “That’s incredibly generous of you. I insist you stay for a cuppa as a token of my appreciation, and as proof that four years in Scotland have taught me a tiny bit about hospitality.”

Every part of Perry urged him to leave, except the part raised to be polite. “That would be lovely, thanks.”

“There’s a red comfy couch about ten feet behind you. Watch out for the coffee table in front of it.”

He found the sofa as Katie and Jamie headed toward the back of the shop, loudly reliving last night’s party.

Perry took advantage of his solitude to explore his surroundings with his hands. Sighted people were often unsettled by having their furniture fondled.

The couch was made of worn leather, the sort one could sink into and become a part of for hours. The seat of the center section beside him was beginning to crack.

Shifting his feet, Perry found the leg of the coffee table. It had a glass surface surrounded by a carved wooden edge, its ornate design rising a few inches high, which no doubt prevented objects from sliding off.

Soon the rattle of Jamie’s trolley wheels approached.

“Tea time.” Katie set a tray on the table in front of them. Jamie sat beside him and squeezed his knee.

Perry smiled up at Katie as he thanked her. “Your shop smells amazing.”