Page 12 of Ice Queen

“There’s a group of hockey players who play for the Hawks that come in all the time. One of them started a book club to win back his now-wife. I guarantee you’re about to be very busy.” She tosses me a saucy wink, shimmying her shoulders at the same time.

Hockey players? Book club? A laugh bursts from me at the thought. I mean, I’ve read it in books on multiple occasions, but I didn’t think it was actually a thing. These big, burly, aggressive men reading the smuttiest of books? Yeah, I’d pay good money to see that.

“You think I’m kidding…” Her head shakes with a soft laugh. “I had to listen to Greyson and Lucas complain about a book that Tatum, Greyson’s brother, who plays for the Strikers Soccer team, picked. Something about alien reproductive organs and having too many of them.”

I feel my face heat. Never in a million years did I think I’d be hearing about alien dicks from the sweet little old lady from across the street.

“Oh, come on, Kaitlyn. You’re not some prude, are you? You just opened a romance book store. You can’t be blushing every time a male appendage is mentioned.”

“OH MY GOD, MARIA!” I screech, covering my face as I laugh harder than I have in years. This woman has played such a big role in making me feel at home. I’ve never told anyone about my life before I made it here, but she’s never pushed for it. Just loved me through the numerous insecurities and fears that follow me around like a shadow.

Peeking through my fingers, I see her fighting back tears as she tries to hold in her own laughter. My chest fills with warmth, but I choose to ignore the organ responsible for it.

Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I pull her into me. “Thank you for being the best neighbor a girl could ask for,” I whisper.

“Ay, knock that off. You deserve all the best,” she says, picking up a bag off the floor that I didn’t notice until now. My stomach clenches, and not out of hunger for the things I know are in there. But the fact that I didn’t notice it was there.

My eyes immediately dart around the store, my palms getting clammy as I open and close them to try to ground myself.

“Iced coffee, muffins, and guava and cheese pastries.” Her voice floats through my mind, a hook that slowly pulls me back to the present and not the top of a slide I was staring down. Holding them out to me, I take them from her with a soft thank you, but before she can say anything else, the door opens again.

“Good luck today, Kait. You’ve got this.” She shoots me a thumbs-up and a quick wink.

Nodding, I place the food down behind the register and greet the guests who just walked in. “Hi, ladies. My name’s Kaitlyn, welcome in.” My toes curl in my shoes to keep me from rocking back on my heels. “Is there something I can help you find?”

“Do you have this special edition?” One of them asks, her eyes shining as she turns her phone around to show me what she’s asking for.

My stomach drops because I know I don’t. “Um…” I stammer. “I don’t think so, but I can double-check, and if we don’t, I have no problem seeing if we can’t get it for you.”

Her smile falters. She schools it quickly, but not quickly enough for me to miss.

“No, it’s okay.” Her nose wrinkles over the bridge, before she lets out a breath of a laugh. “It’s super hard to find. I was just hoping you had it. Do you have any other special editions?”

I nod, my hands wringing in front of me. “Of course, we have a whole section.” I lead her and her friend to the corner stocked with all the Special Editions we have. She gasps and trails her fingers along the spines.

“Oh, man.” Her soft, airy chuckle gives me a small sense of peace. “When the book girlies of Tampa realize what a gold mine you have going on here, you’re going to be bone dry in this section in minutes.”

She pulls out her phone and snaps a few pictures, her friend takes a couple of videos of her flipping through the page, and then they turn to me. “We’re PAs for Alexandria James.”

My jaw drops at the mention of one of my favorite authors. She’s a freaking magician. One who brings a healthy dose of trauma, mixed with the ultimate green flag men. The girls chuckle. “She’s local. I’m sure she’d love to sign here when her next book comes out if you do author signings.”

I look up at the ceiling, willing the tears to stay at bay. There is no way this is how day one is going. Looking back at them, my lips tremble slightly as I choke back my emotions. “I’d love to have her. Author signings were something I was going to try to incorporate next year, but wow…” My voice trails off. If the silver-eyed man could see me now, I hope he’d be proud.

“I’d really like that.” Clearing my throat, I hitch my thumb over my shoulder. “I actually have a space back here that I wasn’t sure what to do with. It’s set up kind of like an office, well, more open than an office would be.”

Shoot, I’m rambling. Sweat starts to bead on the back of my neck. They could say no, that’s the worst that could happen. Right? They won’t think I’m being too pushy, or too, I don’t know, a fan girl? “If you ever needed a change of scenery, or something,” I add, hoping to play it off like it’s not a big deal.

They exchange looks, and I internally cringe. Here it comes. The big, “Oh, thank you, but no thank you.”

“That would be awesome. I mean, can we bring drinks in? Crippling caffeine addictions and all that.” She jokes. “I’m Camille, by the way. This is Natasha.”

Her hand comes up to shake mine, and I feel my entire body relax. “Kaitlyn, it’s nice to meet you. And yes, caffeine is a necessity. Bring whatever you’d like.”

We exchange numbers, and they take a few more pictures around the shop while I help some other guests. Soon, my fear of making a bad impression merges into pride in my ability to talk and relate to so many different people.

By the end of the day, my cheeks hurt from how much I’ve smiled, but I honestly can’t wait to snuggle up with a bowl of popcorn and watch Chopped.

I let out a contented sigh, plopping down into the big comfy chair in my office. It’s one of those big ergonomic, high-backed chairs that are so fluffy you could fall asleep in it at any given time.