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“Can’t believe that the museum fired you,” I sobbed.
“They were assholes to work for, baby. Have no doubt I’d begun looking for another job. Let’s take this inside, Sin. We’re making a scene,” Reid’s English accent clipped. I raised my head and saw Drake standing with a woman and Jett several feet away. I allowed Reid to shove me gently into the store. He kicked the door shut and held me while I cried in his arms.
“So, babe, what will we do here and with this?” Reid demanded, twenty minutes after I’d stopped crying and told him about the finances.
“Huh?” I asked, surprised.
“I’m all you have left. Sin, I am not leaving; I’ve dual citizenship, so there are no barriers to my staying. We’ll turn Dad’s business around, baby.” Reid grinned.
“You’ll stay?”
“Did you miss the part where I said it took a few days to pack my shit up and have it shipped?” Reid laughed, a teasing note in his voice.
“Yeah, I thought I was alone,” I replied softly.
Reid shook his head at me.
“You’ll never be freaking alone,” Reid cursed.
“You’re giving up everything to come here.”
“Don’t be daft. You know I’m going to stay. So, stop moping and put a plan together for us to make a living,” Reid said firmly.
“I sort of got an idea.”
“Talk to me, sweet girl.”
“I spoke to Dad about buying the store next door and knocking the walls down between them. Then putting a coffee, pastry, and sandwich counter in, possibly serving hot snacks, chilli, and jacket potatoes which I’d discovered a love for in England. Upstairs can be changed around, making study booths with computer desks.”
“You can’t make this an internet café,” Reid denied, shaking his head. “That will ruin the atmosphere here.”
“No, not at all. Upstairs has wooden panels, same as here, and it’s just been left empty. I thought about creating a library space. Kids in local colleges and universities often struggle with reading material. If we convert the space to a library atmosphere and have books the students can’t get at their college/university libraries, we’ll have customers. If we include several study nooks with computers and some desks like the Bodleian, it can work for us. Shift the bookcases around down here, keep the panelling, and set up seating areas amongst strategically placed shelves. That will increase book sales. Turn the upper level of the new store into a storeroom.”
Reid grabbed my hand, yanked me outside, and dragged me to look next door. Together we peered through the dirty glass, and Reid gave a sharp nod.
“The shop is one and a half times bigger than the Reading Nook. I can purchase this, Sin, and we could do it.” Reid put a palm up. “If not, you buy this, and I’ll work for you as a manager or something,” Reid suggested.
I looked at him.
“You’re all I have left, Reid. I believed I was alone because you were in England,” I said in a small, sad voice.
Anger crossed Reid’s expression as I repeated my words, and he reaffirmed his earlier point.
“The only thing that stopped me moving out here sooner was the fact Dad was here, and I was selling my house anyway this year. I’ll never let you be alone, sweet girl,” Reid growled. I touched his face gently and then carried on with my plan, not knowing what to say, considering Reid’s raw emotion. Emotion always made me awkward.
“We could expand the rare book and manuscript sales. How about… you can take the lead with those? Both of us have experience and outstanding reputations, but you’re approachable. We need to hire a shop manager and staff, devise a layout plan, and get an architect.” I bit my lip, suddenly overwhelmed at what lay before us.
“Got to learn to lean on me, Sin; I leant on you enough. Years ago, I told you, you’re stuck with me. I meant it,” Reid swore, holding my hand, and I clenched his tight.
“This is a massive undertaking.”
“Yeah, but we can do it. The question is, Sin, do you want my buy-in or me as your employee? I’m good either way.” My darling Reid, always happy to take a backseat to my needs. I wondered when the last time was that I’d told him I loved him.
“Together, Dad would have liked that.” No doubt in my mind, Dad would have been overjoyed at Reid and me working together. I’d expected to be alone here. Never thought Reid would drop everything and come. Reid’s job had been demanding. He worked at a famous museum in London. At the cost of his career, he’d dropped it all for me, and I was deeply touched.
We’d met at Oxford, both of us studying much the same courses, except Reid had also gone into archaeology. We had studied together, two lost souls, although Reid was four years older than me. I’d seen Reid through relationship drama after relationship drama, good times and bad, and he’d been there for the shy, reserved girl I’d been. Friendship became family. Reid had a tragic life. His parents, content to be blue-collar workers, hadn’t understood their child’s brilliance. Reid’s brothers followed their father into construction, so a son wanting to go to university and study archaeology caused upset. They cruelly cut Reid off and out of their lives.
Reid had several papers published, and he’d been working on a book the last time we’d spoken. I’d given Reid all the pent-up love and encouragement I had buried within me. Father approved of the young English man who was out of his depth and spent hours with Reid. Dad admired Reid like a son and always made time to speak to Reid weekly through Skype. Reid had taken to Dad like a trooper, and he’d loved Dad. Sadly, I realised Reid was dealing with his own sorrow. Reid’s face looked slightly ravaged, and his skin had a slight pallor. I knew he, too, was grief-stricken, but nothing mattered to Reid but me and the plans.
