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Naturally, I’d confided in my best friend that I had to face Chris at the bookstore. Even if I hadn’t, she’d have known something was bothering me, if not on the phone, when I met her later.
Penny worked as an art curator at a gallery a few stores down from mine, and lunch was our thing. She’d called my cell phone a few minutes ago to confirm our lunch date.
“I’m breathing just fine,” I said calmly, rearranging the bestsellers again. “There should be more of a blend between the new books and the classics.”
Grampa walked by, pushing a cart filled with books to restock. “Great job, Savannah. That looks lovely.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
He tilted his head. “Yep, you can stop messing with them and get ready for Chris. He should be here any minute.”
I frowned as my shoulders slumped. “Okay, Grampa.”
He winked and chuckled as he walked away.
Penny snorted in my ear. “Text me if you need to be rescued. I have back-to-back meetings this morning, so I need to go.”
“All right. Bye,” I said with a pout.
“You’ll do fine.”
We ended the call, and the nervous energy festering inside me returned to life. Chris and I didn’t do fine anymore. Most of our conversations turned to arguments—no one needed to witness that, especially not customers. Luckily the bookstore was usually empty that early in the morning.
I sighed and returned to the register to sip on the latte I’d brought to work that morning and had left to go cold while I stayed busy. I closed my eyes, letting the vanilla and hazelnut flavor wash over me. It was damn good, even at room temperature.
Making myself a fancy caffeinated drink was how I usually started my mornings. I’d worked as a barista at a coffee shop near the university during my last year of my undergrad, and I wanted to bring some of that training and talent to Sparks.
There’s nothing like a good coffee and a great book.
After I’d gotten my moment of peace, I saw Chris approach the front door. He noticed his reflection in the window and slowed his steps to fix his hair.
Maybe he didn’t wake up looking perfectly sexy and irresistible. He had to try like the rest of us.
The bell jingled over the door when he opened it, and he glanced around, nodding in acknowledgment to Grampa before his eyes swept the rest of the floor. He looked at the ceiling and inspected the entire area before his gaze landed on me.
And for a moment, it felt like my heart had stopped.
I quickly turned away from him, and my cardigan caught on the corner of the book display. I tugged it free, and my arm swung too hard, knocking over half the books I’d worked so hard to place correctly.
Great, just what I needed.
“Need help?” Chris asked, appearing by my side to help collect the fallen books.
“Yeah, thanks,” I grumbled.
We worked quietly, arranging the books. Chris asked me where I wanted each item, and it felt nice to tell him what to do for once. I also couldn’t help noticing the way his muscles flexed with each movement, causing my gaze to focus in on his arms and hands.
He’d always had such nice hands.
“Okay, crisis managed,” he said, returning the final book to its rightful place. He grinned at me. “I forgot how clumsy you can be.”
I huffed and crossed my arms. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of providing a retort. “Let’s start with the tour, shall we?” I gestured for him to follow me.
He fell silent as I showed him around the bookstore. We walked through the different sections, and he stayed observant and perceptive, taking everything in. I showed him where the coffee bar might work, close to the register but along the back wall. The bathrooms were on the left side, and a hallway leading to an office was on the right.
Chris nodded. “I like it. It’s a great idea.”
Once we were upstairs, talking became much more daunting. We were completely alone as we walked through the sections and shelves since most customers didn’t travel to the second floor. It hurt knowing we were giving this area up, but Grampa was right. We could reduce our inventory and move everything downstairs.
