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This stuns Ruby just as much as the news of Bev and Molly. "Excuse me? Kids? What?"
"I grabbed the little punk by the back of his shirt," Tilly says, shrugging. "He had it shoved into the front of his shorts."
Ruby makes a pained face. "I guess I need more details on this."
"Don't worry, I burned the book after he pulled it out of his pants."
"Oh, god," Ruby says, putting a hand to her forehead.
"Couple of sixth graders were skipping school one day and they came in to browse, which looks suspicious enough on a Tuesday at eleven in the morning." Tilly is clearly relishing this story. "So these two boys disappear into the romance section, and all of a sudden they're finished and making a direct line for the door in a big hurry, and I know something is up."
"She totally called them out," Vanessa adds, nodding helpfully.
"I said, 'Hey, freeze. Now.' And they did." Tilly looks proud of herself. "Then I walked over and one of them tried to bolt, so I grabbed him. Told him to give me whatever he was stealing, and he pulled it out of his pants and tossed it on the ground before they both broke into a run and disappeared out the front door."
"Fifty Shades of Grey?" Ruby says, feeling completely lost. "I'm so confused. These kids have the internet. Why the hell would they be in here stealing a smutty book that came out more than a decade ago?"
"Beats me," Tilly says. "Everything old is new again? They wanted to be ironic? They got grounded from their phones? Someone dared them to do it?"
"Oh, maybe it's a TikTok challenge!" Vanessa adds excitedly.
"To steal books?" Tilly gives her a withering look.
"Well," Vanessa says, sounding defensive. "There was that old TikTok challenge to destroy school bathrooms."
"And the one to eat a teaspoon of dry cinnamon." Tilly nods as she considers this. "Which was about as idiotic as stealing books." She turns to Ruby. "So maybe that?"
"I'm so lost," Ruby says, looking between the two women. "But I guess we need to keep an eye on any kids coming in here alone just to make sure they aren't here to steal books and become internet famous."
"Stealing books from the First Lady's bookstore would definitely qualify as attention-worthy," Tilly agrees. "I'll watch them like a hawk."
"Great." Ruby sighs. "We've got that covered. What else did I miss?"
"Heather is getting more serious with that old guy she met on Christmas Key," Tilly says, ticking things off on her fingers as she goes. "Marigold and Cobb are good. They're always walking around, holding hands. It's kind of gross."
"It's not gross!" Vanessa looks lovestruck and daydreamy. "They're socute! I want to have a second chance at love like that."
"Girl, you need afirstchance at love," Tilly says and they both laugh, though Vanessa looks wistful.
"You are so right."
"So, hey!" Ruby says cheerfully. "We have big things coming up. Book club, obviously, and I've been talking to the guy who runs the bookstore on Christmas Key, and we're looking to collaborate on an author tour of sorts. I'll have things for both of you to do as we prepare for that, plus next month I really want to throw a big event, and that might be something we could work on together."
"What's the big event?" Tilly asks, looking suspicious. "It's not, like, anyonesbirthdayor anything, is it?"
Ruby blushes slightly. "In fact, it is. Both Banks and I are celebrating big birthdays, and I was hoping to do something super fun to celebrate."
"Is this the big five-oh?" Tilly cackles. "Oooh, you're getting up there, Mrs. H!"
Ruby would tolerate no one calling her "Mrs. H" aside from Tilly, but because it's coming from this prickly, disaffected, black nail polish-wearing nineteen-year-old, she just smiles. "In fact, it is the big five-oh--for both of us."
"Ideas?" Vanessa asks, sliding a notepad and a pen across the counter and starting to jot notes right then. "Just tell me what you want and I'll make it happen."
The women put their heads together and come up with a list of possibilities, at the top of which is a dinner cruise.
"I'm leaning that direction," Ruby says, chewing on her lower lip. "I think that would be incredible, having dinner on the water as the sun sets. What a perfect way to ring in the next decade of life. But I want us to think of this as a party for Banks, and not so much for me," Ruby says. She's never been big on parties where she's the center of attention, though she's certainly grown accustomed to it over the years as she served in an official capacity. Still, she prefers to plan this one with Banks in mind.
"As you wish," Vanessa says, writing a few more things on the note pad.
