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Tessawatchedthetickingclock above the horror section, anticipating closing time. Today was the day that she and Daniel had decided on for their first date. It was weird—she had been on plenty of dates before—but she felt a bit nervous. It was like she was a schoolgirl again, stealing glances at her crush.
Not much had changed in her interactions with Daniel. They still teased each other and bickered over books. Though he had finally confessed to her thatTwilighthad not been the disaster he was anticipating, he still found the vampire genre as a whole a little unnerving.
“She’s, like, seventeen, and he’s over a hundred. It’s creepy!” He had argued while they were reshelving the thriller section the day before.
Tessa had merely rolled her eyes at him, knowing that he just said these things to get a rise out of her. Though admittedly, the age gap was something she chose not to think about when it came to her vampire book.
As she waited, she pondered what the date would entail. Daniel had remained tight-lipped about the details, giving her mischievous looks occasionally throughout their working day. He had left early today, no doubt, to arrange the final details. She couldn’t deny that her excitement was growing.
“Excuse me?” A young woman was entering the shop, a quizzical expression on her face. “I was hoping you could help me find a book.”
Tessa splayed out her hands on the counter and stood up eagerly. “Then, you most definitely came to the right place, I’d say. Of course I can help.”
The woman nodded, seeming a bit distracted. “Thank you. It’s just—” She broke off with a sigh. “I am having the hardest time understanding my econ homework. The textbook that my professor requested we purchase goes a little over my head, and I need something more…”
“More for the layman?” Tessa provided.
The woman’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Exactly! The man is a genius, but I feel like he has no business teaching. He has a hard time breaking down concepts into understandable language.”
Tessa nodded, remembering her own time in college. Professors like that were very common. “Well, we have a book on basic economics by Dr. Rutherford. Though he is highly intelligent, he does a great job of bringing the concepts down to a basic level. It should be over in the finance section.”
With a relieved smile, the woman began to walk toward the indicated section. But she stopped in her tracks suddenly. She turned back around, her auburn bob swinging. “I just wanted to say—you’ve made such a wonderful addition to this shop.”
Tessa couldn’t fight the grin that came to her face. “Oh. Well, thank you. I love hearing that.”
The woman continued. “You are becoming a bit of a fixture here. Everyone is talking about how great your book recommendations are. Everything from economics to smutty romance, you know your stuff.”
Tessa didn’t know how to respond to that. She merely watched the woman head to the finance section as she sunk deep into thought. Therehadbeen an uptick of people entering the store in need of her recommendations. And she had been doing a great job of it, frankly. It was satisfying work, seeing the patrons leave with their treasured books.
It was strange. The more she recommended books, the more Tessa felt like she was beginning to fit into the fabric of the town. She had found her niche, and it was appreciated by all those she met. In fact, Tessa had begun to recognize certain regulars on sight and often had the perfect book already ready to go for them.
When her life had crumbled in the wake of being fired, Tessa couldn’t have dreamed that she would find her calling in a small, out-of-the-way town. But here she was, simply thriving in the environment. Could it be possible that this place was beginning to feel something like a home?
The thought nagged at her the entire time she was ringing the woman up for her purchase and stayed with her much longer. As she rearranged the romance section, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had finally found a place where she truly belonged.
When closing time came, she locked up the shop and headed to the boarding house to change. Daniel had merely told her to dress up a little but nothingtoofancy as they would be staying in Lucas.
The night air was breezy, kicking up dried leaves in her path. The way they twirled in the air was almost like magic, and it brought a slight smile to her lips. She didn’t rush back to the boarding house, instead choosing to take the long way. She had plenty of time, and she wanted to give herself room to think.
Today had been eye-opening, and she wanted time to revel in her newfound belonging. It felt good to be needed, to be appreciated. Her parents had been adventurous types, always packing up and moving every few years. While she had, at times, found the shiny newness of each new place exciting, eventually, it had begun to wear on her.
Despite her free spirit, there were times when she wished that she could settle into a place and really get to know her friends before having to depart again. Because of this, she had never reallyhadclose connections. But, for the first time, she saw herself staying in one place for a while.
These thoughts carried her through her walk to the boarding house. She was almost surprised when she arrived at the doorstep, as she had been lost in her daydreams. Stepping easily through the doorway, she breezed inside, greeting Patty with a smile.
“Ah, the woman of the hour!” Patty put down her pen and adjusted her glasses. “I hear you have a big date tonight.”
Tessa tried to fight a smile, but it broke through. “Yes, would you happen to know anything about our destination? Daniel has been quite mysterious about the whole thing.”
Patty held up her hands. “I plead the fifth. Let the boy surprise you. I haven’t seen him this excited about something in quite some time. You have really brought him to life.”
That simple notion sent a flutter through Tessa’s heart. Danielhadbeen a bit more spirited as of late, throwing caution to the wind—albeit in small doses—a bit more. Their friendship was blossoming into something more, and it left them both changed for the better, she believed.
“Well, I better head up and get ready,” Tessa finally said with a smile. “What do you think, pink or green for my dress?”
Patty studied Tessa for a moment, considering the options. “Green would bring out the blue of your eyes. You’d look like an absolute dream.”
Tessa blushed and nodded, “Green, it is. I’m gonna knock his socks off with my green sheath dress.”
