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“Not bad,” Daniel said as he rang it up. “His work is among my favorites, actually. I would have pegged you more forTwilight.”
Tessa stiffened, and her lips pinched together for a moment before she said, “What’s wrong withTwilight?It created a complete shift in the genre. The vampire craze started for a reason, you know.”
Daniel slipped the book and the receipt in the bag, sliding it across the counter to her. “But… vampire baseball?”
She lifted her chin triumphantly. “So, you’ve read it?”
He shook his head with a laugh. “Wouldn’t be caught dead with it. I’ve seen the memes.”
Tessa’s eyes narrowed as she grabbed the bag. “You have been corrupted by the internet.”
“Maybe, but I don’t feel like I’m missing much. Spare me the dissertation on what makes it quality literature. It doesn’t hold up.” Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets. “Now, go give me an evening’s peace before coming in at 9 a.m. Okay?”
Tessa stuck her tongue out at him—brazen, that one—departed the store, taking her dog with her, who was currently wagging his tail in excitement. It occurred to him that he should probably have clarified to leave the dog at home. Something told him that wasn’t necessarily a given for Tessa.
***
Later that night, Daniel rested his arms on the bartop at McNamara’s, the one bar in town. After the chaotic cyclone that was Tessa ripped through the bookshop, he called his friend, Randy, to have a drink with him. As per usual, Randy was running late.
The bar wasn’t terribly busy. It was a Friday night, and the majority of the town was at the high school’s big football game. The Lucas Panthers were facing off against their rivals, the Bayside Barracudas. It promised to be a riveting game, but Daniel needed time to talk through the day’s events with his friend.
“Danny! My man!” The voice came from across the bar.
Randy was never one for a quiet entrance, Daniel mused. When he arrived somewhere, he wanted the entire place to know it. As he made his way through the bar, he shook hands and patted backs, greeting everyone with that winning smile. He bet Randy and Tessa would get along well. They had that same exuberant energy coming off of them in waves.
“Hey, bud,” Danny said, slapping his buddy on the back as he took a seat. “Glad you could carve some time out for me. Business going well over at the garage?”
Randy nodded and sat down, wiping his hands, still stained by a bit of oil, on his jeans. “Always, mi amigo. And my love life isn’t exactly struggling either.”
Daniel lifted an eyebrow at that, “Another date?”
A wide grin split Randy’s face, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You know it. Do you remember Penelope from high school? She was a freshman when we were seniors.”
“Vaguely.”
“Well, those braces came off, and it seems the acne cleared up. She is an absolute looker now.” His expression took on a faraway look.
Daniel shook his head and took a sip of his pale ale. “You are incorrigible.”
Randy held his hands to his chest as though he had been struck by a bullet. “If I knew what that meant, I might be really offended.” He flagged down the bartender and put in an order for a hazy IPA before turning back to Daniel. “So anyway, what was so urgent that you wanted to meet tonight?”
“Well, this woman came into the bookstore today and—”
“Wait,” Randy grinned wickedly. “This is about a woman? No wonder you came to me.”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so… you. I’m not considering having an ill-advised fling. She came in looking for a job.”
“Ooooh,thatwoman. Tessa something? Wren said she stopped by the newspaper, too. Asked about any open roles,” Randy nodded as the bartender came back and placed a beer bottle in front of him. “I saw her coming out of Agatha’s nursery. Seems like she was hitting up every business in town. She’s kinda cute.”
“Don’t go there,” Daniel rubbed a hand down his face. “She might be cute, but she is mayhem personified. She brought a dog into Turn the Page.”
Randy gasped in mock alarm. “And you didn’t ring the constable?” He asked in a terrible British accent. “So she’s a bit quirky. You could use a little excitement. Did you give her a job?”
Why does everyone think I need this woman around?“Yes, but my hand was forced.”
Randy chuckled, “Oh, good ol’ Martha. Well, I think it’ll be good for you. It’s gotta get lonely manning that store alone most days.”
Daniel grunted, still not convinced. Since when was everyone so worried about him manning the shop alone? He’d been doing it for years now since their part-timer Samantha had left after finishing up her classes at the local community college and moving on to a state school.
