Page 6 of Hot Girls Date Shifters

It’s my favorite perk of being my own boss.

I flip the sign to CLOSED and rinse out the mug from my chai latte. The bookstore can close early once in a while.

I switch off the lights one section at a time until only the warm glow from the front windows remains.

Then I lock the front door and set the alarm.

Outside, the summer air is cool and fragrant. Most people would take the sidewalk home.

Not me.

There's a shortcut through the woods behind Main Street.

Ten peaceful minutes beneath towering pines and ancient oaks.

Normally, it's my other favorite part of the day.

No customers.

No invoices.

No emails.

No social media.

Just me, the whisper of the wind through the leaves, and the comforting feeling that the world is far bigger and more magical than most people ever allow themselves to believe.

I know.

That probably sounds a little woo-woo—especially considering I own an occult bookstore. But I swear the woods have a soul.

Every evening I walk this path, I feel myself let go of another piece of stress. And by the time I reach my little rental apartment that sits atop a detached garage, I can finally breathe again.

Maybe that's why I moved to Barvale in the first place.

Five years climbing the corporate ladder at one of the country's biggest pharmaceutical companies had nearly broken me.

Business trips.

Connecting flights.

Hotels.

Conference rooms with no windows.

Twelve-hour days spent chasing numbers that never seemed to matter.

I was constantly exhausted.

Constantly anxious.

And despite making more money than I'd ever dreamed possible, I wasn't happy.

My love life wasn't exactly thriving either.

Let's just say dating apps and airport lounges aren't where soulmates are made.

The turning point came somewhere over Ohio.