Page 72 of Check You Out

“Sure,” she replies, and scrunches her nose at her computer. “Can I put you to work? I’ve got admin stuff to do.” She rubs the bridge of her nose. “I’ll give you a paperback.”

I nod, and she hands me several order sheets. “If you could pull these and put them on our orders shelf, that would be great. Stick the order label in the books so we can see the name when they’re picked up or shipped. If they’re not on the shelf, they’re in storage, and you can just leave those here, and I’ll grab them later.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I reply and grab the proffered papers. “I’ve always wanted to work in a bookstore.” I want to offer something else as collateral, something a bit more physical. But it stays lodged in my throat.

“Only if you keep calling me ma’am.” She winks.

“Yes, ma’am. I accept payment in books or coffee.”

“Anything else?” Charlotte raises an eyebrow and leans over the counter. I can see the promise of her breasts.

After last night’s passionate make out session, I feel things heading to a steamier conclusion. I want that. I really do. But I’m nervous, incredibly nervous. It’s been a while since I’ve had sex with anyone. What if she finds me lacking? What if I screw up?

I swallow, my mouth suddenly going dry as my shorts tighten. “Well, I guess maybe you could add pizza as one of those things. A sausage and pineapple pizza?”

“And?” She tilts her head to the side.

“M-m-maybe we could discuss bonuses once we’re both finished?” I stutter out.

Charlotte nods and turns back to her work. “You’re right.” She points a pen in my direction. “I’m getting distracted when I really need to finish this up.”

We work in silence for a few minutes. I’m midway through pulling an order off the shelf when Charlotte says, “It was interesting meeting your dad. He seems nice, but I know you’ve told me differently. How are things going?”

“Things are fine,” I say and gather the remaining books in my arms. “It’s kind of weird how well things are going. I go into every interaction expecting him to call me a failure at life or to ridicule me, but it hasn’t happened, yet.” I set the books on the counter and rest my hands on the wood. “Am I wrong for worrying that something bad is going to happen?”

She leans over the counter, and I reluctantly divert my eyes from her chest. “Given your history, it makes sense that you’re still anxious about it.” She reaches out to rest her hand on mine. “Your feelings are valid.”

Moistures pools in my eyes, and I blink a few times. “Thank you,” I croak out. “We should change the subject. It’s illegal to be sad in a bookstore.”

She presses her lips together and tilts her head from side to side like she’s pondering the thought. “You’d be surprised.” Her nose scrunches and I want to kiss away the frustration. “If one doesn’t have enough money to buy books, then one is sad in a bookstore. I’ve seen it happen.”

I study her. “Really?”

She nods, and a radiant smile spreads across her face. “But then the customer gets happy because I direct them to the library. Many people don’t realize that any Maryland resident can get a library card from any library, even if they don’t live in the county or jurisdiction.” All too suddenly, that smile dies on her face and she frowns. “What am I going to do if the library closes? I won’t be able to send people up the hill anymore.”

Within two steps, I’m at her side. My hands grip her upper arms, and my finger pads caress her soft skin.

“Hey Charlotte,” I murmur. “Look at me.” She doesn’t, and her shoulders start to heave. Droplets form on her eyelashes, and I know that I’m losing her to a wave of sadness and potential defeat. I envelope her in my arms and tuck her head under my chin, whispering soft words of comfort as the waterworks fall. We stand there for several minutes, our bodies rocking gently back and forth.

“I know. I know,” I coo into her hair. “You’re doing everything you can. You’re doing great job. Everything will be ok.” I run my hand over her back and shoulder. “Everything will be ok.”

After a few minutes, Charlotte sniffles and takes a step back from me, but she still lingers in my arms. “Thank you,” she whimpers out. “I needed that.”

I hook my thumb under her chin and tip her face up to meet my gaze. “Hey, look at me. Everything is going to be ok. We’re doing all we can with the library, and we’re doing our best to make sure it stays open.”

“But what if we fail? What if it closes? I can’t afford to lose my store too.”

My fingers graze against the skin of her jaw. “Then we’ll adapt and figure things out.”

“But my business? My dad’s legacy?” Her gaze travels from my face to the walls of the store. “It’s all I have. I mean, yeah, I have Thelma, but she’s not very helpful, and I’ve got Nicole, but she’s always busy with her own work. I don’t have a backup plan. This isn’t just my job.” She heaves in a gulp of air. “This is my life.”

My hand drifts from her chin to her cheek, and I wipe away a track of tears. “You have me now. We’ll figure it out.”

She sniffles again before wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling herself close. “Thank you,” she whispers into my chest. She breathes heavily a few more times before she steps out of my embrace. “Thank you for being there for me. You’re a really great—”

She’s cut off by the bell above the door twinkling, and a group of elderly ladies walk in. Panic sets in on Charlotte’s face, and she quickly tries to dry her tears. Her face is red and splotchy, giving away the fact that she was crying just a few minutes ago.

“Go,” I say, pushing her toward the office. “I’ll take care of them.”