Page 49 of The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove

The Booktokker, as I learned they’re apparently called, went off filming all around the shop and I could hear her shouting ‘Oh! Em! Gee! Look at all this fabulous merch! You can buy this all right here in the shop or order online. I’ll drop the link in the comments, book lovers! Come and get it before it all sells out.’

I’m not sure if poor old TikTok was ready for this very bewildered bookshop owner but I was so incredibly grateful to everyone that had come from near and far to be with me today. I knew that book bloggers and book influencers were book mad, but I had no idea how much they would love my little bookshop.

The event finished with a reading from a bestselling thriller author, who happened to also be local, and who, somehow, a friend of a friend knew. They’d very kindly offered to come and read from their latest blockbuster and do a meet and greet and signing. I’d bought a lot of copies of her books on a bit of a whim and luckily had got them on a sale or return basis, but I needn’t have worried because the shop was swamped with her fans and the books sold out entirely.

‘Your shop is stunning, Nancy. A proper little treasure trove. Thank you so much for having me. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve shared some pictures on my Instagram page. I couldn’t resist.’

‘I’m so grateful to you for coming,’ I said after she’d finished. ‘Your fans have not just bought your books, but others too. It’s been amazing to have you here.’

‘Yeah, they can be a bit overzealous where books are concerned. But it’s good for business. We have to support local bookshops like you, my dear. I’d love to chat to you about maybe a launch event next year if you fancy it. We could get my publisher involved and they could give you some promotional material and all sorts. Have a think and perhaps we can have a chat when it’s not quite so mad. I know lots of other authors too that might be interested. We’re always looking for somewhere we can show off our latest books. Some of us have huge egos that need pandering to, you know.’

She couldn’t have been further from a diva if she tried. I always put authors on a pedestal but the ones I’d met today were wonderful and down to earth and so complimentary about Books In The Bay. I honestly couldn’t believe that they had loved my shop as much as I did.

The day had absolutely flown by, and by the time I closed up, I’d made so many friends new and old, the till was fit to bursting with cash and Dan said that the card machine had been‘battered’. There were so many promises from people that they’d be back, book onto future workshops and I’d given away a whole bunch of fliers with our details on and the dates for the next book club. My book shells had also gone down a treat, with the authors asking if I could do some for all of their titles as a little memento that they could keep to recognise their achievements.

I would have to do a huge restock tomorrow. A lot of the shelves were showing big gaps and the shelving unit with the stationery and book-related jewellery was completely out of stock. It was a good job I had a couple of days before the shop opened up again to place some orders and get the shelves replenished.

I couldn’t have been happier with the results of our relaunch and I literally could not stop grinning. Dennie was right. It was a bloody good idea! A huge success.

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After locking the shop door, I flung myself into the wing-back armchair in the bay window, closed my eyes and gave the biggest sigh of my life.

A loud pop snapped me back to the here and now and the glug, glug, glug of glasses being filled was music to my ears. Dennie had somehow managed to produce a bottle of chilled Dom Perignon and six glasses.

‘Here you go, my darling. I think you’ve deserved this.’

Mum handed me a glass of champagne and passed them around to everyone that was left in the shop.

‘Darling, you are wonderful and brave and bold and fabulous and Theresa would be absolutely thrilled that you’ve had this day. What a brilliant day. To Nancy.’

We all raised our glasses and when Vi got hers, she necked the lot in one.

‘Nan, that’s really expensive, you know.’

‘I know, bloody gorgeous too! Got any more? My throat’s as dry as an eighty-one-year-old’s fanny. And trust me. I know.’

‘Oh my God. I’d like to apologise for my dear old grandmother, folks. She’s incorrigible.’

‘No need to apologise for me, lad. At my age, I don’t give a shit what people think of me. Shame I didn’t feel like this years ago. Might not have wasted a lot of my life trying to change to please others.’

She did make an excellent point.

‘Well, I’d also like to thank Dennie for all his help with the shop,’ I said, raising my glass. ‘It’s his ideas and business acumen that’s put me on the right track and I’m really grateful.’

‘I bet you are.’ Vi guffawed.

‘To Dennie.’ I raised my glass and we locked eyes and grinned at each other. He nodded back at me, his eyes not leaving mine as he brought his champagne flute to his lips.

‘Oh, get a room, you two, for God’s sake!’ Dan grinned at us.

We’d been sharing ‘looks’ all day and didn’t realise that anyone had cottoned on. I hadn’t even said anything to Mum yet.

Vi was having none of it.

‘Oh, Christ. Just kiss the girl, will you, Dennis. We all know you spent the night with her last night. Rogering her senseless no doubt. Coming home this morning with a dirty great grin on your face, looking absolutely shattered. Lucky bugger!’

The shame I felt was reflected in the heat that was rising in my body, and I could feel the flush going up my neck into my face.

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