Page 41 of The Bookshop Ladies

‘Don’t worry, if you’d prefer, I can take care of the publicity,’ Joy said.

‘Of course.’ Robyn smiled at her and made a mental note to double-check with Shane that he was doing some trays of food for them.

Later that day, when he called in, Shane suggested going to the local hotel on the square. Joy said that was a great idea and when Shane rang, the manager was happy to organise a couple of decent bottles of plonk at a reasonable price, he’d even throw in some decent glasses for the evening. Usually, if there was an event, the community centre came to the rescue, but Joy was insisting on glasses that didn’t look as if they’d been through the wars and back. The whole thing needed to send out a certain message. Robyn agreed, she wanted people to see her bookshop as welcoming, as accessible, but also as somewhere that was a desirable place to while away the time. After all, books should be about escaping the mundane and stepping into worlds you didn’t want to leave. She wanted her bookshop to be like that.

‘Well, what do you think?’ Shane was watching her as if she was the most interesting exhibit in the zoo. He had popped his latest chocolate creation into her mouth for testing. ‘I’m going to call them thepaint balls,’ he said with a smirk. ‘Too much?’

‘God, no, they’re delicious.’ They really were, small but perfect rolled-up bursts of white chocolate in a very heavy dark chocolate coat. ‘But why the name?’

‘I’ve made them for Thursday, when your artists are all set up, I’m going to take out two complimentary plates of them to be passed round and glasses of tap water – hopefully, the weather will hold.’

‘And if they want to order coffee…’ she laughed; obviously, Joy had been sharing her words of wisdom with Shane too.

‘I’ll happily deliver, it’s not exactly my busiest time, usually, I’m just wiping down after the day, getting things set for the following morning. It’s no problem.’ He smiled and she realised, he really was a great guy.

‘Such a pity he’s gay,’ her mother had said a few days earlier.

‘Not really.’ And Robyn meant it. She wasn’t in the market for romance with anyone but Kian.

She needed good friends around her and since they’d started to set out the chairs each day and Shane had offered to unfurl and tidy back the canopy every evening, they had got to know each other better. Now, after he finished up for the day, he dropped by and browsed around the bookshop, usually just for a chat, but sometimes, they would talk about books. It was an easy relationship and Robyn valued it even more now that it didn’t feel as if Kian was as available. Kian. Sometimes it felt as if he was a million miles away and not just up the road. Shane waved his hand in front of her face.

‘Sorry, I was miles away.’

‘Nick has said he’ll be here for your reception.’ Of course, Robyn had heard all about Nick, Shane’s boyfriend. It was early days, they’d met online and he worked as a solicitor in Dublin, so carving out time to meet up was proving challenging. ‘Only adding to the excitement when we do, though, right?’

‘Have you told him he’ll be helping to pass around finger food on the night?’ Joy asked.

‘Please, Joy, hors d’oeuvres,’ he rolled his eyes, making fun of her, ‘and no, I haven’t told him yet, I’m picking my moment.’ Shane was leaning against the counter. ‘So, whatdoyou think?’ he gestured at the artist balls again.

‘I think they are too good to give away, but, if you must then, definitely, they will be going to a very good home.’

‘Great. I’ll make a few batches for Thursday. It’s all about making people feel welcome and valued, isn’t it really?’ he looked at Joy again.

‘It’s the first rule and final commandment, if you want to stay in business.’ Although, it was obvious that Shane’s business had been booming from the first day he opened his doors. Everyone loved him. His generosity was genuine, it was just part of who he was and maybe that was why Robyn had found herself liking him so much from the very start.

It was almost two weeks since Robyn had spoken to Kian. She had put him off several times, not answering the phone and then sending a text to say she’d call when she had a free minute. The truth was, she couldn’t face talking to him, hearing all about the great romance, he wouldn’t mean to go on, but even thinking about Imogene was draining.

‘Ah, so I’m being honoured with an actual phone call.’ Kian laughed. ‘I presume all this being too busy to talk to me is down to the bookshop?’

‘Of course,’ and it rankled just a bit that he didn’t assume it was down to her meeting some hunk and being head over heels in love too. ‘Of course it’s the bookshop, what else would it be?’

‘Well who knows, you might have decided to adopt a dog or take over the town council.’ He was still smiling, she could hear it in his voice, and she imagined him sitting back in his easy chair and closing his eyes while he spoke.

‘Neither, actually, we’ve been organising some events in the shop.’

‘We?’

‘I told you about Joy.’ Honestly, did he not remember?

‘Of course, the American you hired by accident.’ He started to laugh. He’d always made fun of her social awkwardness – in a good way, she didn’t mind, he was never cruel.

‘Yes, something like that,’ she said, but if she’d ever doubted synchronicity, she knew she believed in it now. ‘She’s quite brilliant; actually, the best thing I’ve ever done was hiring her.’

‘Really, well, that’s good. But it doesn’t seem to have freed you up any more than before, I thought you’d be visiting me every weekend and…’ he stopped because maybe he had an inkling that having Imogene around now meant that three was a crowd, or maybe she had already begun trying to come between them.

‘Well, I might yet, but not while it’s so busy. Honestly, we’ve had our best weeks since you were down here last; it’s been non-stop.’ And so, because Kian didn’t seem to have very much to say, she told him all about the reading chairs and the artists’ circle. She told him about the bookshop reception, probably more of an official opening launch because she’d never actually had one of those to start with, and then she told him about Shane.

‘Should I be jealous?’ Kian sounded a little put out.

---