Page 33 of Slow Burn Summer

“Thanks,” she sighed, downcast and feeling like a fool. “I’ll, umm, I’ll have a read of the back.”

“That Kate Davison one might come in at some point, you never know.” He shrugged. “Just a case of keep checking, really.”

He walked away, leaving her holding his book recommendations, and she stood in the deserted aisle and looked from side to side, deflated and embarrassed in her fancy new dress. She should have taken H’s advice to set her expectations low more seriously.

“Did he find it?” Liv said, returning with milk.

“Not exactly.” Kate showed her the books he’d left her with. “Gave me these instead.”

“What?” Liv’s annoyance was instant. “Where did he go? I’ll ask him to look again, it must be here somewhere.”

Kate put a hand on her sister’s arm. “Can we just leave?” Her voice threatened tears, startling them both.

“But—”

“I know,” Kate said. “Let’s just try somewhere else. Please?”

Liv scowled, ready for battle, then dumped the milk on a random shelf and stalked away, shooting daggers at the guy’s back as he filled the magazine rack, oblivious.

—

They were luckier second timearound. Copies weren’t on the shelf yet but a girl working on the display produced several from a pull-out drawer beneath the book stand.

“This one, you mean?” she said.

Kate pressed a hand against her heart. “Yes, that’s it,” she breathed, taking all three copies. “Thank you.”

“I was just about to put them out, actually,” the assistant said. “It’s change-over day.”

“Someone should tell that to the guy at the last store,” Liv muttered.

Kate handed the books back. “For the shelf,” she said.

“Can I film you putting them out?” Liv said.

The wary look in the assistant’s eyes reminded them they hadn’t made a great job of explaining themselves.

“She’s the author.” Liv nodded toward Kate.

The assistant looked down at the cover then up at Kate, unconvinced. “You’re Kate Darrowby?”

Kate was starting to feel awkward again. “I am, yes. Look, we’ll go and do a bit of shopping, come back when you’re done.”

Liv shot her an incredulous let-me-take-this-from-here look.“It’d be cool to film them going on the shelf for Kate’s social media, if you don’t mind?” She checked the girl’s name badge. “Claire?”

Claire’s silence had Liv flipping her phone around to show her Kate’s official author page and headshot. The assistant narrowed her eyes and zoomed in on Kate’s picture with two fingers, then clocked Kate’s cover-themed dress. Strapless silk really was too much for the supermarket run, but this was Kate’s one and only chance for a debut author shelfie and she’d gone all out.

“My nails match too,” Kate said, holding her hands out as evidence. It was enough to tip the balance.

“Yeah okay, go on then, if you’ll tag me in the pics. I run a book blog so it’ll be cool for my Insta.” Claire dug a lip gloss out of her trouser pocket and slicked some on. “Shall I say something first or just shelve them?”

“Just do whatever you’d normally do,” Liv said. “Pretend we’re not here.”

They stood back and watched Claire change the ticket on the shelf where the books needed to go, then fill the slot with beautiful, pristine copies. She turned to the camera at the end with a cheesy smile and double thumbs-up, then walked out of shot.

“Perfect, thank you,” Kate laughed.

“So are you famous, then?” Claire said. “Can I grab a photo together for my followers?”

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