Page 127 of This Time Around
She forked up a bite of pancake and glanced at Jonah again. He’d set the pig book on top of a larger pile of children’s books, which seemed interesting. Was he the father of a young child, or a guy with unambitious reading habits?
Jonah caught her staring and nodded. “I own a bookstore,” he said, resting his hand on the stack of books. “Customers have been trying to talk me into expanding the children’s section, so I’m checking out some new releases.”
“Ah.” Kate smiled and chewed a bite of pancake, oddly charmed by his profession. There was something cultured and intelligent about a guy who owned a bookstore. The fact that he was here in artsy little Ashland said something, too. This time of year, nearly everyone in town was here for the city’s renowned theater productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
“Before you assume, try asking.”
There went Kate’s brain again, reciting words from Dr. Vivienne Brandt’s most famous tome on relationships and positive communication.
“You learn much more asking questions than you do by painting the walls inside your own mind.”
Kate picked up her coffee and took a sip. “Which plays are you seeing?”
“Oh, I’m not here for a play,” Jonah said. “I just came for the bacon.”
She must’ve looked startled, because he laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, I’m kidding. I saw Julius Caesar last night, and I’m seeing Off the Rails tomorrow night. I was hoping to see the matinee of Shakespeare in Love today, but it’s sold out. How about you?”
“Oh, I wanted to see Shakespeare in Love, but I couldn’t get tickets either,” Kate said. “I saw Hannah and the Dread Gazebo instead, which was amazing. How did you like Off the Rails?”
“It was terrific. Sort of a Blazing Saddles meets Shakespeare kinda thing. “
“Isn’t it OSF’s first play by an Indigenous writer?”
He nodded and gave her a look of keen interest. “Yeah. It’s sort of a comedic musical about Indian boarding schools. Cedric Lamar gave an amazing performance. Really powerful.” He picked up his coffee mug. “Are you seeing anything else?”
For a breathless instant, she thought he’d asked if she was seeing anyone, and she started to blurt out her availability. Luckily, her brain worked quicker than her mouth did. “I’ll probably go lurk around the theater this afternoon to see if anyone’s selling any last-minute tickets,” she said. “I have to leave early tomorrow morning.”
“Sounds like you’re quite the theater buff.”
Kate shrugged and took another bite of pancake. The lemon she’d squeezed over it lent the perfect zingy contrast to the warm maple syrup. “I guess so. I actually studied acting in college, but wised up by the time I hit grad school and learned to be on the other side of the camera instead.”
“You’re a filmmaker or something?”
“Close. I work for a production company in LA, but I got my start making documentaries.”
“Is that what you’re doing now?”
Kate shook her head, not sure why she hesitated a little before answering. “I’m actually in unscripted television now.”
“Unscripted television?” He gave her a curious look. “Is that a fancy way of saying reality TV?”
“Bingo.” Kate took a bite of bacon. “Don’t judge.”
“I’m not.” He smiled and shook his head. “I don’t watch much TV myself, but my sister is crazy about The Bachelor and Survivor and a bunch of other shows like that.”
His expression shifted to a sort of fond admiration, though there was something else, too. A flicker of melancholy, maybe, though Kate was probably reading it wrong. She wanted to press for details about the sister’s favorite shows, but decided this wasn’t the time for market research.
“Where’s your bookstore?” she asked instead.
“Seattle,” he said. “One of the few indie bookstores that’s still thriving in the age of the e-book.”
“What’s your secret? Free bacon with every book?”
He laughed and picked up another slice. “I put in a full-service bar and started bringing in live music a few times a week. There’s also a room where guests can interact with adoptable cats. My sister runs an animal shelter, so it’s been a great way to socialize them and help them find new homes.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“Thanks. Travel + Leisure featured it in a piece about America’s best bookstores.”
