Page 4 of Little Wing
Even as my anxiety crept up, I focused on the scent of the ancient texts around us. As Reina threw out terms like “trivia” and “cosplay”, I took comfort in knowing that there were things in the store much older than I was. And if they could withstand the test of time, I could too.
Giving the book one more pat, I nodded and looked around the store. It was a cluttered space full of books of all varieties from self-published local authors to Shakespearean texts we kept tucked away. Every corner was covered by bookshelves or bins full of literary delights. Our space was already tight, so to accommodate all who were interested in taking part in the midnight release activities, there was plenty of work to be done.
“Well, where should we start?”
Reina’s squeal was music to my ears. As uncomfortable as such an event made me, I’d muster through it if it meant it would make my friend happy.
“Yes—perfect! I think we can move those—” she said, pointing to the bins of discounted books we kept at the front of the store. “We can move those bins over to the back of the store, or even to the back room so we can have more walking space. What do you think?”
“Works for me, Captain,” I said with a smirk.
“Oh, Lo!” Reina wagged her finger. “Your input is needed. How else are we going to run our very own bookstore one day?”
She did have a point. In our time together, we did talk about a future where we would own our own bookstore. One that would have a café inside it where Kait, the missing piece of our trio, would concoct delicious, caffeinated creations.
In between customers who trickled in over the course of my shift, Reina and I worked on rearranging the store as much as we could to make the space more event-friendly.
“So, you think this event will bring in more vampires to the store? I mean, Reverie is a pretty big deal for you guys, right?”
Sometimes I forgot how easily it was to group me with vampires as one people when I felt so disconnected from them. But instead of making a comment pointing that out, I stacked another book into a box and nodded.
“I’m sure they won’t be able to pass it up.”
“Really?” Reina beamed.
“Of course—when did you hear of a vampire turning down an opportunity to dress up?” I smirked before picking up the box to move to the back of the store.
“Fuck! You’re totally right!” Reina giggled and spun in place, reaching for another sip of her coffee that was now heavily diluted by the melted ice. “Just think, Lo. One day when we have our own bookstore, we’ll be able to host more of these events without having to rearrange the whole damn store.”
I reveled in the joy that my friend exuded, in the joy that planning for a future I couldn’t quite grasp. But I smiled nonetheless, even if I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand—cautious of what this event could bring.
“I’m sorry, fellas. They didn’t accept the offer.”
Mateo and I were seated on the other side of the table where Benjamin, our realtor, tapped away on his keyboard. This was the twelfth offer we had put in on a space for Little Wing and the celebrations were now feeling more like a deflated balloon being dragged along the floor. Guess we celebrated a bit prematurely.
My eyes traveled from his sullen expression and lingered on the desk littered with folders containing other client contracts. Mateo’s chair squished under his weight as he leaned forward, pressing his clenched fists against the gray wood surface. I retained my focus on the armrest of my seat, barely concerned about leaving an indent on it from gripping it so firmly.
“Benji, there has to be something else. Did they tell you why they rejected our offer?” Mateo asked, his brow furrowed. He knew what the answer would be. He knew why they kept denying us. And even someone as hopeful as Mateo… he too had a breaking point.
I could tell he was getting more worked up, as he deserved, yet all I could do was say his name wearily.Ha… like that would hold him back.
“No, Silas. I’d like to know. Because this is completebullshit.”
“Well,” Benjamin started, moving his attention from the monitor and finally back to us. “Big part of it was that they were given a cash offer that they couldn’t refuse.”
“And the other part?” I finally chimed in.
“They didn’t think your business would be a good fit for their plaza.”
“Fucking FUCK!” Mateo cursed and got up with enough force that the chair was knocked over behind him.
Benjamin didn’t even flinch. He looked just as disappointed as I did.
Despite being human himself, he had shown a great deal of respect for vampires. He was able to accommodate our nocturnal lifestyle and really did try to locate the best listings for our community center. He had a sister who was recently turned, so he often looked to us when he had questions about how to best support her in this new life. Because while the treaty worked for much of Fairhaven, there were still many out there who either feared vampires or simply refused to accept us. There would always be prejudice. Such was life.
When he bowed his head in disappointment, I really didn’t need to hear the reason we were denied but hearing him say it just enforced my desire to keep trying. Even though in that moment defeat felt more certain than anything else, it made Little Wing something worth fighting for.
As soon as Mateo’s anger simmered, I stood up and held out my hand to Benjamin, who shook it without any hesitation.
