Page 28 of Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop
We continued down to the next level.
‘I didn’t mean to sound like I was boasting,’ he said as we paused in front of the shelves.
‘I didn’t think you were.’
‘Good. Can I just say again how sorry I am about?—’
I raised both hands to stop him and gave him a reassuring smile. ‘No need. Line in the sand, Lars. We’ve hopefully both changed a lot since school. Fresh start, okay?’
‘Okay. Thanks.’
‘But if you have retained everything, maybe I will test you after all.’
For a moment, he clearly believed me, his eyes wide, and then he laughed, making his eyes sparkle, and those butterflies stirred once more. There was no denying that the quirky-looking boy had grown into an incredibly attractive man. Not for me, mind. It’d be a long time before I was ready to let someone in again.
‘Do you read much non-fiction?’ I asked, eager to take my mind away from his looks.
‘I read all sorts. I like the occasional autobiography, I enjoy nature books and history. I’ve read a stack of books about Icelandic history and culture. Anything with Vikings in it and I’m all over it, whether it’s Iceland based or not.’
‘It’s your dad who’s Icelandic?’ I asked.
‘Yeah. My mum met him there when she was travelling.’
‘They still live in Whitsborough Bay?’
Lars’s expression darkened and his head dipped and I had a flashback to that sense of vulnerability I’d seen in him at school and the frustration that he kept pushing me away when I couldn’t help but think he desperately needed a friend.
‘Sorry. I don’t mean to be intrusive. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.’
‘It’s okay.’ He looked up once more, his eyes sad. ‘They split up years back. He lives in Iceland now with his new family and Mum travels with her job. I don’t see much of either of them.’
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but a customer appeared and asked if she was on the right floor for history.
‘Two levels up,’ Lars said. ‘Is there a particular period of history you’re interested in?’
‘World War I.’
‘Let me show you.’ Lars glanced at me, as though seeking approval, and I nodded at him.
‘Is it for you or someone else?’ Lars asked as he headed up the stairs with the customer.
‘It’s for my dad. It’s his birthday soon and I haven’t a clue what to get him…’
They moved out of earshot so I didn’t catch the rest of their conversation but I was impressed with Lars for offering to take the customer to the section she was interested in. I hadn’t yet talked about the way we tended to work but one of my requests was to take the customer to their preferred section if it was feasible to do so.
There was no point me going downstairs so I straightened up a few books and moved a couple which I spotted were out of place. I heard footsteps on the stairs and the customer’s voice drifted to me.
‘…been a great help. My dad’s going to love these.’
‘Hope he has a great birthday,’ Lars responded. ‘See you again soon.’
He joined me moments later, looking uncertain of himself. ‘I didn’t mean to take over.’
‘Will you do me a big favour? Will you stop apologising? It was great to hear you sounding knowledgeable and I love that you didn’t just point the customer in the direction of the books but took her there yourself. It’s all good.’
‘That’s a relief. I don’t want to mess this up.’
‘Believe me, Lars, helping customers isnevermaking a mess of it.’
