Page 44 of Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop
She seemed to realise where she was and fixed her eyes on me, her cheeks flushing.
‘Apologies, Lars. We were talking about getting creative with the shop window and I somehow turned that into sharing my relationship woes with you. As if you wanted a potted history of my boyfriend disasters. But, yes, Justin cancelled on me and Wes and I split up so this year’s birthday is vying for pole position with my two crap Christmases.’
‘I’m sure next year will be better.’
‘It can’t be worse. Thanks for listening.’
‘Happy to. And, if it helps, my relationship track record is disastrous. I swear I repel women. Maybe I need to change my body spray. Or my personality.’
Lily placed her hand lightly over mine and, even though her hand was cold, electricity zipped up my arm and throughout my body. ‘You don’t need to change either of those things, Lars.’
My heart pounded at her words. Was she just being nice or was she telling me something?
24
LILY
You don’t need to change either of those things, Lars.What had possessed me to say something like that? And where on earth had the husky voice come from? I didn’t know my voice was even capable of that tone.
Lars kept his eyes on mine and I was suddenly aware that my hand was still over his and I didn’t want to take it away. Neither of us had spoken for far too long but I couldn’t seem to find any words. My heart was racing and those butterflies had taken flight once more. I feared that, if I spoke, I might tell him about the unexpected feelings he’d stirred inside me, how I’d sworn off men but would make an exception for him, and how he was the only person I’d ever told about what really happened with Justin that Christmas Day. Mum and Dad had asked me how it had gone when I returned home on Boxing Day and, too ashamed to admit that my own flesh and blood had let me down so badly, I’d fobbed them off with a stack of true but not-the-full-story comments:not the best, you know how self-centred Justin can be, found myself counting down the hours till bedtime, won’t agree to any future Christmas Days with him.
The shop door burst open and Hallie and Rocco rushed up to the counter.
‘Mummy says the Bookmas tree is back!’ Hallie cried, grabbing her brother’s hand and running into the children’s section.
‘Just a quick look,’ Cassie called to them. ‘We need to get home and ready for swimming.’
She smiled in our direction and, when her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, I realised I still had my hand over Lars’s and snatched it away.
‘Have I interrupted something?’ Her tone was teasing and I knew I’d never hear the end of this.
‘We were just talking about the window display.’ It wasn’t easy to keep my voice sounding innocent when my thoughts had been far from it.
‘Right. Cos I always hold my colleagues’ hands when we’re discussing the window display.’
Lars pointed to the door. ‘I’ll just take a look. See if I can shift my creativity quotient into positive figures.’
He’d barely closed the door when Cassie planted her hands on her hips. ‘Explain yourself!’
‘There’s nothing to explain.’ My burning cheeks suggested otherwise. ‘We were talking, he said something self-deprecating, and I put my hand over his. End of.’
She shook her head. ‘Lily Appleton, you’re granted a stay of execution today but only because we have to get to the pool. The interrogation will resume tomorrow.’
With a laugh, she disappeared into the back in search of Hallie and Rocco, bundling them out of the shop moments later with a wave. I watched out of the window, hoping she wouldn’t say anything to Lars, but she was in too much of a rush. Thank goodness for swimming lessons because I couldn’t even begin to explain to Cassie what was going on between Lars and me when I wasn’t sure how to explain it to myself.
Lars returned moments later, shivering as he stepped into the warm shop.
‘I’m sorry about Cassie,’ I said. ‘You didn’t have to leave.’
‘I thought I’d leave you two to it and see if inspiration would hit for the window.’
‘Did it?’
He wrinkled his nose. ‘Sorry.’
‘I’m out of ideas too. I’ve got plans for next week but I forgot to plan the interim window. Why don’t you grab eight festive books – the ones we’ve got most duplicates of – and I’ll get some individual display stands out. We can prop up a few of them and fan the others out.’
While Lars fetched the books, I opened the floor-to-ceiling cupboard behind the till. It had deep shelves which were ideal for storing display stands and props for the window. For now, as creativity was lacking, I lifted out some acrylic stands to keep it simple.
