Page 12 of Bea's Book Wagon
‘Yes,’ said Bea, hanging her head.
‘And you didn’t feel like you could stick with it? Until you’d found something else at least?’ asked Gordon.
‘No,’ said Bea, shaking her head determinedly. ‘Not after the way he spoke to me yesterday.’
‘Well, I hope you told him where to shove his job, he sounds like an awful little man. You’ll find something else soon enough,’ said Carol.
‘Good on you for standing up for yourself, love. Even if it does mean you’re unemployed!’ said Gordon, patting her hand.
‘Well…’ said Bea slowly. ‘I’ve kinda got a plan.’
‘How exciting!’ said Carol. ‘What is it?’
‘I’m going to open a mobile bookshop in a horsebox,’ Bea blurted out in one breath.
‘A mobile what?’ said Gordon.
‘Bookshop,’ said Bea.
‘In a horsebox?’ said Carol.
‘I know it sounds mad, but,’ Bea paused, her beaded bracelets rattling on her wrist, ‘one was up for sale in Blossom Heath, someone Jess knows, and it was too good an opportunity to miss. I really think I can make a go of it; I want to try to, at least…’ Bea paused, studying her parents’ expressions to try to gauge their reactions.
‘Well,’ said Gordon, pushing his plate away. ‘I wasn’t expecting that.’
‘Me neither,’ Carol agreed, taking a large sip of wine. ‘I know you love books, but your own business… it’s a big risk.’
‘I know it seems like this has come out of nowhere, believe me I get it, I’m as shocked as you are. But I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m meant to do for so long. All those failed interviews, trying to get into publishing… I never managed it, but I think, well, maybe this is it?’ said Bea. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so excited about anything, ever.’
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
‘Well,’ said Carol, after a long pause. ‘It’s your life, love, you’ve got to do what feels right.’
‘If it’s what you really want, Bea…’ said Gordon.
‘Seriously? You’re not annoyed?’ said Bea, relief coursing through her.
‘Annoyed? Why would we be? You’re not a child anymore, Beatrice. You’re old enough to make your own decisions,’ said Carol.
‘And that means taking responsibility for them, even the bad ones. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll need to think about what you’re doing to do,’ said Gordon.
‘Oh, I will. And I don’t want you to worry about money either. I’ve got the temp agency as a back-up, so I can still keep paying rent,’ said Bea.
‘Pleased to hear it,’ said Gordon, the lines creasing his forehead softening.
‘Well, I propose a toast. To Bea and her bookshop!’ said Carol, raising her glass.
‘To Bea’s horsebox,’ said Gordon, clinking his glass against hers.
‘To Bea’s Book Wagon,’ said Bea, finally, relief washing over her.
Although her parents had reacted to her news far better than she’d expected, Bea couldn’t get her dad’s words out of her head: she needed to take responsibility for her own decisions, even the bad ones. She just hoped that her decision to open a mobile bookshop wasn’t going to be something she’d live to regret.
CHAPTER 4
Bea had arranged to meet Tori from the Cosy Cat Café for a drink at the Apple Tree on Monday evening. She’d spent the weekend researching business costs, running numbers and trying to come up with some kind of plan. Finance wasn’t her thing, but she’d put her heart and soul into formulating options that would make Bea’s Book Wagon a reality. She hoped Tori could help hone her ideas, one female entrepreneur supporting another.
‘Bea, hi!’ said Tori, as she approached the bar.
