Page 19 of The Tattered Gloves
“Good. Now, why don’t you start by stacking these on the shelves? I’ll give you a lesson on the computer system later, but for now, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding homes for these.”
Before I had a chance to ask for further instructions, he was gone, disappearing into the back, no doubt still wearing that damn smile on his face.
“Stupid jerk.”
“Heard that!” He laughed before a door shut.
I stood on my toes, trying to figure out where he’d gone, but I only saw more shelves. Deciding I was on my own, I grabbed a couple of the books he’d left for me, making a quick inspection of the covers and spines. One was a teen romance, and the other looked like science fiction.
I set out on my quest, enjoying the peace and quiet the store offered. Part of me wondered how a business so empty could stay afloat, let alone need an extra employee, but I was grateful for the silence.
So, I went about searching for the science fiction section first. The store wasn’t huge, mostly compact and desperately in need of some serious organization. But I managed to find a location for the futuristic alien book and moved on to find the teen romance section.
Looking down at the cover, I found myself rolling my eyes.
Don’t Let Go.
What a lame title.
Yet, before my eyes were finished making their final roll, I found myself cracking open the cover. I’d never been into reading. School was something I just did but never really thought about much after textbooks were closed and papers were written. Such luxuries weren’t taken when you were busy worrying about winter coats and just who was roaming your halls late at night.
“You know, I’m not paying you to read.” Sam’s voice cut through the silence.
I jumped, caught off guard by his sudden presence. I was usually more attuned to my surroundings, but for some reason, I’d gotten lost in the first couple of pages in that book.
Looking up, I wanted to scream when I saw him leaning against a tall shelf, one foot over the other, like he had all the time in the world, that same wolfish grin plastered on his face.
“And what do you get paid to do exactly?” I shot back.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he took a step forward, snatching the book from my hand and motioning for me to follow him. Knowing I’d probably already gotten away with my fair share of snide comebacks for the day, I decided to follow.
Rounding a sharp corner, we arrived at the small teen romance section. It barely took up two shelves. He made an elaborate demonstration of putting the book on the second shelf, next to another book by the same author.
“We do offer ten percent off for employees,” he said before walking off.
My normally quiet nature seemed to take a backseat when it came to this guy. He made me angry, flustered, and… something else I couldn’t put my finger on.
Annoyed maybe?
No, that wasn’t it.
“What is your problem?” I blurted out, chasing behind him.
“My problem?” he asked, spinning around to face me.
Suddenly, he was too close. I could feel his breath on my face, his presence looming over me.
I took a step back.
He seemed to notice the unease settle around me, and a bit of the edge he carried chipped away.
His next words were said with a slightly softer quality. “Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but if the store doesn’t do well, it’s on me. My dad thinks it’s a waste of time.”
“And you don’t?”
I didn’t know what a rich, popular kid wanted with an old bookstore, but I kept my mouth shut.
He shrugged. “We have nothing in this crummy town, not even a movie theater. Last month, I wanted to see the new Marvel movie, and my friends and I had to drive thirty minutes away just to see it.”
