~~~Valerie~~~
The next day, I was still in a mood, but I was polite to everyone at the bakery even though I got my breakfast to go. However, I did vow not to eat alone anymore after that day. I wasn’t going to make a good impression on the town if I kept hiding in the bookstore. I felt Jackson’s eyes boring into me while I waited in line for my food and as I walked out of the building, but I didn’t turn to look at him.
Anne came into the bookstore while I was finishing my omelet to see the new set up for the kids. She promised to help me watch over them as much as she could between customers each afternoon.
I was startled when the bell over the front door rang around noon. A gentleman in a gray suit stuck his head in, saw me rearranging a shelf, and entered. Nervously, I greeted him and asked if I could help him find anything.
“I’m just looking, if that’s okay,” he said, looking at the shelves of books and not at me.
“Be my guest. If you need assistance, just call for me. My name is Valerie or Ms. Stutts if you prefer,” I said, mentally thanking God for finally sending me a customer.
He nodded but said nothing more.
I took a seat behind the register to wait. I couldn’t see the entire store from that spot, but I could see enough. Not that it mattered in that instance—my customer didn’t leave my line of sight.
The man spent nearly a half an hour walking the store. Occasionally, he would pick a book up and read the back, but he only tucked one under his arm. The longer he looked, the more I felt that he was doing more than looking for a new book. He was examining the store, checking me out, getting a feel of the place. I guess most people who would venture into the store over the next few weeks would be more interested in me than the books themselves. I was okay with that as long as they eventually bought a something.
“Will this be all for you?” I asked when he laid the book down on the counter twenty minutes later.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, looking at me fully for the first time. I smiled brightly and entered the book, a biography of Abraham Lincoln, into the register. He was polite and patient while I double-checked my math and the coins for his change.
Before I could thank him for coming in, he asked, “The children who will be coming here in the afternoons will be at those tables, correct?” He pointed to the two large tables that were clearly visible from the front of the store and front door.
“Yes, Sir,” I said. “Although, I only have one child coming that I know. Azure. Do you know her? She’s a lovely girl. Very reserved, though. She says she’s been having trouble making new friends since her best friend died last year. Maybe if others come in the afternoons, she’ll discover she has more in common with her peers than she knows.”
Realizing that I was rambling, I snapped my mouth shut. A flush heated my face, as I grew embarrassed over my outburst. The man stared at me as if I had two heads, and I chided myself for talking too much again.
“Thank you,” he said, holding up his bag and left the store.
Anne startled me a bit later when she came over to ask if I wanted lunch from the restaurant and if she had heard my door jingle earlier. I told her yes on both accounts. I was just going for my purse when another customer came through the door.
“I’ll bring you something back,” Anne said to me before smiling brightly at the woman who had entered.
I thanked Anne and welcomed the lady.
Jackson would have paid for my food anyway, I told myself, regretting not having time to give Anne money for my food. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact so that I would stop feeling as if I was taking advantage of the woman’s kindness.
The woman who entered wore black slacks and a black and white, chevron striped blouse that came to mid-thigh. I asked her if I could assist her, but she said she was just looking.
Twenty minutes later, she brought a copy of The Help up to the counter. I rang her up, she paid, and I handed her a bag with the book inside before thanking her for shopping at my bookstore. She paused after she took the bag with an expression on her face that said she wanted to say or ask something.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” I asked.
“Yes, um, are those tables for the kids?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Mr. Nichols had them delivered yesterday afternoon. He and I sat there until five with Azure while she read her history assignment aloud to me. I don’t know a whole lot about Valeterra, so I asked her to read the assigned section to me. She’s supposed to bring me some books from the school this afternoon so that I can study a bit myself.”
Why was I talking so much to my customers? Why were people asking about the tables? Were they planning to send their kids to the store that afternoon? Did they think I was secretly planning to carry them up to my apartment to do despicable things to them? I mean I got some of the paranoia, but seriously.
“Thank you,” she said and left.
Anne returned about that time, and we made ourselves comfortable at the table closest to her store.
“You’ve been popular today,” she said.
“Yeah, I know. I think the customers have all been parents wanting to check out the place since Mr. Nichols has made it known that the kids can come here after school to study. I’m okay with that as long as it helps the kids and the business. But I don’t want it to cause problems for anyone.”
“Speaking of Mr. Nichols. He asked about you a few minutes ago.”
“He did?”
“Yep, he wanted to know why you were still in the store. I was excited to tell him that you had a customer. I told him about the customer you’d had earlier. He seemed pleased that business had picked up, but not that you weren’t able to leave for lunch. Are you two…?” she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Are we what?” I asked, pretending not to know what she was asking.
“Are you two involved?” she asked in a low voice.
“Not even a little. Mr. Nichols hasn’t said a single word to me since I arrived. He just stares at me blankly when I talk to him. I think he wishes that I hadn’t agreed to come.”
I sighed and put down my food.
“Really?” she asked. “I don’t think that’s the case at all. Nearly every time I see Mr. Nichols, he asks about you. I’ve heard he’s been asking others about you as well.”
“I don’t know what his deal is. He is distant toward me every time we’re around each other. I get the distinct feeling that he wants me out of his town and his life. I don’t want to bounce from town to town, but I may tell Stephanie to move the timeframe up a bit on when they start bringing alphas here for me to meet. The sooner I meet my mate, the sooner I can leave,” I said, touching my palm.
I said the last part in the hopes that it would get back to Jackson to get a real reaction out of him.
“Don’t rush things, sweetie,” she said, touching my forearm.
I was thankful she didn’t notice me touching my hidden palm. “You have to give people time to get used to you. Besides, just because you mate with one of those alphas doesn’t mean you can close up shop and leave. There’s a reason they want this store here. We may not look like it, but we are one of the biggest cities within a hundred miles in any direction.”
“I know.”
I did know. I didn’t want to leave. I liked the town. I was growing to like the people in it; Anne, Azure, Stephanie, and my neighbor—I had to learn his name. I couldn’t just keep calling him my neighbor. If Jackson disliked me, though, he could make my life miserable in Greenleaf.
Before we could discuss things any further, the bell over Anne’s door jingled. She picked up the leftover food, said goodbye, and left me to the silence of my store.